Some restaurants seeing pop in wine prices

It’s not the wine talking. Those prices really might be creeping up on you.

Wine prices in U.S. restaurants have been rising steadily since the last quarter of 2012, with family dining and white-tablecloth establishments seeing the biggest increases, according to Restaurant Sciences, an independent firm that tracks food and beverage product sales throughout the food service industry in North America.

On average, the midpriced casual and upscale-casual segments have posted only modest upticks at 1.9 percent and 1.99 percent, respectively. Family dining establishments, though, have increased wine prices about 8.36 percent throughout the United States. White-tablecloth restaurants have increased prices 5.35 percent.

Carl Foglietti, manager of Grape Street Cafe, said there definitely have been price increases in Las Vegas, but that’s not unusual.

“It’s not a huge increase. ... It happens every year,” Foglietti said.

Vineyards are charging more, so prices have to increase across the board, on down to aficionados, he said.

“It’s due to supply and demand,” Foglietti said.

Chuck Ellis, president of Restaurant Sciences, agreed.

“Wine prices overall have been increasing due to increased demand and reduced inventories,” Ellis said.

Jeff Wyatt, co-owner of Marche Bacchus in Las Vegas, said there were smaller vintages in 2010 and 2011, which is contributing to a lack of supply and higher prices. In fact, he said he’s noticed some wines, both domestic and imports, rising as much as 25 percent at the wholesale level.

“Obviously we have to pass that price increase on to (customers),” Wyatt said.

The Restaurant Sciences survey examined more than 28 million wine purchases, representing $289 million in restaurant wine sales.

The data reflects a same-store subsampling of more than 5,000 restaurants but excludes bars, nightclubs, hotel restaurants and bars, concessions, and fast-food and fast-casual restaurants.

“While the casual and upscale-casual segments were battling some residual softness, the family dining and white-tablecloth segments felt strong enough to raise their prices,” Ellis said.

Not every restaurateur is feeling the pinch. At Giada’s Italian Cucina , wine prices have dropped. Owner Daniel Convertino said he found a new supplier and was able to lower his prices.

“I’ve actually lowered the price of my house wines from $8 to $6 a glass,” he said.

For the past few years, Convertino said, he’s seen minimal increases.

“It’s pennies, literally pennies, every once in a while, but then it pops back down,” he said.

Contact reporter Laura Carroll at lcarroll@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow @lscvegas on Twitter.