When I’m in a restaurant, I always order wine by the (small) glass, because I can only drink so much, and I want to explore as much as I possibly can. According to a recent report by UK importer Liberty Wines, I’m not the only one. More of us than ever are now choosing to go our own way with drinks, rather than sharing a bottle.
The reasons are many – increasing health-consciousness, price sensitivity, more choice (and competition from cocktails and beer). Drinkers are getting more adventurous but also less willing to compromise. The advent of wine preservation systems such as Le Verre de Vin, which removes oxygen from bottles, and Coravin, a device that allows small amounts of wine to be poured without opening the bottle, means the calibre of by-the-glass options has also dramatically improved.
Jason Atherton’s two-Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant, Row on 5, has an astonishing list of more than 100 wines and champagnes by the glass from icons including Salon, Maison Leroy and Harlan. One of the finest – and dearest – is a 2021 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Duvault-Blochet priced at £200 for 50ml, or just a few sips. But there are also thoughtful choices for the oeno-curious that won’t break the bank, such as Syria’s Domaine de Bargylus (£17 per 100ml) and orange wine from the Friuli-based Skerk (£16 per 100ml). Guests can pay roughly the same per millilitre whether they opt for a whole bottle or single-serve.
