Restaurants raise drink prices as fewer diners order wine bottles

Fewer diners are ordering a bottle of wine for the table, according to a new report from Liberty Wines, a U.K.-based distributor. The company said in its Premium On-Trade Wine Report 2026 that groups now tend to choose individual drinks instead of sharing a bottle, typically red, with dinner.

Experts point to several reasons for the shift. More consumers are focusing on health, food choices and spending habits. The U.S. wine industry has already faced declining sales as younger drinkers cut back and baby boomers leave the market.

To make up for fewer bottle orders, restaurants are raising prices on other drinks. Sri Divel, founder of the California-based firm The Culinary CMO, said operators are pushing non-alcoholic spirits and zero-proof programs that carry the same price as a craft cocktail.

"These aren't the soda-and-lime mocktails of 10 years ago," Divel said. "These are muddled, multi-step builds — far more intricate than what we're used to seeing, with house-made syrups, fresh herbs, smoked elements, the works."

The non-alcoholic drinks take the same time and skill to prepare as a $16 cocktail, Divel said. Two glasses priced at $14 to $18 each feel manageable to many guests, while an $80 bottle feels like a larger commitment.

Monika Elling, CEO and founder of New York-based Lo Secco Prosecco, said restaurants have adjusted drink prices away from the aggressive markups once common in the industry. She described a recent bill for two drinks that came to $49 before tip, even though no food was ordered.

Rather than ordering a full bottle at a restaurant, many people now drink at home before going out and have just one glass with dinner, Elling said. Vinny Catalano, who runs the California-based Instagram account Vines with Vinny, said he has seen non-alcoholic sparkling wines offered at prices similar to alcoholic options.

Catalano noted that wine served by the glass tastes nearly the same as wine from a freshly opened bottle. What is lost, he said, is the experience of opening the bottle at the table. He added that more bottles might sell if guests felt less intimidated by sommeliers.

Catalano said he always speaks with the sommelier about the planned meal, preferred wine regions and a price limit, and has received good recommendations even at restaurants with large wine lists. Another option for diners who want to keep the tradition of a bottle while saving money is to bring their own and pay a corkage fee, he said.