- Interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal last Friday in its always-excellent “Tastings” column about the growing popularity of half-bottles of wines.
“Half bottles might make you think of cheap stuff or even -- yikes! – those awful little bottles they serve on planes,” writes the WSJ. “But it's time to think again, because more and more good wine is being distributed in half-bottle size,” allowing people to both drink less and experiment more – depending on their preferences.
"In the past five years, the number of half bottles on wine lists has more than doubled," Ronn Wiegand, publisher of Restaurant Wine, tells the WSJ, noting that the trend began just as the economy soured. "People traded down and began looking for higher quality wines in half bottles, and now the trend has become a fashion. More and more wineries are bottling them now because more and more restaurants are offering them."
- KC's View:
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What a great way to get people to try new wines…smaller portions that they can sample and enjoy…less commitment, and maybe greater pleasure and commitment to the category.
Maybe retailers could start a half-bottle wine club…
