Introduction
Not every restaurant sells the same amount of wine. Even among venues at the same level, in the same area and with similar average spend, differences can be enormous: the proportion of tables ordering wine may vary. Measure it using the same criteria and period before comparing venues; this article provides no prevalence study.
Alongside product, audience and prices, review presentation, recommendations and tools. This article does not allow sales differences to be attributed to a single cause or the quality of all restaurants to be compared.
These five areas offer a review guide, not a restaurant ranking or demonstrated results from a documented sample.
1. Clear wine-list structure
Review whether your list makes styles and prices easy to find. Clarity can be a design objective, without claiming it is a demonstrated characteristic of the restaurants selling the most wine.
Options you can test:
- Try organising by sensory style, such as fresh, fruity, intense or elegant, alongside region or grape
- Review the number of options per section; between 5 and 10 is a planning example, not a validated maximum
- Review the order and visibility of wines according to objectives, demand and margin
- Try descriptive headings and check whether the audience understands them
Hypothetical example: compare a section called "D.O. Rías Baixas" with 8 Albariño wines and another called "Fresh, mineral whites". Observe what the audience understands from each proposal, without assuming immediate comprehension.
What to observe: whether the audience finds a suitable option and what help it needs. Organisation does not guarantee a shorter decision time, greater confidence or higher spend.
2. Visible recommendations
Another proposal is to study recommendations integrated into the list, as complementary support for the service team.
Options you can test:
- Consider a "Sommelier's selection" or "Our recommendations" section
- Try a wine marked as recommended with a visible icon, if there is a genuine recommendation criterion
- Review update frequency; a week or fortnight are planning examples, not a frequency that guarantees novelty or sales
- Add a sentence of context that describes the wine or occasion verifiably, without claiming it is the best unless that can be justified
A recommendation does not have to be the most expensive option. Review cost, margin, tastes and budget; trying the wine cannot be guaranteed to generate repeat purchases or satisfaction.
What to measure: sales, availability and margin before and after highlighting wines over comparable periods. No percentage increase has been demonstrated for this article.
3. Integrated pairings
You can study how to connect the wine list with the food menu, without attributing this practice to an undocumented sales ranking.
Options you can test:
- Consider 1-2 suggested wines alongside some dishes, as a planning example
- Include pairing proposals by section, reviewed with the kitchen and service team
- Consider a by-the-glass pairing option according to demand, preservation and price
- Review when to offer guidance, asking permission and respecting other drinks or the choice not to drink wine
A pairing suggestion can provide a starting point for conversation. Check whether it helps people choose and keep alternatives according to tastes and budget; it does not necessarily remove doubts or determine a single answer.
What to measure: use of suggestions, sales and satisfaction in the context of price, demand and cuisine. Integrating pairings does not guarantee increased sales.
4. Staff training
Training can support informed recommendations. Review which questions the team can answer and with what support, without claiming it is the highest-impact factor or the hardest to implement.
Options you can test:
- Train people to explain and recommend wine using information, without reducing learning to closing sales
- Practise 3 key sentences per wine: what it is, what it tastes like and which dish it may suit
- Consider a wine of the week as an exercise in knowledge and sharing
- Ask permission to guide: "May I suggest an option for what you have ordered?"
- Offer guidance without pressure: "Would you like wine, or would you prefer another drink?" Respect choice and budget
The trick: you do not need your team to be sommeliers. You need each person to recommend 3-5 wines confidently. Check which questions the team can answer; no coverage percentage has been validated for this article.
What to measure: record training, recommendations and sales over comparable periods; no guaranteed percentage increase is attributed to the waiter's confidence.
5. Use of technology
Before adopting technology, check what problem it addresses and what data and integrations it needs. This article provides no adoption or growth rate for leading restaurants.
Options you can test:
- Check whether a digital wine list offers the filters your audience needs
- Assess recommendation tools using actual preferences and review their proposals
- Review comparable sales data before changing selection or pricing
- Assess by-the-glass wine tools, using turnover, preservation and wastage records
- Define wine KPIs and a review frequency: tables with wine, average spend and turnover, with explicit denominators and periods
Technology should not replace staff judgement. It can support records and processes if its functions are verified; measure actual usefulness without assuming pricing or consistency improvements.
What to measure: compare earlier and later records, considering changes in the list, prices, demand and occupancy. No observed sales increase or demonstrated effect timeline is provided.
What other restaurants can learn
The five areas form a process-review proposal, not demonstrated patterns of the restaurants selling the most wine. Compare changes against your own records.
The 5 actions you can implement this week:
-
Review your wine-list structure. Observe whether a customer finds what they want. Thirty seconds can be a question in your own exercise, not a diagnostic threshold; test changes and check their effect.
-
Highlight 5 wines as recommended. Give them an icon, a sentence and a prominent position. Change them every 2 weeks.
-
Connect the food menu with the wine list. Add 1-2 wine suggestions beside your main dishes.
-
Train your team on 3 wines. Each waiter should be able to recommend 3 wines in a clear, confident sentence. Hold a 15-minute tasting before service.
-
Start measuring. What percentage of tables orders wine? What is your average wine spend? Which wines do not sell? Without data, there is no improvement.
Conclusion
Sales depend on multiple factors. This guide proposes reviewing structure, recommendations, training and records, without promising increased sales from applying it.
Reviewing these aspects may help you define tests and responsibilities; check what works for your audience and operations.
The question is: is your restaurant doing these 5 things?