Running a restaurant wine program is like managing a portfolio of investments. Each bottle represents a bet on what your customers will buy and at what price. The key isn't just picking expensive wines—it's finding the sweet spot where purchase cost, selling price, and volume create maximum profit.
The basics: pour cost for wine
Wine follows the same principle as food: the pour cost. This is the percentage of your selling price that goes to purchasing.
? Pour cost formula:
Pour cost % = (Purchase price / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
Note: wine has 21% VAT, not 9%!
Compare total profit, not just margin per bottle
A cheap wine with lower margin can generate more profit if you sell much more of it. That's why you need to look at:
- Margin per bottle (selling price minus purchase price)
- Number of bottles sold per month
- Total profit (margin × quantity)
? Example comparison:
Budget selection:
- Purchase price: €8.00
- Selling price: €24.00 incl. VAT (€19.83 excl.)
- Margin per bottle: €11.83
- Sales: 60 bottles/month
Premium selection:
- Purchase price: €15.00
- Selling price: €42.00 incl. VAT (€34.71 excl.)
- Margin per bottle: €19.71
- Sales: 25 bottles/month
Total profit budget: €11.83 × 60 = €710/month
Total profit premium: €19.71 × 25 = €493/month
Factors that influence sales
The number of bottles sold depends on various factors:
- Target audience: fine dining guests accept higher prices
- Occasion: business dinners order more expensive wines than families
- Season: you sell more champagne in December than in March
- Presentation: sommelier advice increases average check
⚠️ Watch out:
A selection that's too expensive can lead to less wine sales overall. Guests will then only order water or beer.
Test with mixed selection
The smartest approach is often a mixed selection with different price ranges:
- Entry-level wines: €18-25 (pour cost 25-30%)
- Mid-range: €28-38 (pour cost 30-35%)
- Premium: €45+ (pour cost 35-40%)
Track for 3 months which price range sells best and what it does to your total wine revenue. This is the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss—paper calculations don't account for customer psychology.
? Example calculation 3 months:
You test a more expensive selection and see:
- Month 1: €2,100 wine revenue, €840 profit
- Month 2: €1,950 wine revenue, €780 profit
- Month 3: €1,800 wine revenue, €720 profit
Declining trend = go back to cheaper selection
Wine list analysis tools
With a food cost calculator like KitchenNmbrs you can track per wine:
- Exact pour cost per bottle
- Sales quantities per month
- Total profit per wine
- Which wines perform best
This way you can see directly which selection generates more profit without having to calculate manually.
Related articles
How do you calculate which wine selection generates more profit?
Calculate the margin per bottle
Subtract the purchase price from the selling price (excl. 21% VAT). This is your margin per bottle. Note: wine has 21% VAT, so a bottle of €30 incl. is €24.79 excl. VAT.
Count the number of bottles sold
Track for 3 months how many bottles you sell from each selection. Calculate the average per month. This gives you a realistic picture of demand.
Calculate total monthly profit
Multiply margin per bottle by number of bottles sold per month. The selection with the highest total monthly profit generates the most, even if the margin per bottle is lower.
✨ Pro tip
Compare your wine attachment rate (percentage of tables ordering wine) over 6 weeks before and after switching selections. A 15% drop in attachment rate means your pricing scared customers away from wine entirely.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
What pour cost is normal for wine?
Should I include VAT in my wine margin calculation?
How long should I test before drawing conclusions?
What if my expensive wines don't sell at all?
Can I use different price ranges together?
How do I price wines from small producers with higher wholesale costs?
Should I factor in wine wastage when calculating margins?
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.
kennisbank.more_in_category
Related questions
Explore more topics
Optimize your wine list and beverage packages
From wine by the glass to cocktail packages — KitchenNmbrs calculates the cost price and margin of every drink on your menu. Try it free for 14 days.
Start free trial →