Wine by the glass comes of age
It's hard not to worry about the rising moderation trend and its impact on wine sales. According to the IWSR: “Moderation is now firmly embedded in the beverage alcohol marketplace, with IWSR data forecasting no and low-alcohol volumes to grow by +6% CAGR, 2023 to 2027 across the top 10 markets.” Its analysts report that this shift is driven mainly by “health and lifestyle choices, with consumers opting to drink less alcohol/or choosing to moderate their frequency/intensity of alcohol consumption”. There is no recent precedent for the speed of this movement, nor an obvious response: high-quality table wines that lack alcohol remain a contradiction in terms. What is the hospitality trade to do?
One possible solution lies in the championing of wines by the glass, promoting quality, experimentation and diversity. Forty years ago, the availability of 125ml and 175ml measures could be dreary at best; “red or white” was the standard response to any enquiry in a restaurant. Indeed, wines by the glass typically occupied a very discrete and desultory section of the list, allowing the sommelier to focus attention on selling you bottles – or magnums. Yet, with a growing pushback against excessive alcohol consumption, savvy operators are going full throttle on single serves.
A timely evolution
Hannah Gillies, sommelier at KOL in Marylebone, believes that offering numerous glass pours is now a vital part of the industry's drive to increase margins. “By the glass has definitely become more important in the modern era – I think there is value in variety these days,” says Gillies. “Just having 'white wine' or red wine' is too restrictive and doesn't give consumers the opportunity to try wines from anywhere in the world for a reasonable price, or try something they have never heard of before.”
Thus, KOL offers its guests 35 different bins, in addition to a Coravin selection. “We offer wine pairings in the restaurant as well, so if we were to include those wines that we will also pour by the glass we can say we are sitting around 45 wines open at any one time.” The gulf between contemporary attitudes and the bottle-centric philosophy of the 1990s is staggering.
This cultural evolution, however, does not simply apply to major cities. Stuart Bond, sommelier at The Cavendish Hotel in Derbyshire, reveals that the hotel's restaurant offers “an eclectic range of many classics by the glass, both white and red categorised into three basic headings: light, medium, and full-bodied.” If there is any resistance to promoting by-the-glass options, he says, it is purely for commercial reasons.
“Restaurants may prefer you to buy a bottle rather than a glass, as margins can be tight in this day and age, with rising costs and staff shortages,” observes Bond.
“However, by-the-glass is definitely a key revenue stream, as not everyone wants to drink a whole bottle of wine when they dine out. Moreover, it has become more important during the modern era because people may be dieting or have health reasons for limiting alcohol consumption.
“I also believe people are understanding and taking more interest in their own personal palates. They want to match a particular style of wine to a particular style of food(s), rather than purchasing a full bottle for the entirety of the dining experience.” But, more importantly, it provides a mechanism to encourage upselling, increasing turnover in an ongoing cost of living crisis.
Costs and challenges
Yet despite this enthusiasm from Bond and Gillies, the subject remains contentious in some quarters. Stuart Skea, group head sommelier at Aizle Restaurant in Edinburgh, has “some reservations” about the management and delivery of wines by the glass.
“We all like to see an eclectic, diverse and more importantly well-thought-out list, but I do have some important caveats [regarding by-the-glass pours]”, he says.
“At Aizle, we offer 15 dry styles (red, white and rosé ) by the glass, in addition to four sparkling wines and a wide range of sweet and fortified – Port, Madeira and sherry. Nevertheless, wine has to sell: venues should maintain a good rotation of bottles or take it off the by-the-glass offering if interest is lacking. Unfortunately, I have observed a lack of care shown by too many restaurants – four or five-day operations carrying over open bottles into next week’s service and selling wine that could only optimistically be described as tired.”
He also rallies against the “equally preposterous” habit of using Coravin in front of dinner guests, “filling the glass with cork detritus and spraying the table cloth and your guests’ raiments with wine droplets”. Even staunch advocates like Stuart Bond will concede that “wastage and the logistics of maintaining constant glass serves throughout the meal” are significant drawbacks.
Neither is he convinced by the merits of half bottles. “I believe half bottles have limited appeal nowadays. Coming out of Covid-19 back in 2021, it was very difficult to get hold of half bottles from our respected wine suppliers, so we decided to omit them from our wine list.” Hannah Gillies adds that KOL does not sell any 37.5cl formats, as the restaurant prefers to offer 50cl carafe options from bottles they already have open.
Championing diversity
Meanwhile, sommeliers are busy finding creative solutions to the thorny problem of wastage. “At Hélène Darroze, we have an extensive by-the-glass proposal with several premium wines,” enthuses Lucas Reynaud Paligot, assistant head sommelier at Hélène Darroze, The Connaught.
“However, as we are within a hotel, we decided also to connect with the two other restaurants and the three bars to give clients the opportunity to buy our wines by the glass. This is significantly reducing wastage and adds to the guest experience throughout the hotel.”
It's a salient point: only businesses that are prepared to innovate can hope to thrive in this capricious macroeconomic environment. The elevation of by-the-glass enjoyment, despite the undeniable costs, sends a clear signal that restaurants are willing to evolve and cater to modern expectations and audiences. Today's consumer demands choice, excitement and stimulation; “red and white” has become an anachronism in 2024. In a rapidly changing world, diversity is king.