Can you tell us about your background and how you first got into wine?

I actually started out as a chef, which was my dream profession from a very young age. However, after completing my apprenticeship and gaining some more experience at 1 Michelin star restaurant in France I returned home and started doing both kitchen and service.

Why did you want to be a sommelier?

Whilst I was still working in the same restaurant, I was inspired by one of Norway’s iconic wine personalities - Toralf Bølgen. He spurred me on to start sommelier school and I’ve worked with wine more or less ever since. I was also fortunate that the restaurant had a big focus on the natural combination of food and wine (and art too).

How did you progress into your current role?

I have served my apprenticeship from chef to sous chef, to sommelier, to general manager, to head sommelier, and finally now wine director. I love the restaurant industry and feel proud to have worked “both sides” and gained varied and valuable experience whilst still at a fairly young age.

When the Britannia Hotel in Trondheim was planning its re-opening as a 5-star international property I was asked to join the team as a head sommelier in charge of the Michelin-aspiring restaurant, Speilsalen. Over the next two years, my role evolved until I started as wine director earlier this year.

Henrik Dahl Jahnsen, wine director of the Britannia Hotel in Trondheim in Norway

What is involved in your current role and your main tasks?

As wine director, wine is, of course, a big part of the job. I work closely with our cellar master Thomas Andersen in developing our cellar, but a lot of time I spend assisting the other F&B departments and working out what are the high-volume products we need to be promoting across all our drinks range. With four restaurants, a wine bar and cocktail bar, there is always something exciting going on and every day is different.

If you were given a restaurant to fix their wine program and grow wine sales, where would you start and what steps would you take?

Staff education would be very important, but perhaps most of all, staff dedication. If the staff does not believe in the products, they are supposed to sell I do not think they will be very good at selling them. This means tailoring the wine program to the restaurant's style and concept, as well as considering demographics, regional differences and local specialties or cultural preferences.

Then you simply have to build the house a few stones a day and stay helpful and supportive as the staff slowly but surely grows more knowledgeable and confident. There is nothing more satisfying than when a colleague comes over, bursting with excitement about a wine they have just sold or how happy their guests is about a recommendation they made.

What questions would you ask of the restaurant owner to know what sort of wine list to create?

I believe it is crucial the wine list matches both the clientele and the style of the restaurant. It does not necessarily have to match the kitchen “perfectly” in terms of origins as contrasts offer another dimension to the experience and can provide even greater pairings.

How do you want your guests to feel when dining in your restaurant and which atmosphere are we trying to create?

Should we give them the easy comfort of classic pairings, or should we challenge them a bit and give them something slightly off the beaten chart? Then there is the issue of price.

There are many factors to consider, and I think the most important thing is to talk together and constantly evaluate and develop as we go along.

What do you most look for and want from wine suppliers to help drive sales?

In Norway, it is forbidden to advertise alcohol, which means suppliers focus more on events such as tastings or winemaker dinners. This provides a great display for both the restaurant and the supplier/producer, and the guests love it.

Another thing I think works well is campaigns where we perhaps get a certain kick-back for a fixed number of bottles sold or a trip to visit the producer. The latter is especially good as this stimulates the staff with more knowledge and inspiration, and it is also easy to make sales competitions to further boost the sales and get that good competitive feeling.

Can you think of any good examples of wine partnerships with suppliers and wines you have listed as a result? What was it about those wines that stood out?

At the Britannia, we have our own house Champagne, made in collaboration with Ayala. This has proven a great success as the guests love unique experiences.  We also know we have served Ayala at the hotel all the way back to 1896 for a dinner hosted by famous explorer Fridtjof Nansen. So this is a good story for us to bring to life. 

We recently expanded our family of house wines with a juicy Barbera made by Fontanafredda and are working on white wine with Laroche. Another wine that is very dear to me is our selected barrel of premium Riesling from Von Winning in the Pfalz, a producer that shares my love for quality and always strives to develop and push the boundaries of German wine.

What does success look like for you from a wine program or wine list you have introduced?

I think the international wine list competitions and awards are a great way to show the unprejudiced qualities of a great list and successful wine program. Another great way to show you are serious about your wine program is to have a list that not only matches the concept and style of the venue but also includes some of the most sought-after regions and producers, in a beautiful combination with up-and-coming wines, regions, and styles. Basically “anything” can be acquired if your budget is high enough, so you need to be smart and show true know-how and flair in order to show off actual success.

How have you devised the wine list and wine programme at your venue - what are the key factors about the list that have helped the bottom line?

We work with a fairly extensive list, with some 2.000 labels, and I think the key really is to get that combination of highly prized premium wines as well as budget-friendly (for the guest) wines that become your “bread & butter” products.

The biggest part of the list are wines in the medium price range, which offer guests something a little extra, but are also perfectly accessible wines for when they do not to want to spend too much.

Good wine is for everyone, and if you make a decent profit on classics such as Chablis and Barbera d’Alba, you can afford to list the next level of quality at very reasonable prices. Premium wines that are hard to come by should be expensive and need to be priced so that they don’t sell out too quickly.

What are the key four things you focus on to be good in your role? 

* Honesty and transparency with colleagues, owners, and suppliers.
* A result-oriented approach, focusing both on quality and numbers. 
* Keeping up to date with trends and changes in the industry.
* Staying positive and optimistic, always remembering that we work for our guests and not for our own personal gain.

What do you think sommeliers spend too much of their time on which is not that important?

This is a challenging one! I think there are a few things, in general, that could be worked with. First of all, remember you are supposed to care for the guests interests before your own. This means staying on top of what the guests are currently looking for, rather than trying to force them into drinking something just because you went on a trip somewhere or because it is supposed to be a cool thing.

Reading and education also play a role, it is always beneficial to learn new things and develop ourselves, but we should remember the end goal is to make the guests even happier.
It is also pointless to argue with the guests. Give them ice cubes if they want ice cubes, serve the wine at a certain temperature if that’s how they prefer it, serve them their favorite wine even though it might not be the ultimate combination with what they are eating, etc., etc.

What are the criteria you look for in a wine when deciding whether to include it in your wine program or not?

Regardless of price point, origin, winemaker, and so on, the wine must show character. It must be a great example of its style and show the appropriate qualities for what you should be able to expect in said wine. It’s all rather simple really if the wine is good it is good, it does not matter who made it or where it came from. Quality is universal, and any wine should spark some emotions in the drinker, no matter if it’s a light summery rosé or a heavy red wine from Bordeaux or Napa.

What do you see as being the key skills and talents needed to be a good sommelier?

* Focus, dedication, and drive.
* Empathy and good social skills.
* Good spirits and a touch or two of humor always helps.
* Care and a genuine desire to help the guest in the best possible way.
* Flexibility and being able to find solutions even if the night has started off slightly on the wrong track. 

How do you evaluate the success and effectiveness of a good wine program?

Returning guests, media, awards, word on the street between other restaurateurs, and of course; the bottom line. All of these have to work together in order for a wine program to be a success. The constant feedback and evaluation you get every day from guests and colleagues in the industry are perhaps one of the most important guidelines along the way, and the numbers at the end of the month show how well your strategy has paid off.