Nos conseils aux professionnels - La réglementation du vin au verre - Les Grappes

The regulation of wine by the glass

The practice of serving wine by the glass is becoming increasingly widespread. It is therefore subject to regulations designed to control abuse and preserve the quality of the product, while protecting producers, merchants and consumers.

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A license: a must for selling wine by the glass

To sell wine by the glass, you need a licence III, known as a "licence restreinte" for bars or a "petite licence restaurant". In a nutshell, this license allows you to sell non-distilled fermented beverages: wine, beer, cider...

Good to know: this used to be the licence II, merged with the licence III in 2015. Licenses II valid at the time automatically became licenses III.

For more information about the licenses required to sell alcohol, please refer to our article dedicated to this subject.

Detailed wine list

The law on wine by the glass stipulates that the wine list must follow certain rules. It must clearly indicate theorigin of each bottle, the exact capacity served and the price of the wine. Article 16 of the July 30, 1935 law states:

"Art.16 - In drinking establishments, buffets, restaurants and, in general, in all establishments where drinks are sold for consumption on the premises or to take away, the capacity of bottles other than wine must be indicated. the capacity of non-original bottles, carafes, flasks, glasses and other containers in service must be engraved on the containers themselves, expressed in liters, deciliters or centiliters. "

Thus, the strictness of the card is the same as for a wine list by the bottle. Any breach of this law may be punishable by up to two years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of €37,500.

A question of capacity

Serving wine by the glass raises the question of capacity: how much wine should be served?

Article 16 of the law of July 30, 1935 stipulates that the wine glass itself must indicate its capacity in centiliters or deciliters. You should therefore make sure that the capacity of each glass is clearly indicated . This reassures customers that the quantity of beverage served corresponds to the volume indicated on the menu.

To know how much wine to serve the customer, you need to know the price of the glass, the quality of the wine, its reference... You need to juggle between too much and too little.

Be careful not to serve too much wine, which would cause the blood alcohol level to exceed the legal limit .

Wine glasses generally hold between 8 cl and 14 cl.

How big is a balloon glass?

Alsatians, Bordelais, flutes... As you know, there are several types of glass, and perhaps you've already opted for the balloon glass. But do you know the capacity of this stemmed glass? Balloon glasses generally hold 12.5 cl.

What is the capacity of a champagne glass?

If you decide to open a bottle of champagnechoose a suitable glass, and opt for a champagne flute or glass. They should hold around 12.5 cl.

How much wine per person?

To estimate the quantity of wine per person, count on around 3 glasses, which corresponds to 1 bottle for two people, for moderate consumption.

Which glass to choose?

Selling wine by the glass is all very well, but you still need to choose the perfect glass to enhance the tasting experience! Here are our suggestions for serving your alcoholic beverages.

Which glass to choose for a wine tasting?

The greatest wine tasters will tell you that the glass plays a decisive role in the enjoyment of a bottle of wine. Not all types of glass are suitable for all types of wine.

Here are a few tips to help your customers enjoy wine by the glass in the best possible way. To begin with, we recommend you opt for a stemmed glass. Why would you do this? By holding your glass by the stem, you avoid heating up your wine by not putting your hands directly on it.

The choice of glass also depends on the color of the wine. For a red wineparticularly if you've chosen a bottle of Burgundy or Bordeaux, you can choose a taller glass with a narrower top to facilitateoxygenation and enhancethe aromas.

If you want to enjoy a white wineyou can choose a smaller, tulip-shaped glass to help maintain its temperature. This type of glass also releases aromas more easily.

Finally, if you're serving a sparkling wineIf you're serving sparkling wine, choose a flute or champagne glass: their long necks will enhance the bubbles.

If you choose to serve your wine by the glass, but are still unsure of what to use, we can only recommend Riedel crystal glasses.

To sum up

There are two essential rules, laid down by the DGCCRF, for complying with the law when serving wine by the glass. You must absolutely :

  • Indicate on the wine list theorigin of the wine (vin de pays, AOC other...), the capacity served and the selling price .
  • Serve the wine in a container (glass, carafe, bottle, etc.) bearing an engraved mark indicating its capacity. This allows consumers to check that the wine matches the menu.

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