By-the-glass is the most underrated revenue strategy in the restaurant industry. A well-designed glass wine program increases your average spend per table, lowers the barrier to ordering wine, and gives you the flexibility to recommend a different wine per course. Yet most restaurants only offer a "house red" and a "house white."
In this article, we explain how to build a profitable by-the-glass program: which wines to choose, how to calculate pricing, how to prevent waste, and how to link it to food pairing to maximize revenue.
Let us start with the numbers. The average restaurant table where everyone orders a glass of wine instead of water spends 8-15 euros more per person. That is 32-60 euros more per table of four. Multiply that by 20 tables per evening and 25 evenings per month, and you are looking at 16,000-30,000 euros in additional monthly revenue.
But it is not just about selling more glasses. By-the-glass does three things simultaneously:
Not every wine is suited for by-the-glass service. The ideal glass wine meets three criteria:
A wine offered by the glass must sell quickly enough that the bottle does not spoil. In practice, that means a minimum of 3-4 glasses per day for wines without a preservation system. Choose popular styles with broad appeal: a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, an approachable Merlot, a refreshing rose.
Some wines are delicate and quickly lose their charm after opening. An aged Burgundy or a fine Riesling is beautiful at first pour but a shadow of itself after 24 hours. Choose by-the-glass wines that taste good for 1-2 days after opening: full white wines, structured reds, wines with good backbone.
Every by-the-glass wine should work with multiple dishes. A Gruner Veltliner with fish, salad, and Asian food. A Chianti with pasta, pizza, and grilled meat. The more versatile the wine, the more often your staff can recommend it.
For most restaurants, a selection of 8-10 wines by the glass works best. Here is a setup that covers the full menu:
By-the-glass pricing works differently from bottle pricing. The standard formula:
An example: a bottle you buy for 8 euros. Glass cost = 8/4 = 2 euros per glass. At a 3.5x markup, you price the glass at 7 euros. 5 glasses = 35 euros revenue on an 8-euro bottle. That is a margin of 77%.
The biggest risk with by-the-glass is waste. An opened bottle that does not sell fast enough is a loss. Here is how to minimize it:
Analyze daily which bottles are open and for how long. A bottle that is still half-full after 2 days is a signal: either the wine does not sell well by the glass (replace it) or your staff is not offering it actively enough (train them). Track your waste -- the difference between 10% and 5% waste on your glass selection is thousands of euros per year.
This is where it gets truly powerful. By-the-glass enables you to offer guests a pairing experience that is only possible with individual glasses. Three approaches:
Your staff recommends a specific glass with each main course. "With the sea bass, I recommend our Gruner Veltliner -- crisp and mineral, just like the fish." This is the most direct approach and works best when your team is trained.
Offer a 3-course pairing: 3 glasses matched to a 3-course menu, priced as a package. For example: 3 glasses for 22 euros (individual price would be 24-27 euros). The guest gets a wine pairing experience, you increase average spend by 22 euros per person.
Offer a "tasting flight": 3 small glasses (100ml) of different wines for 15-18 euros. Ideal for guests who want to explore. Bonus: it often leads to a follow-up order of a full glass of the favorite.
The difference between a restaurant that sells 200 glasses per week and one that sells 400 is often not the list -- it is the staff. Train your team on these three moments:
The key is being specific. "Would you like wine with that?" sells nothing. "With the lamb rack, I personally recommend our Rioja" sells everything.
The SommelierX Wine List Scan analyzes your menu and advises which wines by the glass will sell best and pair most effectively. Concrete recommendations, delivered within 48 hours.
Wine List Scan for 99 eurosA standard 750ml bottle yields 5 glasses of 150ml. Some restaurants pour 125ml (6 glasses) or 175ml (just over 4 glasses). At 150ml, after 4 glasses sold you have covered your wholesale cost -- the fifth glass is pure profit.
Without a preservation system: white wine 2-3 days, red wine 1-2 days. With a vacuum system up to 5 days. With nitrogen preservation (Coravin): weeks to months. The investment in a good system pays for itself quickly.
Choose wines that rotate quickly, hold up well after opening, and work broadly for food pairing. Avoid delicate wines and expensive bottles unless you have a Coravin. The ideal by-the-glass wine sells at least 3 glasses per day.
Want to read more? Check out our guides on how to build a restaurant wine list and the 7 mistakes that cost restaurants money.
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