Wine by the Glass Strategy Template
Design, implement, and control your wine-by-the-glass program with an operational document covering selection, pricing, rotation, and objectives.
The downloadable file is in English.
Why do you need a formal wine-by-the-glass strategy?
Wine by the glass is one of the most powerful margin levers in restaurants, but without a structured plan, it's managed reactively: uncontrolled losses, stagnant selection, and missed sales opportunities.
Invisible losses eroding margins without showing up in the numbers
Selection that doesn't change for weeks or months
Pricing calculated arbitrarily, copying bottle margins
Staff unable to explain or recommend wines by the glass
What's included in the template
A complete working document to professionally manage your wine-by-the-glass program.
Selection matrix by the glass
Fields to record each reference: name, winery, style, cost, and retail price
Recommended distribution by type: sparkling, white, rosé, red
Selection criteria: versatility, preservation, margin, and food pairing
Space for rotating and fixed references
Wine-by-the-glass pricing calculator
Cost recovery formula over 2-3 glasses
Comparative table: glass price vs percentage of bottle
Pricing scenarios: standard glass, half glass, and generous format
Target margin guidelines by price range
Rotation plan
Monthly calendar with reference entry and exit slots
Criteria to decide when to rotate: sales, losses, seasonality
Protocol for communicating changes to service staff
Historical record of references and performance
Loss and KPI tracking
Opening log with date, time, and responsible person
Automatic loss calculation by reference and period
Key KPIs: glasses sold per service, average ticket per glass, glass-to-bottle ratio
Monthly targets and performance tracking
Who is this resource for
- Restaurants offering or wanting to offer wine by the glass
- Service managers overseeing glass wine offerings
- Sommeliers wanting to professionalize the program
- 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 new wine-by-the-glass program
- When loss exceeds 15% of open glass costs
- If the glass selection hasn't changed in more than 6 weeks
- When preparing seasonal menu reviews
- When you want to measure actual performance of your glass offering
What this resource gives you
Controlled margins
Pricing calculated strategically and losses monitored to protect profit.
More sales by the glass
Attractive selection, constant rotation, and staff trained to recommend.
Data-driven decisions
Clear KPIs to know what works and what needs adjustment.
Frequently asked questions
How does this differ from the Wine by the Glass Guide?▾
The guide explains concepts and best practices. This template is an operational document you can fill in and use directly to manage your program day to day.
How many wines by the glass should I offer?▾
It depends on your restaurant type. The template includes recommendations by category, but 6 to 12 references is typical for most restaurants.
Do I need a preservation system?▾
For more than 8 glass references, a preservation system significantly reduces losses and usually pays for itself in a few weeks.
Related content
Manage your wine by the glass with Winerim
Winerim automates wine-by-the-glass management: pricing, rotation, loss control, and smart recommendations for your staff.