How to Price Wine for Your F&B Business

Pricing wine isn’t just about adding a markup. For restaurants, bars and hotels, it’s about finding the sweet spot between healthy margins, customer expectations and sales. Price too low and you leave money on the table; too high and the bottle may not move. The goal? A price that works for your business and your customers.

💰 1. Start With Your Cost

Before setting a selling price, know exactly what each bottle costs you. Factor in your purchase price, taxes, delivery costs and other applicable expenses. This gives you a clearer picture of your actual cost and the margin you need to work towards.

• Know your actual cost per bottle

• Factor in applicable taxes and delivery costs

• Avoid pricing based on bottle cost alone

• Keep your operating costs in mind

Tip: Your wine programme needs to contribute to more than just the cost of the bottle.

📊 2. Set Your Target Margin

Once you know your cost, set a margin that makes sense for your business. There’s no one-size-fits-all markup, a casual restaurant, fine-dining venue and hotel bar will each have different pricing needs.

The key is to build a pricing structure that supports your business goals — rather than applying the same markup to every bottle.

👥 3. Know Your Customer

Your wine prices should make sense for your target audience. A neighbourhood restaurant may focus on approachable bottles at accessible price points, while a luxury hotel may have more room for premium selections.

Think about:

• Who is ordering the wine?

• What is your average spend per table?

• What price points sell most easily?

• Does your wine list match your restaurant concept?

Your customers should be able to find something that feels worth ordering without having to search through an overwhelming list.

🍷 4. Price Your By-the-Glass Selection Carefully

By-the-glass wine makes wine more accessible and opens up another revenue opportunity. But don’t just divide the bottle price by the number of glasses, factor in pour size, wastage, spoilage and operational costs when setting your price.

Choose wines that can maintain their quality once opened and are likely to move consistently.

📋 5. Build a Price Ladder

A strong wine list should give customers options. Instead of having most of your wines clustered around the same price, create a clear range from entry-level to premium.

For example:

This gives customers an easy upgrade path without making the list feel complicated. It can also help your team make recommendations based on different budgets.

📈 6. Review What Actually Sells

Your wine list shouldn’t be set and forgotten.

Track which bottles are:

• Selling consistently

• Sitting on the list

• Performing well by the glass

• Frequently recommended by staff

• Driving higher-value orders

Use this information to adjust your range and pricing over time. The best wine list is one that works in practice, not just on paper.

✨ Price With Purpose

Wine pricing is ultimately about finding the right balance between cost, margin, customer expectations and sales potential. A well-planned pricing structure can help your F&B business protect margins while making it easier for customers to discover and order wine.

👉🏻 Let’s Work Together!

Looking for the right wine supplier in Malaysia for your restaurant, hotel, bar or F&B business?
📩 Get in touch with us to explore our B2B portfolio, discover new wines and find selections that work for your business.