The VinePair Podcast: Wine Needs to Embrace Casual Dining
Wine service in high-end restaurants isn’t geared for speed. It’s geared for leisure, hand-holding, and an aura of sophistication, but that’s not always what people are regularly in the market for. As such, it might not come as a huge surprise that fine-dining establishments have been struggling when it comes to moving wine.
Rather than opting for a glass, guests are pivoting to single-serve options like cocktails, choosing to spend $20 to $30 on one drink rather than forking over $100 or more for a pricey bottle to nurse. However, in more casual dining settings where food doesn’t tend to cost as much, operators have an easier time selling decent wines at reasonable prices. Moreover, many of these places don’t rely on somms, another company expense, so they can move bottles even quicker.
On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach talk about why slumping wine sales at more upscale dining establishments should encourage wine producers to look at one area that does seem to have it together: casual restaurants that can offer a more affordable experience and also maybe not mark the wines up to eye-watering levels. Tune in for more.
Zach is reading: The 30 Best Gins for 2025
Joanna is reading: How America Ruined Its Enviable Position in Global Drinks Culture
Adam is reading: The 40 Best Martinis in New York City 2025
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