Wine list consultations for restaurants

A wine list consultation helps a restaurant sell wine that suits its food, its guests and its margins. Start with a meeting at the restaurant to understand the menu, the price level and the storage, then taste the dishes and the current wines. Propose a list structure with a clear price ladder and a short selection by the glass, agree suppliers and stock levels with the owner, and finish with a briefing so the team can sell the new list. Each step is its own appointment with a clear length and price.

Group wines in a way guests can read quickly: by colour and style, or by region if the cuisine calls for it. Build a price ladder with options at each step, so a guest can find a good bottle at the price they have in mind. Keep the list as long as the team can know and the cellar can hold. Write short, plain descriptions where they help, and avoid jargon the staff cannot explain.

Agree the pricing method with the owner before choosing wines: a multiple of the purchase price, a fixed cash margin, or a mix that keeps expensive bottles within reach. Explain the effect on each step of the price ladder, and check that the cheapest bottle on the list is one the restaurant is proud to serve. Write the method down so the owner can price new wines the same way after you leave.

A list is also a stock plan. Set a minimum and a reorder level for each wine, note which ones are limited or seasonal, and suggest replacements in advance so a sold-out wine does not leave a hole in the list.

The by-the-glass selection is where the restaurant tests guests' curiosity and protects margin. Choose a few wines that match the signature dishes, decide how open bottles are kept, and set a rotation the team can manage. Price each glass so an open bottle pays for itself even if the last glass is not sold.

Book a session with the chef to taste key dishes with the shortlisted wines. It settles disagreements quickly and gives the team pairing suggestions they have tasted themselves.

A new list only sells if the floor staff are confident. Run a short briefing before service: the structure of the list, three or four wines each server should know well, how to suggest a bottle at a guest's price, and how to open, serve and store wine correctly. Offer a follow-up session a few weeks later to answer questions and adjust the list to what guests actually order.

When the menu changes with the seasons, the list may need a few changes too. Offer a short update session tied to each menu change, rather than a full rewrite every time.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create services for the first meeting, the tasting with the kitchen and the team briefing, and describe what each covers and what the restaurant should prepare. Publish slots that repeat weekly in the afternoons between lunch and dinner service, when owners and chefs are free. Each slot belongs to one service and sits within a single day, and with one place per slot a booked appointment no longer appears on your public page. Owners book with their name, email and phone and can add an optional note with the restaurant name and address, which you read in your new-booking email. You can book follow-up sessions for the restaurant yourself from your calendar.

Durations and prices are examples: set your own. If a session has to move, change it from your bookings list and tell the owner yourself, as Book does not email clients when a booking is rescheduled or cancelled. Book costs €5/month, all-inclusive: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no commitment.