Liquid Assets: Turning Your Wine Program into a Profit Center
- eileen strauss
- 20 minutes ago
- 5 min read
From burgers with Bordeaux to pizza with prosecco, today’s diners are embracing a wine culture that's relaxed, accessible, and portable.
In 2025, wine is coming out of the cellar and stepping into the spotlight. From fast casual to fine dining, today’s wine programs are pouring new life into the restaurant business.
The old rules are out the window. The days when white wine was only served with fish, red wine with meat, and pizza with nothing but beer are long gone. Today’s diners are rewriting the pairing playbook — mixing burgers with Bordeaux, Merlot with mac and cheese, and ribs with Riesling.
Quick-service restaurants that once stuck to beer are discovering that wine can be both approachable and profitable. With boxed pours, single-serves, and zero-proof options, modern wine programs are meeting guests where they are: casual, curious, and craving something different.
Today’s delivery-driven guests want convenience, creativity, and choice. With boxed wines, single-serve bottles, and sealed glasses, wine has become more accessible than ever—no sommelier required.
And in the wake of the sober-curious movement, a successful wine program looks nothing like it used to. Whether it’s a bold cabernet or a zero-proof rosé, what matters most is the experience, not the ABV.
A smart wine program isn’t about prestige; it’s about potential. Whether your guests are ordering in or dining out, every pour (with or without proof) can tell your story, elevate your brand, and boost your bottom line.
Poured with Purpose: 5 Steps to a Successful Wine Program
Know Your Audience
Start by matching your wine program to your concept.
For a casual neighborhood spot, approachable, well-priced wines keep guests ordering.
For fine dining, a mix of recognizable favorites and hidden gems lets servers tell a story.
*Pro Tip: Align your wine list with your best-selling dishes. If your kitchen leans Mediterranean, your cellar should, too.
Structure for Sales
How you organize your list can make or break how guests order.
By Style: “Crisp & Refreshing Whites,” “Big & Bold Reds.”
By Pairing: “Perfect with Pasta,” “Made for Meat.”
By Price: Offer tiers so guests can explore without fear of sticker shock. Keep descriptions short and sensory. Think “Bright citrus with a hint of sea breeze” instead of “notes of gooseberry and flint.”
Train Your Team to Sell the Story
Training your servers and other front-of-house staff in the responsible service of alcohol not only helps boost sales, but it protects your customers, your crew, and your business! Not only is safety a factor, but servers can be your best salespersons. Here are a few ways to involve your FOH staff with your wine service.
Host mini tastings.
Give staff one “go-to” bottle to recommend per section.
Encourage personal language: “This one’s great with the short rib.” Confidence converts to sales and higher average checks.
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Price with Purpose
Balance perception and profit:
Most restaurants mark up bottles 2.5–3x wholesale, but test what your market supports.
Offer half bottles or by-the-glass options for entry points.
Did you know? The second-cheapest bottle often sells the most. Include one or two “trophy” bottles to elevate your brand image and anchor pricing.
Design for Discovery
Make your wine list easy (and enjoyable) to navigate.
Clean typography, clear categories, and plenty of white space.
Feature wines of the month or chef’s picks.
Use QR codes for tasting notes or origin stories. The layout should tell your restaurant’s story as much as the food does.
No Proof: The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Wine
Wine culture is evolving, and so are guests’ drinking habits. As more diners embrace moderation or skip the alcohol altogether, non-alcoholic (NA) wines and zero-proof pairings are becoming must-haves on modern menus.
These aren’t your old-school grape juices. Today’s NA wines are carefully crafted for complexity and balance, offering the same ritual and refinement of traditional pours (just without the buzz). Including a few on your house wine list (and in your delivery offerings) shows that your restaurant is tuned into what today’s diners really want: choice.
Treat NA wines the same way you would your regular list:
Pair them thoughtfully with menu items to highlight flavor.
Include a short description that sells the experience, not the absence of alcohol.
Feature one or two “sommelier-approved” bottles to signal quality and elevate perception.
Whether it’s a sparkling rosé to toast or a full-bodied red for the sober-curious set, NA wines make sure no guest feels left out of the celebration.
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Beyond the Table: Extending Your Wine List to Delivery
A great wine list doesn’t have to stay behind the bar. As delivery and takeout continue to define how customers dine, especially in quick-service and hybrid models, restaurants are finding creative ways to keep the pour going. From sealed bottles to curated pairing kits, your wine program can travel just as well as your entrées.
Start by looking at your existing list through a delivery lens. Which wines pair naturally with your best-selling menu items? Bundle them as “Dinner & a Bottle” add-ons or “At-Home Pairing” promotions; simple upsells that feel like upgrades.
5 Ideas to Boost Off-Premise Wine Sales
You don’t need a cellar to make your wine program work off-premise. Boxed, canned, and sealed options may not scream “fine dining,” but they deliver something even better for QSRs: easy execution, strong margins, and serious brand potential.
When it comes to delivery, think beyond convenience, think experience. The same story your servers tell at the table can live on in the takeout bag.
Try these:
Single-serves and sealed pours: Offer single-serve bottles, sealed wine glasses, or even quality boxed wine options that travel well and simplify takeout compliance.
Mini cellars to-go: Create 3- or 6-bottle sampler packs that encourage customers to explore your favorites at home.
Unique Pairings: Pair your bestsellers with the right pour. From natural matches like "Wine and Cheesburgers" and "Sake and Sushi" to innovative duos like “Pinot and Pizza,” "Burgers and Bordeaux," and "Cab and Kebabs," these days, some of the best wine pairings come in takeout containers.
Virtual or in-person tastings: Use QR codes to link to tasting videos, playlists, or chef notes; a personal touch that turns takeout into an experience.
Loyalty rewards: Add QR codes linking to exclusive discounts, digital tasting notes, or early access to new pairings.
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Take Away
Today’s diners aren’t afraid to mix Tempranillo with tacos or cheeseburgers with Chardonnay, and neither should you be. The new wine rules? There aren’t any. Whether served by the glass, packaged to-go, or sipped sans alcohol, your wine program can be your restaurant’s most powerful liquid asset.
By Eileen Strauss
