How to Improve the Wine Menu at Your Bar

Running a restaurant is all about keeping customers happy by offering choices that they enjoy. Whether that is a variety of food items or a diversified alcohol menu, the success of your restaurant ultimately comes down to customer satisfaction. Now more than ever before, the options available for diners to choose from seem to be endless, and all it takes is one poor review or a negative word of mouth to spread for whatever reason, to start a downward trend of business.

While there are many aspects of your restaurant that need to be focused on, one particular facet can help keep your diners happy as well as improve sales, and that is your wine list. From what you offer to how it is priced and presented can make a world of difference for your patrons.

Here are some wine menu ideas on how to revamp your wine list and make a real impact on the success of your restaurant or bar:

Education and Pairings

One of the easiest ways that your wine list can underperform is the fact that your staff is uneducated when it comes to the wines your bar or restaurant offers. It is safe to say that your average customer is going to have a basic or less-than-basic knowledge of wine outside of the few that might be sitting on their kitchen counter at home.

To really help your patrons enjoy their wine, and ultimately their overall experience, your staff should be well-versed in the wines that your establishment sells. By this, your staff should be able to make pairing recommendations for each type of wine for each menu item on the list and should be able to speak intelligently when describing each type of wine. Often times, customers will go with names or types they recognize and lean towards the lower-priced glasses because they don’t ask for suggestions. Take the time to work with your staff on this element and you will see noticeable increases in sales.

Short and Sweet

Building off of the tip above, it is always better to have a list that is manageable in size so that your staff can learn each one and market them effectively. Having the “Largest Wine Selection in _____” does not always necessarily mean that it is the best for your restaurant.

Trying to offer a wine for every single patron has a downside. Having too many options is not always a good thing for various standpoints – waste, storage, staff knowledge, etc. Building a well-rounded wine list that compliments your menu and offer’s something for just about every drinker can be much more beneficial than a giant selection. Also, keep track of what is selling and what isn’t; keep changing out wines that don’t perform and bring in new ones to build a list that works.

Features, Specials, and Flights

Incorporating nightly or weekly wine features and specials is a great way to bring your wines into the spotlight and move aging inventory. This approach is great for bringing wines to the attention of your guests that may not have thought about having a glass with their dinner.

Take inspiration from beer flights. Serving beer flights is a great way to allow customers to try new beers and find out what they really like. Offer your patrons wine flights to allow them to expand their knowledge and tastes.

Uniqueness and Local

One of the most popular trends right now for alcohol sales is focusing on local producers. Craft beer has exploded in popularity and wine is following the trend. It is now common to find establishments that focus on local and regional producers to give their customers the sense of “supporting local” that is extremely popular. Also, featuring local and regional growers on your wine list is a great way to differentiate your offerings from other competitors.

These wine list suggestions can help you see real returns from the performance of your wine list. The end goal for revamping any part of your menu is to increase revenue because at the end of the day, making money is the only thing that matters. Glimpse is a data-driven video analytics company that focuses on identifying high-risk areas within your restaurant’s operations that can potentially be costing you money. By correcting the high-risk areas, such as inventory management and beverage SOPs, your restaurant will see more captured revenue and reduced costs. To learn more about how Glimpse can make an impact for your restaurant, visit our website to schedule your free demo today.