How To Price Wine By The Bottle

Wine Shops And Chain Stores

WinedUp’s Guide to Wine Pricing

Lets start here because this is the place where most of America buys wine.

Thanks to the three-tiered system, before a bottle of wine ever reaches a stores shelves, it has to go through a distributor. The distributor is the only one legally allowed to sell to retail the same is true for restaurants which means the wine receives a markup even before you see the final price. In general, a distributor will take the price they paid the winery for the bottle and double it when they sell it to the store, so if the bottle cost the distributor $5, theyre selling it to the village wine shop for $10.

drop!

Once the bottle arrives in the stores hands, most outlets take the price they paid for the bottle and multiply is by 1.5 so if the store paid $10, you pay $15. This, however, is a generalization, because as we mentioned earlier, if the store is in a more expensive area of town or has a large amount of square footage, they may mark the bottle up a bit more than 1.5 to help make their margin and cover their costs. On the other end, some big box outlets such as Costco, Walmart and Trader Joes will mark the wine up less than the 1.5 multiple, either to use the wine as a loss leader or because their buying power allows them to get a better price from the winery and distributor in the first place.

The Paper Clip Method

Its time to unleash your inner MacGyver. This is similar to the second wire hanger method but instead youll need 2 paper clips and a pen or some pliers.

Unwrap 2 paperclips so that each paperclip only has 1 hook

Insert the hook part of the paperclip into the side of the wine bottle and do the same with the second paperclip but on the opposite side

Rotate the two paperclips so that the hooks can latch onto the bottom of the cork

Attach the tops of the paperclips together and tightly wrap them around a pen or a pair of pliers

Once everything is secured, gently but firmly pull using the pen or pliers until the cork starts to come out of the bottle

Note: we have seen this method both work and fail but its always worth a go even just for the fun of seeing if you can get it to work.

The Wire Hanger Method

This method will require some brute strength and patience. If you have a spare wire hanger laying around that you arent using anymore then its time to fashion it into a corkscrew. There are 2 methods you can use when it comes to a wire hanger.

Unwind the wire hanger then wrap it around something cylindrical so youre essentially making a corkscrew. Insert this into the cork and rotate it until you have a good grip. Now youll need to pull it out. We recommend either using a towel to cushion your hands or using pliers

Straighten out the head of the wire hanger then bend it into a fish hook shape. If its thin enough you can squeeze it in between the cork and the wine bottle. Once its inside the wine bottle, rotate it so that the hook can latch onto the bottom of the cork and now you can pull and your cork should come out of the bottle

Also Check: Making Bottles Into Glasses

The Basics Of Pricing Wine By The Bottle

Before we dive into the specifics of wine by the glass, lets briefly cover how to price wine by the bottle.

Most on-premise establishments price wine bottles at four to five times the wholesale price of the bottle.

But when you start reaching around or above $30-50 per bottle, this rule might not be effective for your clientele. Some establishments will set lower prices, depending on how quickly they want to go through bottles and the level of demand for those bottles.

Every establishment will experiment a bit with pricing, especially if they are new and just getting to know their customer base. Now that weve briefly covered wine by the bottle, lets go over how to price wine by the glass

The Wine List: Figuring Your Pricing Formula

https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/wine-list-figuring-your-pricing-formula-1

Here is the most frequently used wine pricing rule: Wholesale bottle price x 3 = Menu price. Of course, the multiplier can range from 2 x cost to 4 x cost. And most operators supplement this formula with a sliding scale, with cheaper bottles marked up higher than expensive ones. A few operators price wines with a cost-plus formula:

Don’t Miss: Where Is Stella Rosa Made

How To Price A Bottle

How to price a bottle?

I’m doing my due diligence before taking the next steps to wine investing. I’d rather own my own cellar and eventually move bottles as my own online store through places like wine-searcher, rather than bid them off at places like winebid.

I’ve reached out to some wineries to ask what their futures prices were upon release, or their declaration price in the case of Taylor Fladgate.

I haven’t heard back from any yet, but will continue to press there.

I just discovered this forum and figured I’d like to ask the same question, to feel out what to expect when it comes to pricing bottles of wines. So far it is difficult to justify wine investing because the only information available to me comes from the online sellers at the current price and often times the prices from winebid or other auctioneers or places like cellaraiders seems to be at the price you’d pay from the winery. Vintages don’t seem to gain in price much and places like winebid which has some kind of history, the prices seem to go down over time. But I don’t know how reliable that information is.

So, what should I expect in pricing a bottle that can be bought direct from the winery when it is first released?

Is it common that many bottles may be resold at less than direct cost, which complicates finding investment-grade bottles?

Thanks!

Maximize Profit From A Well Priced Wine List

There’s no better way to heighten the enjoyment of a great meal than with a well-paired glass of wine. From a restaurant’s point of view, not only is the wine list a way to enhance the dining experience, it’s a key source of high profits. Alcoholic beverages, including wine, easily provide more profit than any food items on the menu. Pricing a wine list is a bit of a balancing act you must get the pricing right to maximize sales and profits while pricing fairly by industry standards. Simultaneously, you need to ensure your establishment offers something for customers all over the wine-appreciation spectrum.

Also Check: Where To Stay In Burgundy Wine Country

How Much You Pay For A Bottle Of Wine All Depends On Where You Buy It

Trying to understand the markup youre paying for a bottle of wine can be incredibly confusing. There are tons of variables to consider: did you purchase the wine at a retail shop or at a restaurant? Where was this place that you bought the wine located was it in a high rent area or low rent area? How about size, is this a big expansive place with a ton of professional sommeliers or staff, or is it a simple neighborhood spot? All of these factors and many more play into what youll wind up paying for your bottle. That being said, there are some general rules that most places follow, so well try and break down as simplistically as we can the markup you theoretically should expect to pay.

Wine By The Glass Meaning

How much is a bottle of Dom Pérignon Champagne? Julien’s Wine School

Many bars and restaurants offer wine by the glass. That means you neednât buy the whole bottle of wine. You can buy a single glass of it.

A wine by the glass menu is often a fraction of the size of a proper wine list.

For good reason:

Offering every in-house wine by the glass requires opening up every bottle of wine. Wine degrades much quicker once opened, so the potential for waste is massive. It’s also a great tool for coming up with restaurant marketing ideas.

Thatâs also the reason why wines by the glass are pricier, per glass, than a bottle of wine. Youâre paying for the risk the restaurant assumes of that opened wine going to waste.

Read Also: Is Stella Rosa Wine Keto Friendly

Tips For Managing A Profitable Wine By

https://sommelierschoiceawards.com/en/blog/insights-1/tips-for-managing-a-profitable-wine-by-the-glass-program-100.htm

The average range for by-the-glass wines is anywhere from $8 to $15 per glass. There are a variety of ways to arrive at the optimal price, and one of these is to use the pour cost, which is defined as Inventory Usage divided by Total Sales.

Do: Have A Small List With A Healthy Variety

Having an enormous wine by the glass list isnât profitable.

That’s because:

âWine expires quickly when itâs opened.

Having dozens of open bottles waiting to swirl down the drain is horrible for your pour cost.

10 wines by the glass is about the maximum unless youâre moving wine by the glass like mad. These are general guidelines. Adjust them to your individual business.

But, from the numbers weâve crunched, a wine by the glass list of 7-10 is the sweet spot.

And you gotta make those wines count. Try to hit every possible flavor profile you can. Varietals, regions, reds, whites, dry, bold, fruit, floral, etc. The key to a successful wine by the glass list is variety.

Also Check: Where Can I Buy Choya Plum Wine

Average Cost Of A Bottle Of Wine: Retail

Above are the commonly-accepted market segmentation of retail wine and their average retail price. The average cost of a bottle of wine depends heavily on the segmentation.

The breakdown of average price of wine:

Jug wine. The average wine price of jug wine is just below $5. Jug wines make up about 12% of total retail sales.

Popular-premium. The average price of popular table wine is between $5 and $10. This type of wine makes up 33% of total retail sales.
Mid-premium. The average price of popular table wine is between $10 and $15. This type of wine makes up roughly 8% of total retail sales.

Super-premium. Super premium wines have an average price of between $15 and $20. These make up around 8% of total retail sales.

Luxury. Luxury or ultra-premium wines have an average price of over $21 and make up 7% of retail wine sales.

The above average prices of wine are based on 750ml bottles and adjusted for 2020 dollars.

Now, wine price at restaurants is another story.

Dont: Charge An Arm And A Leg

How what we are willing to spend on our wine differs from ...

That said, donât go overboard. Itâs well-known that wine is marked up massively from supplier cost.

Guests know they can get a $50 bottle of wine from your restaurant for $20 at a liquor store. So try not to rub their face in it.

Guests, as a whole, have given hospitality an inch when it comes to wine pricing. Donât take a foot.

How To Use A Winged Corkscrew

For some, these can actually be easier to use than the Waiter’s Friend.

Insert the corkscrew: with the wings down at the side place the corkscrew directly above the cork

Rotate the corkscrew: rotate the head of the Winged Corkscrew clockwise until the arms have fully raised

Pull the cork out: push down on the arms with both hands and this will life the cork out of the bottle

To remove the cork from your Winged Corkscrew simply hold onto the cork and rotate it counterclockwise.

Opening Wine Without A Corkscrew

Now lets go into some of the more unconventional or practical depending on how you view things methods of opening a bottle of wine. After all, you wont always have a corkscrew handy. A word of warning: some of these methods do have elements of danger so we do ask you to practice caution. Remember, patience is key to avoid breaking the cork, or worse yet, breaking the bottle.

Recommended Reading: How Many Carbs In Wine

Pricing Wine By The Glass

The pour cost of your glass pour should be the same as the wholesale cost of one bottlethat is, about 20-25%.

If you follow this rule, you should make your money back on a whole case of wine after selling just 3 bottles or 12 glasses of wine .

There are a few exceptions to this approach:

If the bottle you are pouring costs less than your lowest price limit for wine by the glass , you should try to price it at your lowest price limit instead. This way everything stays consistent and you are able to make a little more per glass on that bottle of wine. The caveat to this is if your local competitors carry the same wine at a lower price by the glass.
If the bottle you are pouring costs more than your highest price limit for wine by the glass , you can either price it at your highest price limit and sacrifice your profit margins on that bottle. The alternative is not to offer the wine by the glass.

Wine By The Glass Price Formula & Costs

How much does a bottle of wine cost to make?

Beverage programs need three things: restaurant sales, a good pour cost , and a decent profit margin.

Wine by the glass programs help with all those restaurant business KPIs. They’re quite profitable.

If you get the pricing right.

But that can be tricky. You’ve gotta factor in sales trends and cost of goods sold.

Here are some tips on how to get your WBTG program contributing to your bottom line.

Recommended Reading: Where Can I Buy Shaoxing Wine

How To Find Out What Your Wine Is Worth Appraisal & Self

https://www.sellwineguide.com/wine-appraisal-wine-worth

Here are some tips for using Wine-searcher.com: Rely on the price in your own country. If a wine isnt showing its available in your country you can search all countries to establish its worth. Youll see that auction prices are typically lower than retail prices you

How Much Does A Good Bottle Of Wine Cost

As the worlds largest online wine marketplace and source of wine ratings, we know a good wine deal.

Our community of wine lovers has used the Vivino Rating System to rate millions of wines, giving us an immense amount of data to spot the good wines from the bad. You may be wondering how to best use the Vivino Rating System, and here is some context that may help:

The average Vivino rated wine is 3.6 stars
A 4.0 Vivino rated wine is equivalent to a 90 point expert rating*

A 4.0 Vivino rated wine is better than 85 percent of the wines on the planet
A 4.5 Vivino rated wine is better than 99 percent of the wines on the planet

With Vivino Ratings in hand, the next question we often hear is: how much should I be paying for a good bottle of wine? An average bottle of wine? And how about an extraordinary bottle of wine?

As the worlds largest online wine marketplace, we aggregate prices from tens of thousands of online wine merchants, and have collected millions of prices for millions of different wines. That means we know how to spot a good deal from a bad deal.

An average bottle of red wine costs $15.66 USD while a very good bottle of wine costs $32.48 USD, on average. And even better wines become exponentially more expensive as you can see in the chart below.

Don’t Miss: What Wine Has The Lowest Calories

Wine Bottle Price Strategy For Bars And Restaurants

There are a few things to consider when hammering out your wine bottle price strategy. You need to consider profit, sure. But you also need to consider what you can get away with.

That involves making some observations about your concept and clientele. Then youâll get a good idea of how to price a bottle of wine in a restaurant. Thatâs because it will determine the flexibility you have when setting markups.

How To Use A Waiters Friend Corkscrew

Where the money goes on a bottle of wine in the UK

This is perhaps the most common type of corkscrew. In fact, its the standard type used in restaurants and bars .

Insert the corkscrew: press the corkscrew at an angle into the center of the cork and push just enough to break the surface then straighten out the corkscrew while holding onto the bottle

Rotate the corkscrew: rotate clockwise about 6.5 turns. You want the last of the corkscrew to still be visible

Pull the cork: place the fulcrums notch against the tip of the bottle and gently pull up until the cork is almost fully out of the bottle

Use your hands: to fully remove the cork grab it with your hands and pull

To remove the cork from your corkscrew, simply unscrew it counterclockwise. Remember to save it if you dont plan on finishing your bottle so you can use it to reseal your wine.

Also Check: What Wine Has The Lowest Calories

Your Wine By The Glass Program: Selections Pricing And

https://sommelierbusiness.com/en/articles/menu-intel-1/your-wine-by-the-glass-program-selections-pricing-and-merchandising-17.htm

This rule says that the cost of a single glass of wine should be equivalent to the wholesale cost of the entire bottle. Thus, if your restaurant was able to acquire a bottle of wine for $10, then it should charge $10 for every glass of wine poured from that bottle.

Getting The Most Out Of The Prices For Your Wine By The Glass Offerings Can Be A Constant Battle

Offering wine by the glass is fairly standard in most establishments. Its a great option for guests who want to try different wines and/or dont want to feel obligated to order full bottles. Still, it can feel like there are a multitude of approaches to choosing what to offer by the glass and, more specifically, pricing these offerings. Heres what you need to consider when deciding how to price wine by the glass.

You May Like: Wine To Serve With Lamb