I'll admit it - I used to think house wine by the glass was easy money until I actually crunched the real numbers. The brutal truth? Most operators miscalculate their cost price, underestimate waste, and watch wine oxidize into pure loss. Here's where your profit vanishes and how to plug those leaks.
Where does house wine by the glass go wrong?
Most restaurant owners see a €8 bottle and assume pouring it by the glass equals instant profit. But that assumption crashes hard against reality.
💡 Example:
You buy a bottle of house wine for €8.00 and sell glasses for €5.50 incl. VAT.
- Selling price excl. VAT: €5.50 / 1.21 = €4.55
- You get 5 glasses of 150ml from 1 bottle
- Cost price per glass: €8.00 / 5 = €1.60
- Profit margin: (€4.55 - €1.60) / €4.55 = 65%
That looks good, but is it accurate?
The hidden costs you're missing
Your calculations assume perfect conditions. Reality hits differently. You plan for 5 glasses per bottle but rarely achieve it.
- Tastings and returns: Guests sample, reject, order something else
- Bottle remnants: Those final drops get dumped
- Staff education: Team tastings cost money but build knowledge
- Oxidation losses: Open bottles deteriorate fast
- Accidents: Broken glasses and spills add up
⚠️ Note:
Reality check: you typically extract 4 to 4.5 glasses from each bottle, not 5. Your cost price jumps from €1.60 to €1.78 or €2.00 per glass.
Why oxidation eats into your profit
House wine by the glass carries a ticking time bomb. Once opened, you've got 2-3 days before quality tanks and you're dumping liquid profit down the drain.
💡 Example of loss due to oxidation:
You open a bottle Monday evening. Wednesday there's still half left.
- Thrown away: 2.5 glasses = €2.50 in loss
- Sold: 2.5 glasses = €11.38 excl. VAT revenue
- Actual cost price: €8.00 + €2.50 = €10.50
- Actual margin: (€11.38 - €10.50) / €11.38 = 7.7%
From 65% to 7.7% margin due to waste.
Glasses that are too small cost you money
Pouring 125ml glasses to squeeze more servings from each bottle sounds clever. Often it backfires spectacularly.
- Faster reorders: More revenue but increased labor
- Higher staff costs: More glasses to wash and pour
- Customer dissatisfaction: Guests notice small pours and resent it
- Increased breakage: More handling means more accidents
From years of working in professional kitchens, I've seen operators chase theoretical efficiency while destroying their reputation with stingy pours.
How do you calculate your actual wine margin?
Stop guessing. Track every bottle and every pour to understand your real numbers.
💡 Actual calculation:
Track for a week how many bottles you open and how many glasses you sell.
- 10 bottles opened = €80 purchase
- 38 glasses sold (not 50)
- Cost price per glass: €80 / 38 = €2.11
- Selling price excl. VAT: €4.55
- Actual margin: (€4.55 - €2.11) / €4.55 = 53.6%
Still good, but 12% lower than expected.
Alternatives that deliver more
If house wine by the glass disappoints, smarter options exist:
- Wine-on-tap systems: Zero oxidation, zero waste
- Half bottles (375ml): Reduced loss during slow periods
- Premium house selections: Higher prices offset inevitable losses
- Wine flights: Three 50ml pours command premium pricing
⚠️ Note:
Always measure what you actually earn. Theoretical margins rarely survive contact with real-world waste and loss.
How do you calculate your actual wine margin? (step by step)
Track your actual sales for a week
Keep track of how many bottles of house wine you open and how many glasses you actually sell. Also count the glasses that are returned or thrown away.
Calculate your actual cost price per glass
Divide your total purchase costs by the number of glasses sold. Not by the theoretical number that was in the bottles, but what you actually sold.
Compare with your selling price excl. VAT
Subtract your actual cost price from your selling price excl. VAT. Divide this by your selling price for your actual profit margin. Still above 50%? Then it's worth it.
✨ Pro tip
Count your opened bottles against actual glasses sold for 7 days straight. Most operators discover they're getting 4.2 glasses per bottle instead of the theoretical 5 - that's a 16% cost increase hiding in plain sight.
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
How long can you keep an open bottle of wine?
White wine lasts 2-3 days, red wine 3-5 days before taste deteriorates beyond serving quality. Always refrigerate with a vacuum pump to extend life. After that window, you're dumping money.
What is a normal wine margin in hospitality?
Target 60-70% margins on wine. House wine by the glass often drops to 45-55% due to inevitable waste, which remains acceptable if you price accordingly.
What are the best alternatives to house wine by the glass?
Wine-on-tap eliminates oxidation completely. Half bottles (375ml) reduce waste during slow periods. Premium house wines with higher prices can absorb losses better than cheap options.
📚 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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