Eat, drink, be merry and pay more for wine

(CommercialAppeal) - Ordering some Chardonnay or Cabernet while eating out can sometimes be the priciest part of a meal. And it’s only getting more expensive.

The price of vino by the glass rose steadily over the last six months, according to Restaurant Sciences, an independent firm that tracks food and beverage product sales.

The cause of the costlier buzz? A tightening squeeze on wine inventories — some even call it a shortage — coupled with swelling consumer demand for the alcohol.

“We’re seeing more and more wine lists with nothing under $40 for a bottle,” said Michael Whiteman, president of Baum/Whiteman International Restaurant Consultants. “And that’s a bargain considering what you’ll pay for four wines by the glass.”

The most pronounced surge in wine prices — an 8.4 percent jump — came in the family dining sector, where the average meal costs $38.50 or less, according to Restaurant Sciences. Wine prices also boomed at the opposite end of the scale, swelling 5.4 percent at white tablecloth establishments, where an overall check can reach $1,000.