Guide to wine by the glass for restaurants
Everything you need to design a profitable wine-by-the-glass program: selection, pricing, rotation and strategies to sell more.
The downloadable file is in English.
Wine by the glass is an opportunity few restaurants exploit well
Most restaurants offer wine by the glass but without a clear strategy: few references, arbitrary prices, no rotation and no measurement of results.
Limited selection of 3-4 references that never change
Pricing copied from the bottle without adjusting to glass format
No rotation: the same offer for months
Not measuring glasses sold per table or average ticket per glass
What's included in the guide
5 chapters with everything needed to launch or improve your wine-by-the-glass program.
How many wines by the glass to offer
Minimum recommended: 6-8 references by glass
Ideal distribution: sparkling, white, rosé, red
Adapt selection to restaurant type and cuisine
When to expand to 12-15 references (wine bars, fine dining)
How to calculate the price per glass
Base rule: glass price = 30-40% of bottle price
Recovery method: recover cost with 2 glasses sold
Tiered pricing: entry, mid-range and premium glass
Real margins: why glass is more profitable than bottle
How to choose the right wines
Selection criteria: versatility, preservation and margin
Wines that work well by glass vs those that don't
Importance of preservation: systems and timings
Include at least one surprising or discovery option
How to increase sales by the glass
Visibility: glass section must be first in the list
Suggest glass with each dish as pairing
Bi-weekly rotation to create novelty and urgency
Express staff training: 3 phrases per wine
Management and rotation
Recommended rotation frequency: every 2-4 weeks
How to measure performance of each glass reference
Waste management: when to open, when to remove
Key KPIs: glasses sold per table, average ticket per glass
Who is this resource for
- Restaurants offering or wanting to offer wine by the glass
- Service managers managing glass wine offerings
- Wine bars and wine shops with high glass rotation
- Hotels with wine-by-the-glass service across multiple locations
When to use it
- When launching a wine-by-the-glass program
- When the glass offer hasn't changed for weeks
- If glass sales don't reach 25% of wine sales
- When preparing the seasonal list
What this resource gives you
+40% more margin
Glass generates more margin than bottle when managed well.
x2 more diners
A good glass offering doubles the number of diners consuming wine.
25-35% of sales
Glasses can represent up to a third of wine sales.
Frequently asked questions
How many wines by the glass should I offer?▾
Between 6 and 8 is the typical range. Wine bars and fine dining can reach 12-15 with a preservation system.
Is wine by the glass profitable?▾
Yes, it's one of the most profitable formats when managed well. Glass margin is usually 40% higher than bottle.
Do I need a preservation system?▾
For more than 8 references, a preservation system (Coravin, inert gas) reduces waste and usually pays for itself in weeks.
Related content
Manage your wine by the glass with Winerim
Selection, pricing, rotation and analytics of your wine-by-the-glass program in one platform.