I enjoyed reading about Kingston Family Vineyards' evolution over the years, particularly the point when Courtney's wines piqued the interest of Raj Parr (!) and scored a spot on Michael Mina's by-the-glass list. WBTG are often my go-to for a night out: if I don't want to drink the same wine as my date, I'll opt for one or two by the glass rather than split a bottle.
My mom works in wine sales, and as a kid I often heard her discuss (negotiate?) by-the-glass lists with restaurateurs. As a winery, getting on the WBTG list is great for marketing and brand purposes (you're one of the first wines that people see when they look at the list) and for reaching new customers (people may not be willing to commit to a whole bottle but will try a glass). Getting your label on a WBTG list is also competitive: restaurants will likely have one Cabernet, one Chardonnay...and what makes your wine better than your competitor's? Wineries jockey for these spots, and it's not uncommon for wineries to give discounts to restaurants that feature their wines by the glass.
Another thing you should know as a customer? Wines by the glass are marked up like crazy. The price you pay for a glass of wine at a restaurant is often roughly the wholesale price of the entire bottle. So if you're on the fence between buying a couple glasses versus the bottle, the bottle is the better deal.
Thanks for this post, Kate. Fully agree with you. The other reason why wineries/distributors all want to be on the BTG list? It is much more likely to move quickly and need to be replenished. Unfortunately, being listed by the bottle is no assurance that orders would follow!
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