Uncorking the possibilities for the wine list in 2025 - Category Intel

How to boost the profile of the wine category

Find the story – focus on engagement rather than information overload
Streamline your offer by speaking to your customers’ palates and interests
Showcase classic grapes from lesser-known regions
Present quality, price-friendly options from less prestigious classic regions
As well as wines from Europe’s top producers (France and Italy), consider exports from other American tourist draws, like Portugal
Build on the growth of champagne and sparkling in the US dining channel
Increase your by-the-glass options
Offer smaller wine pours or flights
Incorporate a no- & low-alcohol section
Bring your team along for the ride – an educated staff increases wine sales

In the US, and contrary to what you may have heard, the wine category is not dead. Granted, it’s had its share of woes, and yes, it’s true that the category has been in a slow – but steady – decline in the country as it grapples with a seemingly never-ending list of challenges.

It’s also the case that even the wine list, which has long been the darling of the country’s on-premise channel, has not been spared as changing demographics, economic fears and a global decrease in consumption are all impacting wine sales in restaurants.

According to Q2 data from the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America’s SipSource platform, the dining channel, which accounts for more than half (56%) of wine sales and 58% of wine points of distribution in the US on-premise, is down 7.2% and 7%, respectively.

But just because the landscape is different doesn’t mean that the days of successful wine lists are over. There are plenty of innovative ways to reignite the spark, but it requires a willingness to rethink strategies as consumers’ tastes – and budgets – have changed.

The time to evolve is now.

Down, not out

While volumes may be down, there are definitely still areas of positivity.

“The older, more seasoned wine drinker is who continues to spend the big dollars,” notes the VP of Massachusetts-based importer and distributor Ideal Wine & Spirits, Andrew Bender. “That said, the ‘reasonably priced’ fine wine market should do well with younger consumers who do drink, as they care more than previous generations about what they are consuming and these are products often very much of a place, of a person, and with a real story to tell.”

Elsewhere, the founder of consulting company Wine Sense, Frank Paredes, sees great potential for Portugal in the US dining channel. “Portuguese wine continues to outperform all other categories,” he says. “Driven by affordability, safety and direct flight increases, tourism from the US to Portugal has surged, with American visitors nearly doubling in just two years and becoming the second-largest source of foreign tourists.

“American tourists are returning home and seeking out many of the wines they enjoyed during their vacation.”

Meanwhile, the director of sales for Maine & Vermont at family-owned wine and spirits importer/distributor MS Walker, Ali Cheevers, adds: “[American] consumers still want European [wine] and feel that they need to consume it now before more tariff uncertainty makes it impossible to get. People have shied away from the value wines and are looking to the more mid-tier price point.”

Engagement over information

We are living in an era of Insta-everything. Younger drinkers have the world of wine at their fingertips (thank you, TikTok) and will likely fact-check whatever you tell them.

More importantly, they don’t want to feel burdened with too much dry or technical information.

A wine list, then, should focus on engagement. Is there a story behind the wine or the winery? What makes it a standout? “For the last five years,” Idel Wine & Spirits’ Bender says, “it seemed like every supplier and winery wanted to talk about the ‘premiumisation’ of wine. But that’s come to a grinding halt.

“Regardless of their origin, we’ve found that wines that are made by real people, who farm responsibly and which over-deliver for the money, are those that keep consumers happy.”

According to Paredes, consumers crave authenticity: “Establishments are awash in wine at all price points that lack character, depth, vibrancy and expression that reflects the vineyards where they are produced,” he says. “Wine consumers, young and old, are seeking out authentic wines that represent the vineyards they’re grown in.”

Less is more

The days of the 20-page wine book have long gone. Indeed, restaurants have been trimming their wine lists back since the Covid-19 pandemic. Rather than just slashing to reduce inventory, beverage directors should focus on featuring what will speak to their customers’ palates and interests.

“I’ve noticed a continuing trend in favour of simplification,” flags Bender. “That often means fewer overall selections and variety on wine lists, but it can also allow for a greater focus on particular regions, styles or themes.”

Glass-pour potential

Consumers clearly want more by-the-glass choices. Wine Sense’s Paredes notes: “A number of the restaurants we work with have moved to offering the majority of the wines on their list by the glass (BTG).

“This encourages experimentation by consumers, as well as a more memorable dining experience.”

Marc Provencher, chef/owner of Taverna Khione, a popular Greek restaurant in Brunswick, Maine, echoes this. “In wine sales, there’s a slowdown here,” he says. “We sell fewer bottles than in the past. People are gravitating towards by-glass pours and if they do a bottle, it’s most likely from the glass-pour list and between US$40 and $60.”

MS Walker’s Cheevers sees on-premise lists taking this a step further, noting: “Some beverage directors are creating subcategories in their BTG wine sections to direct consumers to more unusual options, like ‘skin contact’, for example.”

Glass half full

Going smaller with wine pours can result in bigger sales. “Beverage directors and owners are offering smaller ounce-pour options or flights to give the consumer an opportunity to explore the list more,” observes Cheevers. “[We’re] seeing restaurants do themes, such as regional wine highlights, or offers or special pricing on certain wines on slower mid-week nights.”

Taverna Khione has embraced this trend. “We offer half-glass pours,” says Provencher. “These sell a good amount as people are curious about our all-Greek wine list, but maybe not willing to commit to a full pour.

“People can try multiple wines without leaving here having drunk too much; kind of creating your own wine flight.”

Classics with a twist

Another way to add interest to your wine list is to get creative with the classic regions and grapes.

Cheevers explains: “I believe the more hands-on wine lists are looking to keep things interesting – they’re holding true to offering the classics, but also peppering in more interesting and ‘exotic’ options to try to draw out the consumers that want excitement with their dining experience.”

When I was a wine director, I often showcased classic grapes from lesser-known or different regions as these presented an opportunity to offer dynamic selections for better value. Barbera from California or chardonnay from Alto Adige are both recognisable grapes from areas not known for producing them.

Regions such as Friuli, Campania and the Languedoc are all producing high-quality, price-friendly wines that are strong alternatives to their more prestigious counterparts. And in the Loire, appellations such as Touraine and Quincy offer delicious sauvignon blancs at a much more affordable price.

Embrace no/low

The rise of no- & low-alcohol as a category has been impossible to ignore. “More than ever, restaurants and even the unexpected dive bars and pubs are embracing the non-alc movement with entire sections being reserved for various non-alcoholic options,” points out Cheevers.

“There are still margins to be had in mocktails, non-alcoholic beer and wine, so instead of losing that to the consumer, whose only option would have been water, they are trying to capture that drinker any way they can.”

Alcohol-free wine is a limited subcategory, so consider including a section on your list dedicated to low-alcohol wine featuring options such as vinho verde, muscadet, prosecco, riesling, brachetto, etc – and be sure to include both ABV and calorie information.

Buzz comes from within

The Covid-19 pandemic resulted not just in a decrease in wine sales, but also a dearth of knowledgeable servers. It’s time to refocus on education.

As a wine director, I not only held routine seminars, but at pre-meal we would sample the evening’s specials alongside two to three featured wines. Additionally, I always ran a weekly BTG special of a wine normally only available by the bottle. This gives both the patrons and the staff an opportunity to taste something they otherwise might not.

The importance of generating enthusiasm among your staff cannot be emphasised enough – and always results in better sales.

Bubbly sales continue to sparkle

Champagne and sparkling wine are both showing modest to strong growth in the US on-premise. In the 12 months to the end of June, according to SipSource, the $9-plus subcategory was up 15.1% by volume in the channel.

The WSWA says that it is the first time in “many quarters” that still white wine didn’t finish on top in the on-premise dining channel. The reason? The strong performance of prosecco in both the on- and off-premise. The Italian fizz is now the market leader in both channels.

With the festive period approaching, operators should look to build on this. Expand to premium DOCG proseccos and grower champagnes; then add on sparklers such as crémants, francia- cortas, sparkling rosé anything and, my personal go-to, Bugey-Cerdon Sparkling Gamay – unique, delicious and affordable.

Just like your wine list should be.