Ask George: Why are glasses of wine so expensive in restaurants these days? Leslie L. St. Louis
This is certainly a timely question as yesterday was National Drink Wine Day. There are indeed reasons why some glasses of wine are expensive…and also reasons why some glasses are not.
REASONS WHY GLASS WINES ARE MORE EXPENSIVE:
Convenience – It’s cheaper and more convenient for the diner to buy a glass or two of wine rather than an entire bottle. Knowing this, some restaurants take advantage and sell glass wines at a higher markup than normal.
Demand for better wines – Serious wine drinkers like to see higher-quality wines available for glass pours, and the Coravin system (which allows the user to sample a wine without opening the bottle, at right) has been a game changer in that regard. That said, ordering a glass of super-premium wine can be as expensive as buying a bottle of decent-quality stuff.
Cost Pressure from the food side- Traditionally, the bulk of a restaurant’s profit is made on the beverage side (as cost and labor ratios are less). Nowadays, with increased restaurant competition and the need to maintain price points, as food costs rise, the tendency for a restaurant is to compensate on the beverage side. Hence, the prices for wine, cocktails, and beer get um, massaged to better the bottom line.
REASONS WHY THEY'RE CHEAPER:
Better quality, less expensive wine is now available – Wine growers, wholesalers, and restaurant sommeliers are under constant pressure to deliver better wines at cheaper prices—and by and large they have done that. Most wine lists have an option or several that falls into this maximum value category.
The House Wine Issue– In days past, every restaurant sold a House Wine (remember menus that said, “We proudly serve Gallo Chablis, Rosé, and Hearty Burgundy?”). House wines are still ubiquitous across the pond but fell out of favor in the U.S.—until recently. Restaurants like Old Standard and Porano have commissioned special wines, made available and labeled just for them, and they’re attractively priced, just like in Europe.
The Bulk Wine Issue - In the 80s, there was a tap system (driven by non-oxidizing nitrogen gas) for bulk “house” wine (ours was made by Inglenook and I’ll always remember filling the 5-gallon stainless steel tanks from those one-gallon glass jugs). Thirty years later, those systems are again in vogue, and better—and relatively inexpensive— wines are now available.
WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR WINE DOLLAR:
Focus on lesser-known varietals — Popular varietals like Cabernet and Chardonnay are often overpriced compared to other wines. Restaurants know that people usually stay within their comfort zone and sometimes take advantage of that knowledge. So in most bases, the better values lie in the less mainstream varietals. Don’t be afraid to experiment as restaurants will not risk putting a bad wine on its list. The only question is if the wine fits your flavor profile and there’s always a staffer qualified to connect those dots.
Take advantage of low (or no) corkage fees — The variance here is amazing: corkage fees in St. Louis range from zero (at places like BRIO, Bravo, and BrickTops) to $25 at a higher-end restaurant that shall remain nameless. Plus, restaurants will occasionally wave corkage on certain nights of the week. Eateries with low/no corkage have worked the cost into their profit structure, so feel free to take advantage.
Happy Hour/Special Night Pricing – Most restaurants offer half-price wine deals at happy hour and/or on a certain night of the week. Such information is a phone call or internet search away.
Salud!
Ask George questions on Twitter @stlmag_dining or send him an email at gmahe@stlmag.com. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
