06 · Serve Trade

Building a short wine list

A short wine list done well is more useful than a long list done poorly. The aim is coverage of the main styles at clear price tiers, with enough character to make a recommendation feel considered rather than arbitrary.

The sections and how many wines per section

Section Wines What to look for

House white 1–2 Dry, food-friendly, moderate acid, approachable. Sauvignon Blanc (Loire or Marlborough) or a Pinot Grigio. Easy to recommend to any guest.

Premium white 1–2 More character and price point. Burgundy village Chardonnay, Alsace Riesling or Viognier. Something to trade guests up to.

House rosé 1 Dry Provence-style rosé. This covers the most common rosé order and needs no explanation.

House red 1–2 Soft, approachable, food-friendly. Côtes du Rhône, Barbera d'Asti, Malbec or Grenache. Light enough for fish and poultry; structured enough for red meat.

Premium red 1–2 More structure, ageing potential, higher price. Bordeaux, Barolo, Rioja Reserva, Napa Cabernet. The "occasion" red.

Sparkling 1–2 One NV Champagne or traditional-method sparkling (Crémant, English sparkling), and optionally a Prosecco for celebratory pours at accessible prices.

Dessert/fortified 1 Optional. A Sauternes by the glass, a Tawny Port, or a sweet Muscat covers most dessert pairings and adds interest to the back of the list.

The one principle that applies to every list

Every wine on the list should be one your staff can recommend with genuine conviction. A wine that no one on the team has tasted, or that no one can describe, is a liability — it will be avoided by both staff and guests. Taste your list with the team before launch. If a wine is difficult to describe, it is difficult to sell.

For the serving knowledge your team needs — temperatures, opening, pouring sequence — see the Wine service at the table guide and the Serving wine step by step guide.

Sources: WSET (hospitality and wine list modules); Court of Master Sommeliers (service standards); GuildSomm (wine list building resources for professionals). Last updated: 2026-10-15. Corrections via the contact form.

Questions

About wine lists.

How many wines should a short list have?

For a restaurant opening without a full sommelier programme, 12–20 wines is a practical range. Fewer than 12 limits choice meaningfully; more than 30 without a specialist managing the selection leads to underperforming stock, range anxiety for guests, and training difficulties for floor staff. A focused list with depth at a few key price points outperforms a sprawling one with superficial coverage.

Should I list wines by region or by style?

For a short list, style-first ordering (white, rosé, red, sparkling) is more guest-friendly than region-first. Guests without specialist knowledge navigate "Crisp whites" and "Full reds" more easily than "Burgundy" and "Bordeaux". Region-first listing makes more sense for longer lists where regional grouping helps sommeliers and experienced guests find what they want quickly.

How do I price wine on a list?

The standard restaurant approach is a cost-plus markup — typically 2.5–4x the buying price for lower-cost wines, reducing proportionally for premium bottles (where a flat margin rather than a percentage is more common). The house wine should hit the accessible price point for your market. Ensure a meaningful gap between each tier so guests perceive genuine progression in quality rather than arbitrary pricing.

How often should I rotate the list?

A short list benefits from quarterly review — seasonal dishes change, producers release new vintages, and slow-moving wines should be replaced. Over-rotation frustrates regular guests who rely on a consistent recommendation. The balance is: keep the best-performing wines, refresh 2–4 positions per season, and add a small number of specials or by-the-glass options that change more frequently.

What should I offer by the glass?

By-the-glass (BTG) wines should represent each section: at minimum one white, one red, one sparkling. Opening a BTG bottle commits you to selling it within 2–3 days before quality deteriorates. Keep BTG selection limited — four to six wines — and use a vacuum pump or inert gas to extend opened bottles. A coravin system allows high-value wines to be poured without fully opening the bottle, expanding BTG options. For how long open bottles last, see the How long an open bottle lasts guide.