Wine knowledge is increasingly becoming an important component of professional service in Kenya’s hospitality and tourism industry, with industry players calling for greater investment in training to enhance customer experience.

This was the focus of a wine training session held at Kiota Suites in Bamburi, Mombasa, bringing together 25 Crystal Frozen Foods (CFCF) team members who work as Brand Ambassadors across the Coast.

The training was facilitated by renowned wine educator and consultant Wanjiru Mureithi, who is contracted to provide wine education to Crystal Frozen Foods teams and its trade customers.

According to Mureithi, the training was designed to go beyond simply teaching participants about particular wine brands, with a greater focus on improving their overall wine knowledge and ability to engage customers.

“It goes beyond product training. The objective is to elevate the wine experience by giving people the knowledge and confidence to understand, recommend and sell wine better,” said Mureithi.

Crystal Frozen Foods imports South African wine brands including Simonsig, Stellenrust and Nabylegelen. Since July, the company has been conducting trade training for its customers in Nairobi, including establishments such as Carnivore, Four Points Sheraton Airport, Dusit Princess and Muthaiga Country Club, as well as consumer events at ArtCaffe.

Mureithi said the decision to bring the training to Mombasa was aimed at ensuring coastal hospitality establishments and teams also benefit from the growing emphasis on wine education.

“This October, it was important to include coastal establishments such as Tamarind Mombasa, Voyager Resort, Serena Mombasa, Cafesserie and CharChoma,” she said.

The Mombasa session also brought together the Nairobi and Coast teams of Crystal Frozen Foods’ Business Advisors, who were taken through different wines within the company’s portfolio.

The Brand Ambassadors, who are stationed in supermarkets, liquor stores and other retail outlets across the Coast and also support deliveries, were selected because wine knowledge forms part of their core professional competence.

“Training is a critical component of empowering staff to deliver on their targets. If you are selling a product, you need to understand that product,” Mureithi said.

Participants were introduced to different aspects of wine, including producer knowledge, wine styles, grape varieties, regions and the fundamentals of wine tasting.

The training covered South African producers such as Simonsig and Stellenrust, as well as the Stellenbosch wine region and the wider South African wine industry.

Participants also explored different wine styles, including sparkling, red, rosé and white wines, as well as wooded and unwooded wines and the characteristics of different grape varieties.

For Mureithi, wine tasting is a structured process rather than an informal exercise.

“There is a systematic way of doing it; it is not random,” she explained. “You start by looking at the wine, then you assess the aromas and finally you evaluate it on the palate.”

She said the first step involves observing the wine’s colour and appearance, including determining whether it is red, rosé or white and whether it is still or sparkling.

The next stage is assessing the aromas, which can help identify whether the wine is sound and provide clues about the grape variety, winemaking style and age of the wine.

On the palate, participants learn to assess sweetness, body, acidity, tannins, flavours, complexity and the wine’s finish.

Mureithi said wine tasting requires practice and should not be mistaken for simply drinking wine.

“One of the misconceptions is that wine tasting is just sherehe. It is actual work,” she said. “It can be overwhelming at first, particularly because alcohol can affect you, but there is a proper process to follow and, like any skill, it takes practice."

The training also touched on basic principles of wine and food pairing, although Mureithi noted that this was not the primary focus because the Brand Ambassadors are principally involved in sales.

She, however, emphasised the importance of knowledge in improving the customer experience across hotels, restaurants and other hospitality establishments.

“The more knowledgeable a staff member is, the more they can sell and the better they can give customers an elevated experience,” she said.

Mureithi also stressed the importance of proper wine storage, particularly in a warm and humid coastal environment.

“Wine should be stored in a cool, dark place. Temperature variation is a huge consideration in a coastal area,” she said.

With Mombasa remaining and the larger Coast region a major tourism destination attracting both domestic and international visitors, Mureithi believes wine knowledge can create new opportunities for young professionals in the hospitality sector.

“Mombasa is a hot tourism destination with local and international tourists. They expect the same level of diversity of wines and great service as they would find in larger cities or internationally,” she said.

She noted that opportunities exist not only in wine service but also in education, sales and the broader sommelier profession.

Mureithi further pointed to the work of the Sommeliers of Kenya Association (SOKA), an initiative seeking to strengthen the sommelier profession in Kenya and take it beyond basic wine service and stewardship.

“SOKA seeks to grow the sommelier profession beyond wine service and stewardship. The goal is to elevate the skills and knowledge of people working in the trade to international standards,” she said.

She added that continued investment in structured training would be important in ensuring Kenya’s hospitality industry keeps pace with international standards.

For Mureithi, the growing interest in wine education represents an opportunity to build a more knowledgeable workforce while giving customers a better and more sophisticated hospitality experience.

“Wine knowledge is part of the core competence for many people working in this industry. The more we invest in that knowledge, the better the service, the better the sales and ultimately the better the experience for the customer.”