The Power of Suggestion: Boosting Wine-by-the-Bottle Sales

"Americans Prefer It by the Glass" is the title of a recent New York Times column written by wine critic and renowned enologist Frank Prial, who commented on the wine drinking habits of Americans. We tend to drink wine as a cocktail, without food, he noted. Unlike Europeans, most of us have not grown up with a bottle of wine on the dinner table.

And so another well-regarded wine expert tells us that wine by the glass is popular with our customers. If you've been following along in your hymnal, you will remember in the May issue of Restaurant Startup & Growth we published "Selling Wine One Glass at a Time," by master sommelier Doug Frost, who touted the virtues of a well-rounded wine-by-the-glass program.

So why on earth are we writing an article on the importance of selling wine-by-the-bottle? First, to succeed at wine sales, you need to be ready to serve by the glass and by the bottle, and know how to make both programs work well for your guests and your bottom line. Second, as

Prial goes on to tell us, there are a number of good reasons -- reasons that you might not have considered -- why you will want to see bottles of wine on each and every table.

The Advantages of Selling Wine by the Bottle

While a good wine-by-the-glass program can be profitable, selling by the bottle tends to drive up wine sales. Let's look at a typical scenario, as an illustration. If a party of four orders six glasses of wine at $7 a glass, that's $42 in the till. If the same foursome orders a reasonably priced bottle for $30, and has a second bottle, your gross would be $60. Sure, your cost is typically lower on glass wine, but you tend to take more dollars to the bank with bottles.

In addition, bottles increase server and bartender interaction with guests, which can drive up check averages. While a server is opening and serving a bottle, he can interact with guests, make menu suggestions, and create opportunities for further sales. By freeing the bartender, you give him more time to spend with guests at the bar, which creates fatter drink tabs.