Most restaurant owners guess their wine costs, while smart operators calculate them precisely. This difference between estimation and exact calculation often determines if your wine program generates profit or quietly drains money. Here's how to transform your bottle purchase price into an accurate per-glass cost.
The basic formula for cost price per glass
You calculate the cost price per glass by dividing the purchase price of the bottle by the number of glasses you pour from it.
Formula: Cost price per glass = Purchase price bottle / Number of glasses per bottle
? Example:
You buy a bottle of wine for €12.00 and pour 6 glasses from it:
€12.00 / 6 glasses = €2.00 per glass
How many glasses do you get from a bottle?
A standard wine glass holds 125ml or 150ml. A bottle of wine contains 750ml.
- 125ml glasses: 750ml / 125ml = 6 glasses per bottle
- 150ml glasses: 750ml / 150ml = 5 glasses per bottle
⚠️ Note:
Check which glass size you use. The difference between 5 and 6 glasses per bottle creates a massive impact on your cost price.
Always account for waste
In reality, you never get exactly 6 glasses from a bottle. There's always some left over, spills happen, or you need to discard a glass.
So calculate with 10-15% waste:
- With 6 glasses: 6 × 0.85 = 5.1 glasses
- With 5 glasses: 5 × 0.85 = 4.25 glasses
? Example with waste:
Bottle of €12.00, 125ml glasses, 15% waste:
- Theoretical: 6 glasses
- Practical: 6 × 0.85 = 5.1 glasses
- Cost price: €12.00 / 5.1 = €2.35 per glass
From cost price to selling price
For healthy margins, keep your pour cost (beverage food cost) between 18-25%. This means your cost price should be a maximum of 25% of your selling price.
Formula: Minimum selling price excl. VAT = Cost price per glass / (Pour cost % / 100)
? Example price setting:
Cost price per glass: €2.35
Desired pour cost: 22%
- Minimum price excl. VAT: €2.35 / 0.22 = €10.68
- Price incl. 21% VAT: €10.68 × 1.21 = €12.92
- Round to: €13.00
⚠️ Note VAT:
Alcoholic beverages carry 21% VAT, not 9%. Always factor this into your final price.
Different wine types, different margins
Not all wines need identical margins:
- House wine: 18-22% pour cost (priced more aggressively)
- Premium wine: 22-28% pour cost (guests accept higher prices)
- Top wines: 25-35% pour cost (limited competition)
Something most kitchen managers discover too late: their house wine margins looked healthy on paper, but they never tracked actual waste percentages. The difference between theoretical 6 glasses and real-world 4.8 glasses can destroy profitability.
Digital tools
Manually tracking cost prices per glass takes considerable time. An app like KitchenNmbrs automatically calculates your cost price per glass and shows what pour cost you're achieving. You just enter the purchase price and glass size, and the rest gets calculated.
Related articles
How do you calculate cost price per glass? (step by step)
Determine your glass size and number of glasses per bottle
Measure your wine glasses: 125ml or 150ml. A 750ml bottle gives you 6 glasses of 125ml or 5 glasses of 150ml. This is your starting point for all calculations.
Account for waste in your calculation
Subtract 10-15% from your theoretical number of glasses for spills and waste. With 6 glasses this becomes 5.1 glasses, with 5 glasses this becomes 4.25 glasses.
Calculate cost price and selling price
Divide your purchase price by the practical number of glasses for your cost price. Divide this cost price by your desired pour cost (0.20-0.25) for your minimum selling price excl. VAT.
✨ Pro tip
Track your actual waste percentage on your top 3 wine selections for 30 days straight. Most operators assume 10-15% waste but discover they're closer to 20-25%, which completely changes their true cost per glass.
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
Should I include VAT in my wine cost price?
What is a good pour cost for wine?
How much waste should I account for per bottle?
Can I charge different prices for lunch and dinner?
How often should I adjust my wine prices?
Do opened bottles affect my cost calculations?
Should I calculate costs differently for wine by the carafe?
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
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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