Glass Instead of Bottle: How Restaurants are Redesigning Wine Sales?

The "less but better" approach to wine consumption has started to change the beverage programs of restaurants. London is one of the striking examples of this. According to Gambero Rosso's assessment from August 2026, many restaurants and wine bars in the city are using glass wine not just to limit it to a few affordable house wines but to offer a wide selection from different regions, price segments, and producers. This way, customers can access more expensive or previously untried wines without having to order the whole bottle.

A 2025 study published by Coravin also provides data supporting this behavior. According to the company's data, 58% of consumers in the UK prefer the glass format when drinking wine out. In an independent survey conducted with 1,030 people who consume wine out monthly in the UK and Australia, more than half of the participants stated that they order glass wine more frequently compared to two years ago. 42% of the participants see the glass format as a way to experience premium wine without purchasing the whole bottle. However, it should be noted that this research was published by Coravin, a company that sells wine preservation systems.

One of the important aspects of the London model is price diversity. Gambero Rosso reports that many wines are offered by the glass in wine-focused restaurants like Noble Rot, with prices ranging from accessible options to quite high segments. Noble Rot's own corporate page describes its wine program as a wide portfolio ranging from affordable glass options to rare and mature bottles. Such a structure transforms glass sales from an alternative aimed at low-budget customers into a separate product category that appeals to different income segments of the menu.

Technology is critical in this model. The spoilage of a premium bottle after a few glasses have been sold can create high waste costs for the restaurant. Systems like Coravin aim to serve wine without fully opening the bottle, while controlled temperature dispenser systems like Enomatic allow for glass service in specific portions and, in some models, self-service. Enomatic's current product range includes restaurant systems offering different dosing options as well as self-service models.

The London example also changes the role of service staff. Offering a wide range of glass options does not just mean opening more bottles; the service team needs to understand product knowledge, the customer's budget, and preferences to make the right recommendations. The fact that WSET, based in London, offers wine education at different levels also indicates that the professional wine knowledge ecosystem in the city is strong.

In our opinion: The value of the glass wine program for businesses lies not in replacing bottle sales but in lowering the customer's ordering threshold. Correctly priced portions like 75, 125, or 150 ml can provide guests with the opportunity to try a second wine, make different pairings with food, or access a premium product they normally wouldn't purchase the whole bottle of. However, a wider glass list does not automatically mean higher profitability. The shelf life after a bottle is opened, portion control, product cost, sales speed, staff training, and waste should be measured together. In Turkey, the opportunity for restaurants and hotels is not to open hundreds of wines by the glass but to create a controlled glass program that is selected based on sales data, regularly rotates, and that the service team can genuinely explain.