The appetite of restaurants for good wine

This paper examines the pricing and selection of wines in restaurants. Based on a sample of restaurants in the Swiss Gault&Millau guide, we show that restaurants located in the German part of Switzerland are more likely to publish their wine list online. The highest prices are equally found in the German part, where lists are also the most diverse. Restaurants in the Michelin guide and reporting a higher number of Gault&Millau points are applying higher prices. The length of the wine list and the presence of other restaurants in the vicinity also increase prices. Fourteen interviews further deepen the analysis. The professionals employ various selection criteria for their wine offerings. They favour local products, consider consumer preferences and do not employ advanced software. Moreover, they exclude the possibility of outsourcing and witnessed increased consumer expenses related to wine afterCOVID-19