Beyond the bottle: decoding the wine list architecture and ordering decisions

Purpose This study aims to examine the wine lists’ influence on restaurant customers’ ordering decisions and the role of wine ordering in shaping the overall dining experience. Design/methodology/approach Based on 27 in-depth interviews with restaurant patrons who ordered wine from a wine list, this study employed a grounded theory methodology (GTM) to analyze data. Findings The findings reveal three core categories influencing wine ordering experiences: wine list architecture, wine ordering process and wine-centric experiences. Within the wine list category, wine attributes, menu designscape and cognitive navigability emerged as key subcategories shaping wine list architecture. The wine ordering process is shaped by wine-specific factors, restaurant-related factors, personal factors and food-wine pairing. Notably, a wine-centric experience, characterized by wine fascination, culinary enhancement and relational enjoyment, significantly impacts the overall dining experience. Practical implications These findings inform restaurant managers about the complex wine-ordering process. To optimize diners’ decision experience, managers should prioritize key wine attributes, such as grape variety, price, type, serving size, region, taste profiles and the wine list’s design. Originality/value This study provides an exploratory conceptualization of the wine list as a decision-making interface that shapes consumers’ wine-ordering decisions in restaurant settings, offering conceptual insights with implications for research and practice.