An opened wine bottle that doesn't sell is money straight out of your pocket. While many bars focus on their food costs, they ignore the silent killer of wine waste. But every uncorked bottle that doesn't sell completely hits your bottom line harder than most realize.
Why opened wine is so costly
The moment you pop that cork, you're racing against time. Red wine stays decent for 3-5 days max, whites for just 2-3 days. After that? The taste goes downhill fast and you can't serve it anymore. So every opened bottle you don't finish becomes a direct hit to your profits.
⚠️ Heads up:
Many bars think they can sell wine by the glass without risk. But every opened bottle that doesn't sell completely costs you the full purchase price.
Calculating wine loss
Here's how you figure out the damage per opened bottle:
Loss per bottle = Purchase price - (Number of glasses sold × Purchase price per glass)
Where purchase price per glass = Purchase price bottle ÷ Number of glasses per bottle
💡 Example:
You buy a bottle of Chardonnay for €12.00. You get 5 glasses per bottle.
- Purchase price per glass: €12.00 ÷ 5 = €2.40
- You sell 3 glasses, 2 glasses go to waste
- Loss: €12.00 - (3 × €2.40) = €4.80
You lose €4.80 per opened bottle that doesn't sell completely.
Impact on an annual basis
This loss snowballs fast. If you average 2 bottles per week that don't sell completely, you're looking at:
- Per week: 2 × €4.80 = €9.60
- Per month: €9.60 × 4.3 = €41.28
- Per year: €9.60 × 52 = €499.20
Almost €500 annually in wine loss - the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss.
💡 Calculation example for your own situation:
Track for a week:
- How many bottles you open for wine by the glass
- How many glasses you sell from them
- How much you throw away
Multiply the number of wasted glasses × purchase price per glass. That's your weekly loss.
Different wine types, different losses
Not all wines carry the same risk:
- House wine: Lower purchase price (€8-12), smaller loss per glass
- Premium wines: Higher purchase price (€20-40), bigger loss per glass
- Champagne/prosecco: Loses fizz quickly, must be finished within 24 hours
⚠️ Heads up:
Prosecco and champagne are risky. They often cost €15-25 per bottle and must be finished within 24 hours. Plan these only for busy evenings.
Strategies to minimize loss
You can slash wine loss with smart planning:
- Open only during peak times: Skip premium wines on slow Monday nights
- Push opened bottles: "Tonight's special by the glass: Malbec from Argentina"
- Staff consumption: Let staff taste and pay cost price
- Cook with leftovers: Use remaining wine for sauces (count as ingredients)
Digital tracking of wine loss
Most bars track wine loss in notebooks or don't track at all. That makes spotting patterns nearly impossible. Tools like KitchenNmbrs let you log daily bottle openings and glass sales. You'll spot money drains immediately and adjust your strategy.
💡 Pro tip in practice:
Some bars work with a "last call" system:
- 2 hours before closing: don't open any new bottles
- Only serve what's already open
- Optionally offer discounts on last glasses
This prevents you from opening an expensive bottle right before closing for just 1 glass.
How do you calculate wine loss? (step by step)
Calculate your purchase price per glass
Divide the purchase price of the bottle by the number of glasses you get from it. For a standard bottle (750ml) that's usually 5 glasses of 150ml.
Count the glasses sold
Keep track of how many glasses you actually sell from each opened bottle. Write this down right after each service, otherwise you'll forget.
Calculate the loss
Subtract what you earned from the total purchase price: Purchase price bottle - (glasses sold × purchase price per glass). The difference is your loss.
✨ Pro tip
Track every bottle you open for 2 weeks and count exactly how many glasses sell from each one. You'll discover you're losing 15-20% more than you think on partially sold bottles.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I keep opened wine longer with special stoppers?
Vacuum stoppers help a bit, but wine stays good for maximum 1-2 days longer. Don't count on keeping it for a week. It remains a risky product that deteriorates fast.
Should I include VAT in this calculation?
No, calculate with your purchase price excluding VAT. You get that back through your VAT return anyway. The real loss is what you paid your supplier.
How do I prevent opening too many bottles?
Check your average daily sales and open at most what you normally sell. Quiet days mean house wine only. Busy nights let you risk more premium bottles.
Can I use leftover wine for something else?
Yes, use it for cooking wine in sauces, staff training tastings, or sangria. But count this as ingredient costs, not recovered sales.
What's a normal pour cost for wine by the glass?
Typical wine pour costs run 18-25%. If you're higher due to waste, you're burning cash. Time to review your opening strategy.
How many glasses should I get from a 750ml bottle?
Standard pours give you 5 glasses at 5oz each, or 6 glasses at 4oz each. Generous pours mean fewer glasses and higher waste risk per bottle.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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