How many references per venue?

40-60 casual, 60-100 gastronomic, 100-150 fine dining.

Does each venue need a sommelier?

Not necessarily. A group sommelier can oversee 3-5 venues.

Is centralizing purchases worth it?

Yes. 5-15% savings and better terms.

Strategic guide

How to structure a wine list for a restaurant group

Managing one restaurant's list is complex. Doing it for 5, 10 or 50 venues requires a system.

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1.The challenge of managing multiple lists
2.Common mistakes in groups
3.The trunk model + local adaptation
4.How to standardize margins
5.Centralized supplier management
6.Framework for new venues

1. The challenge of managing multiple wine lists

A group isn't a restaurant multiplied by N.

Each venue may have different cuisine, audience and positioning.

Without common criteria, each venue prices differently.

Supplier duplication prevents volume negotiation.

Without centralized visibility, you don't know how much capital is tied up.

2. Common mistakes in group list management

Mistakes that recur in groups without a defined wine strategy.

One list for all: ignores differences.

Full local freedom: operational chaos.

Too many distributors: reduces negotiating power.

Not measuring performance by venue.

3. The trunk model + local adaptation

The trunk list defines common criteria.

Each venue adapts within those criteria.

Common category structure.

Centralized approved wine catalogue.

20-30% local references permitted.

Price ranges by section.

Reference limits by venue type.

Is your wine list performing as it should?

We'll analyse your list and show you concrete improvement opportunities in margin, rotation and average ticket.

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4. How to standardize margins without losing identity

Use tiered multipliers adapted to each venue's positioning.

Multipliers by cost tier.

Adjust by positioning.

Gross margin target per venue: 65-72%.

Review quarterly.

Internal benchmarking between venues.

5. Centralized supplier and stock management

Primary supplier (60-70%), complementary (20-30%), local (10-20%).

Negotiate on total group volume.

Centralize stock tracking.

Min/max stock alerts.

Review rotation by venue monthly.

6. Decision framework for new venues

Structured process for designing a new venue's list.

Step 1: Define positioning.

Step 2: Select from trunk catalogue.

Step 3: Add local references.

Step 4: Validate structure.

Step 5: Train the team.

Step 6: Monitor first 90 days.

Related tools

Wine list analyzer Margin calculator

Frequently asked questions

Next step

Manage all your lists from one place

Winerim lets groups centralize list management, standardize margins and adapt by venue.

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Diagnosis with real improvement opportunities. No cost.