Going easy on the wine
Bottled wine sales have tumbled at restaurants. Folks aren't giving up the grape. They're just more likely to buy it a glass at a time to better digest the price, restaurateurs say.
At 200 East supper club, beer sales are outpacing those of wine, and wine sales are more likely to be by the glass than by the bottle.
"Instead of that $60 to $70 bottle of wine, you're selling two people a $4 beer," said manager Tony Navarro.
Bottled wine sales have dropped about 25 percent at Bin 36, said Dan Sachs.
"They're choosing less expensive alternatives," he said. "Folks won't commit to a bottle." Increasingly, customers are choosing to order glasses of wine, one round at a time -- spending a little less than they would have had they ordered the bottle -- he said.
Cheryl V. Jackson