Picture this: you're planning an elegant wine tasting event, but the numbers don't add up. Most hospitality owners underestimate costs by forgetting side dishes, staff time, and overhead expenses. Here's exactly how to calculate your true cost per person, including every hidden expense.
What's included in the cost price of a wine tasting?
Your wine tasting involves way more than just pouring glasses. To get accurate per-person costs, you'll need to account for everything:
- Wine: Number of glasses × amount per glass × purchase price
- Side dishes: Cheese, charcuterie, nuts, crackers, bread
- Garnishes: Olives, grapes, figs, jam
- Service materials: Glasses, napkins, plates (if disposable)
- Staff: Hourly rate × time per person
💡 Example cost price 2-hour tasting:
For 8 people, 4 wines, cheese board per 2 people:
- Wine: 4 × €0.75 per glass = €3.00
- Cheese and charcuterie: €4.50 per person
- Bread and crackers: €1.20 per person
- Garnishes: €1.80 per person
- Staff: €25/hour ÷ 8 people × 2 hours = €6.25
Total cost price: €16.75 per person
Calculate wine costs correctly
Wine calculations work per glass, not per bottle. A standard 750ml bottle gives you 5-6 tasting portions of 125-150ml each. Most tastings use 100-125ml pours.
⚠️ Note:
Always use your purchase price per bottle, never the retail glass price. A €12 purchase bottle yielding 6 glasses = €2.00 cost per glass.
Formula for wine costs per person:
Wine costs = (Number of wines × Purchase price per bottle) ÷ Number of glasses per bottle
Include side dishes and appetizers
Side dishes typically represent 40-60% of your total costs. Calculate everything per person and add it up:
- Cheese: 80-100 grams per person (€3.50-€5.00)
- Charcuterie: 60-80 grams per person (€2.50-€4.00)
- Bread/crackers: 50 grams per person (€0.80-€1.20)
- Nuts: 30 grams per person (€1.50-€2.00)
- Garnishes: Grapes, figs, jam (€1.50-€2.50)
💡 Calculation example cheese board:
Cheese board for 4 people:
- Aged cheese: 150g × €28/kg = €4.20
- Brie: 120g × €18/kg = €2.16
- Goat cheese: 100g × €24/kg = €2.40
- Crackers: 80g × €8/kg = €0.64
- Grapes: 200g × €4/kg = €0.80
Total: €10.20 ÷ 4 = €2.55 per person
Pass through staff costs
Don't skip labor expenses. Wine tastings need guidance: explaining varietals, serving food, cleanup afterward. Use your actual hourly rate including benefits and taxes.
Staff costs per person = (Hourly rate × Number of hours) ÷ Number of guests
For a 2-hour event with one staff member at €25/hour serving 8 guests: €50 ÷ 8 = €6.25 per person.
From cost price to selling price
Your cost price sets the floor. For healthy margins, aim for 25-35% food cost on events. With a €16.75 per person cost:
- At 30% food cost: €16.75 ÷ 0.30 = €55.83 excl. VAT
- Selling price incl. 9% VAT: €55.83 × 1.09 = €60.85
- Rounded: €62.50 per person
⚠️ Note:
Calculate your selling price excluding VAT first, then multiply by 1.09 for the final amount. Many owners mess up VAT calculations.
Consider season and availability
Wine and cheese prices shift constantly. Review your costs every 3 months, especially for seasonal items like fresh figs or specialty cheeses. A pattern we see repeatedly in restaurant financials shows summer events at €45 per person jumping to €52 in winter months.
💡 Practical tip:
Build standard packages with locked cost prices. Example: "Basic" (€15 cost), "Premium" (€22 cost), "Luxury" (€35 cost). This eliminates constant recalculation.
How do you calculate the cost price of a wine tasting? (step by step)
Determine your wine selection and calculate wine costs
Choose your wines and calculate per glass. Divide the purchase price per bottle by the number of glasses (usually 6 glasses of 125ml). Multiply by the number of wines per person.
Add up all side dishes per person
Calculate cheese (80-100g), charcuterie (60-80g), bread/crackers (50g), nuts (30g) and garnishes. Use your purchase prices per kilo and convert to portions per person.
Add staff costs
Divide your hourly rate (including social contributions) by the number of guests. For 2 hours of guidance at €25/hour for 8 people: €50 ÷ 8 = €6.25 per person.
Calculate your selling price with desired margin
Divide your cost price by your desired food cost percentage (usually 0.25-0.35). Then multiply by 1.09 for the price including 9% VAT.
✨ Pro tip
Build in 12-15% extra cost buffer for your wine tastings to cover no-shows, portion variations, and seasonal price spikes. Review and adjust these calculations every 90 days during peak season.
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 much wine do I calculate per person at a tasting?
For a standard wine tasting you calculate 4-6 wines of 100-125ml per person. That's approximately 1 bottle per person for a full tasting of 2-3 hours.
What is a normal food cost for wine tastings?
For arrangements like wine tastings, 25-35% food cost is standard. That's higher than regular dishes because you provide more service and guidance per person.
How often should I update my cost prices?
Check your cost prices every 3 months, especially with seasonal products. Wine prices are more stable, but cheese and fresh fruit fluctuate more. Update immediately with major price increases from suppliers.
📚 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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