Wine by the Glass Software for Restaurants: Control, Margin and Experience
How specialized software helps you manage wine by the glass with waste control, dynamic pricing, and smart rotation.
Why Wine by the Glass Needs Its Own System
Wine by the glass isn't simply "selling bottles in parts." It's a program with its own variables: waste, shelf life, rapid rotation, differentiated pricing, and constant communication with the floor team. Managing it with the same tools as the bottle list is like using the same recipe for a daily menu and a tasting menu. Technically possible, but inefficient. The Specific Challenges of Wine by the Glass - Waste: every opened bottle has a window of useful life. Without control, waste can reach 20-30% of cost - Rotation: glass selections should change frequently to maintain regular customer interest - Communication: the team needs to know which glasses are currently open, not just what the list says - Pricing: the per-glass price must cover the bottle cost with the first 2-3 glasses sold - Seasonality: demand for styles changes with the season and menu
What Wine by the Glass Software Does
Waste Control - Automatic tracking of opening time and estimated shelf life per bottle - Visual alerts when a bottle is near expiration - Waste logging: how many glasses were sold, how many lost - Monthly waste report by reference and by server Dynamic Pricing - Automatic price calculation per glass based on bottle cost, expected glasses, and target margin - Flexible pricing: adjust margins by time slot, day of the week, or specific campaign - "Happy hour" pricing: by-the-glass promotions at controlled margins Smart Rotation - Automatic style balance: the system alerts if categories are missing (e.g., no sparkling by the glass) Team Communication - "Currently open glasses" panel accessible from tablet or phone in the back office - Simplified wine profiles with the recommendation phrase - Notification when a glass is opened or closed
The Economic Impact
| Scenario | Without Software | With Software | |---|---|---| | Average waste | 18-25% | 6-10% | | Simultaneous open glasses | 6-8 | 8-12 (controlled) | | Selection rotation | Quarterly | Biweekly/monthly | | Effective margin per glass | ×2.5-3 | ×3.5-5 | | Team visibility | Low | Real-time | > Key fact: a restaurant serving 200 glasses/week with 20% waste loses between €800 and €1,500/month in discarded wine. Reducing waste to 8% can save €500-1,000/month.
Who It's For
- Restaurants with more than 6 simultaneous glasses - Venues with high staff turnover where communication is challenging - Restaurant groups that need to standardize their by-the-glass program across locations - Establishments that want to use by-the-glass as a vehicle for discovery and upselling
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it integrate with the preservation system (Coravin, nitrogen)? The software records the opening and preservation method, adjusting the shelf life window based on the system used. Does the floor team need training? Minimal. The open glasses panel is visual and can be learned in 5 minutes. Wine profiles are generated automatically. Is it worth it without a preservation system? Yes. Waste control is even more important without a preservation system, because the shelf life window is shorter. --- [Diagnose your by-the-glass program →](/herramientas/diagnostico-vino-por-copa) [Request a demo →](/demo)