How to Price Wine by the Glass: Food Cost Breakdown & Menu Price Guide
Last reviewed: July 28, 2026
Short answer
Wine by the Glass typically runs a food cost of 25–35%, supporting a menu price of $10–$16 per glass depending on portion size and ingredient quality. A worked example below shows the exact math for one common version.
What Drives Wine by the Glass Cost
Wine bottle cost per glass
90%+ of costStandard pour is 5oz, meaning a 750ml bottle yields about 5 glasses
Waste and spoilage allowance
built into effective cost of costOpened bottles oxidize and lose sellable glasses over time
Worked Example
| Ingredient | Amount | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle cost ÷ 5 glasses (5oz pour) | 1 glass from $18 bottle | $3.60 |
| Total ingredient cost | $3.60 | |
Target Food Cost
30%
Suggested Menu Price
$12.00
Actual food cost: 30.0%
Common Pricing Mistakes
Assuming a full 5 glasses per bottle with zero waste
In practice, an opened bottle rarely yields a perfectly clean 5 glasses due to pour variance and the last glass often being sold below ideal freshness or discarded. Build in a waste allowance rather than assuming perfect yield.
Not accounting for bottles that don't sell out before oxidizing
A by-the-glass wine that sells slowly can lose 1-2 glasses to oxidation before the bottle is finished, which effectively raises the true cost per glass sold.
Pricing all wines at the same pour cost percentage regardless of category
Sparkling, entry-level reds, and premium by-the-glass pours often warrant different target pour costs — treating them identically can overprice easy-sell categories and underprice premium ones.
Price Every Wine by the Glass Dish on Your Menu
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