From an alternative to Sauvignon Blanc to a volcanic red from Mount Etna. Six practical approaches to discovering wines that deserve a place on your by-the-glass list.
A guest orders Sauvignon Blanc for the third time. Someone at the next table wants an interesting red, but nothing too heavy. A regular asks what you’ve opened recently.
Three different conversations. Three opportunities to introduce something new.
And three different starting points for choosing your next by-the-glass listing.
Building an interesting wine selection involves more than following familiar grape varieties or established appellations. Consumer preferences, emerging trends, food pairing opportunities and commercial considerations can all point towards wines worth exploring.
The question is simple: what can this wine offer your guests, your team and your business?
Here are six ways to approach your next wine listing.
1. The familiar alternative: Something new for a familiar preference
“Enjoy Sauvignon Blanc? Here’s something else worth trying.”
Some grape varieties have earned permanent places in consumers’ preferences. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot and Pinot Noir are familiar territory.
That familiarity is commercially valuable. It also creates opportunities to introduce new wines through styles guests already enjoy.
Someone who appreciates the freshness, citrus character and vibrant acidity of Sauvignon Blanc might find plenty to enjoy in an Albariño from Rías Baixas.
Not because the two varieties taste the same. They don’t. But because they share characteristics that make the transition natural.
Pazo Cilleiro Albariño, from Galicia’s Atlantic coast, is a good example. Fresh citrus, orchard fruit and lively acidity make it an accessible introduction to a different wine region.
When it works: When your venue has consistent demand for familiar wine styles and wants to introduce new options without asking guests to venture too far outside their preferences.
The key is to give the service team a simple point of reference. Start with what the guest likes, then explain what makes the alternative interesting.
2. The emerging trend: Look at what’s happening beyond your market
Today’s emerging wine conversation could become tomorrow’s guest request.
Wine trends rarely arrive in every market at the same time.
A style might become fashionable among London sommeliers, attract attention from American wine critics or start appearing on influential European wine lists long before it becomes widely recognised elsewhere.
Watching these developments helps wine professionals identify opportunities early.
Consider the changing perception of California Chardonnay.
For years, its reputation was closely associated with rich fruit, pronounced oak and buttery textures. Today, a growing number of producers are exploring more restrained expressions, driven by cooler vineyard sites, fresher acidity and less intrusive winemaking.
This evolution gives venues an opportunity to introduce a different side of a globally familiar variety.
One compelling example is Phelan Farm Chardonnay, made under the direction of Raj Parr on California’s San Luis Obispo Coast.
The vineyards sit close to the Pacific Ocean, where maritime influence helps shape a Chardonnay with citrus, texture, energy and a distinctly coastal identity.
It’s an expression that challenges the expectations often associated with California.
When it works: When your guests follow contemporary wine culture, enjoy discovering new producers or appreciate a fresh interpretation of an established variety.
A trend is a reason to investigate a wine, not automatically a reason to list it. Its actual fit, pricing and expected rotation still matter.
3. An extraordinary origin: Some places sell the first glass
Occasionally, the geography alone is enough to start a conversation.
Mount Etna is one of those places.
We’re in Sicily, but far from the familiar image of warm, generous Mediterranean reds.
Vineyards climb the slopes of an active volcano. Altitude, volcanic soils, substantial temperature differences and remarkably old vines create an environment with a distinctive viticultural identity.
Some vineyards have survived for more than a century.
Federico Graziani works with historic parcels on Etna’s northern slopes, including vines that predate phylloxera.
His Rosso di Mezzo offers a fascinating expression of Etna’s indigenous red varieties, built around delicacy, aromatic complexity and freshness rather than sheer power.
The story practically introduces itself.
An elegant Sicilian red grown on the slopes of an active volcano, with fruit connected to century-old vineyards.
That’s a compelling proposition for a guest interested in discovery.
When it works: In wine bars and restaurants where guests appreciate wine stories, regional identity and conversations with knowledgeable staff.
A remarkable origin creates interest. The wine itself must deliver the experience.
4. The gastronomic opportunity: Start with the menu
Sometimes the missing wine is easier to identify by looking at the food.
A restaurant might already offer several fresh, aromatic white wines but have fewer options for richer fish dishes, creamy sauces or poultry.
The opportunity is not necessarily another grape variety. It might be a different combination of acidity, body and texture.
Consider white Rioja.
Often overshadowed by the region’s red wines, white Rioja offers a surprisingly broad range of styles, from fresh expressions of Viura to more textured, lees-aged wines.
Luis Alegre Blanco is a useful example.
Made from Viura and Malvasía, it develops additional texture through lees ageing while retaining freshness.
This creates food-pairing opportunities beyond the usual crisp-white category.
When it works: When a venue wants to improve the relationship between its food menu and wine selection.
Start by identifying dishes that lack a convincing by-the-glass pairing. Then look for the wine style that provides the right combination of acidity, texture and weight.
5. The commercial opportunity: Look beyond famous appellations
A famous region creates expectations. A lesser-known one gives you room to build them.
Recognition plays an important role in wine selection.
Established appellations often make the initial conversation easier. But they also come with familiar price expectations and direct comparisons with other labels.
Less familiar regions can create a different commercial opportunity.
Take Monastrell from Murcia, in southeastern Spain.
The variety is often associated with powerful Mediterranean reds. Yet altitude, vineyard selection and thoughtful winemaking can produce very different expressions.
De Nariz Expresión Monastrell Limited Edition comes from old vineyards planted at high altitude, producing a structured but fresh expression of the variety.
For a venue, this opens an interesting proposition: a distinctive red with a clear regional identity, without relying on the recognition of a famous appellation.
Of course, an unfamiliar region does not automatically mean better value.
We still need to evaluate acquisition cost, serving price, expected demand, preservation losses and contribution per glass.
When it works: When a venue wants to strengthen its selection within a specific price segment while introducing wines that offer a different commercial and stylistic proposition.
The opportunity lies in matching the wine to the right audience and price point, not simply in buying something unfamiliar.
6. Discovery as an experience: Give curious guests something to explore
Some guests don’t ask for a grape variety. They ask for something they haven’t tried.
This creates a different opportunity.
The attraction might be an unusual variety, an alternative winemaking approach, a small producer or a distinctive vineyard.
For these guests, discovery is part of the experience.
Consider Clot de les Soleres Macabeu Amphora, from Penedès in Catalonia.
The producer works with organically farmed vineyards and follows a low-intervention philosophy, making wines without added sulphites or other oenological additives.
It’s an opportunity to introduce a grape variety that many guests may know primarily through Spanish sparkling wine, presented through a different winemaking perspective.
This approach won’t suit every venue or every guest.
And it doesn’t need to.
When it works: In wine bars and restaurants with an audience that values exploration and a service team confident enough to introduce less conventional wines.
The secret is to create curiosity without turning the explanation into a lecture.
From a good idea to a successful by-the-glass listing
Each of these approaches provides a different starting point.
The familiar alternative makes discovery easier. Emerging trends help identify new opportunities. Distinctive origins create conversation. Gastronomy gives the wine a practical role. Commercial positioning supports profitability. And discovery brings excitement to the guest experience.
But none guarantees a successful placement.
Before adding a new wine to your by-the-glass selection, ask five questions:
Who is it for? Identify the guests most likely to enjoy the wine.
What does it add? Define its role in terms of style, price, food pairing or discovery.
Can the team sell it? Make sure the wine can be introduced naturally, without a lengthy explanation.
Do the economics work? Evaluate contribution per glass, preservation costs and realistic rotation.
Can we maintain the listing? Consider availability, vintage changes and reliable reordering.
A strong by-the-glass programme needs variety, but also a clear understanding of what each wine contributes.
At Wine Trade International, we look for wines that bring something worthwhile to the table. Distinctive producers, interesting origins and practical commercial potential all matter.
Because the next successful listing might begin with an emerging trend, an overlooked region, a particular dish or a simple question from a guest.
The opportunity is recognising it.
