Since I started this blog in August, I've consumed a lot of wine. I've spent countless hours in wine stores, grocery marts, and online scouring websites to find the best wines under $10. During this time, I've also gone to a significant number of restaurants- both expensive and budget (as i mention in my About section, I'd rather get a meal cooked for me than have to prepare it myself).
Nearly every time I go out for a meal I order a glass of wine. I've always been shocked at the sticker price, but I used to accept it. Previous to writing this blog, I had no knowledge of wine prices. Now that I've had almost 9 months experience in the world of $10 or less wines, I feel I have a pretty good idea of how much a bottle goes for at retail. This has led me to a theory which I need your help to prove.
My hypothesis is that the cost per glass of wine at a nicer restaurant is actually the same cost as a bottle of that wine at a retail location (within a $3 range). So, if a glass of wine at a restaurant is $9, my theory is that one could buy a bottle of that wine at the store or online for between $9 and $12. I want to prove this theory using data not only from my town (San Francisco), but also from all over the US.
Here's how you can help, and be part of the study...
The next time you go to a restaurant, jot down the names and costs of a few wines offered by the glass. Post the information as a comment in this post. Ill take the data, research the retail prices of the wines you post, and publish the results in a few weeks- once I have enough data to make this a little more scientific.
This is a fun little experiment for which I encourage you to participate. Let's find out how badly restaurants are ripping us off!
Your theory is correct. Ask any restaurant person: the glass should pay for the bottle, and the bottle should pay for the case. Horrible, isn't it??
Posted by: Dr. Brazen Hussy | April 12, 2007 at 12:00 PM
as another restaurant person I agree 100%. Go to a restaurant called Veritable Quandary in Portland, OR if you want to see what a wines-by-the-glass list can do for you - $6-9 a glass for tons of Italian and Oregon wines you'd never taste otherwise: Eroica, L'Ecole 41, Stag's Leap...mmmm.
Posted by: ginevra | April 12, 2007 at 04:07 PM
You know what my wife & I would like more readily available for the consumer: the 1/2 bottle options many resturants have. There are so many occassions where she & I only want a glass each with dinner. We open the standard 750 ml and it basically goes to waste after we've had a glass or two.
Posted by: TJ | April 17, 2007 at 10:21 AM
Your theory is correct. There was one instance of a 2:1 ratio, but that was for a delish NZ wine. A glass was $7, and I bought a bottle for about $14.
Otherwise, yeah. Here in Kentucky, that glass of Maxie's merlot will set you back six bucks, and the bottle is about 9 or 10...
Posted by: Alison | April 18, 2007 at 08:42 AM
You're totally right! I was at McCormick & Schmick's for a happy hour last week and I ordered a glass of Chateau St. Michelle Riesling for $7. I also noticed that they had Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc for $8/glass.
Posted by: Katie | April 18, 2007 at 01:11 PM
One of my favorite restaurants back home only charges $5 above retail for a bottle of wine. No matter what the bottle. How sweet is that? If you're ever in Jackson, MS--check out Julep.
Posted by: farley | April 19, 2007 at 09:28 PM
This may be what you're looking for: http://www.dis-equilibrium.com/2007/09/restaurant-wine-prices.html
Posted by: mike | October 03, 2007 at 04:30 PM