According to EHL Insights, there has been a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% in the global hospitality industry since 2022.

As the industry continues to grow, you need to have an edge over your competitors while enhancing the dining experience.

Yet, a wine menu design is more than lists and prices; it should make your customers want to take a sip. With this in mind, here’s your guide on crafting a wine menu design where every listing unfolds into an unforgettable experience.

1. Embrace a Colorful Palette

Color is one of the most captivating elements, but before deciding on which colors to use, first consider your business theme colors. These are the colors associated with your restaurant or bar and you can incorporate them into your menu for aesthetics.

You should also consider color psychology. According to Review42, color influences 85% of shoppers to purchase items or services because of the color. So leveraging a color palette on your wine list may help your patrons purchase more.

Here is a suggestion of how you can incorporate specific colors into your wine menu design:

The use of color in your wine menu design offers the following benefits:

• Enhances the overall visual appeal and effectiveness of the wine menu.
• Enhances brand recognition when you incorporate your theme colors in the wine menu.
• Helps you categorize different wines, therefore your customers can flip to the section they want.
• Improves the readability of the menu especially when you select contrasting colors like a white background with black on the text.

2. Visually Tell the Origin Story of Each Wine

Once you have decided on the colors you want to use for each wine or category, ensure your menu design tells the origin story

However, since incorporating all this information can cause your menu list to be a bit bulky, here are five tips to streamline and enhance your visual storytelling:

1. Use high-quality vineyard images of where the wines originate.
2. Use a simple map to show the geographical origin of the selected wine.
3. Incorporate a QR code that links to videos and relevant content about the wines and their origin.
4. Include a snippet of key aspects of the wine’s origin.
5. Use the wine’s country of origin flag.

3. Create a Sense of Nostalgia and Timelessness

In the early design stages of your wine menu, add elements that infuse a sense of nostalgia. These nostalgic elements include:

• Handwritten wine names or the signature of the founder.
• Using aged texture in the background.
• Include a QR code that links to a video or blog post explaining how the wine was created from the farm to the bottle. You can even go a step further and include a video (if available) of the founder explaining what made them come up with the specific wine.
• Prompt your customers to post on their social media pages and tag your establishment. You can also share hashtags or merchandise with the customers to enable them to share their experiences. This way, each time they revisit their photos or use the merchandise, it will evoke a sense of nostalgia and fond memories.

By incorporating nostalgic elements, it allows you to connect the patrons with the history of the wines.

Also, it helps create a bond, or reawaken memories when your customers take a sip of wine that they haven’t tasted for long. This also helps create customer loyalty and they are likely to return if they had a positive experience.

4. Incorporate Food Pairing

Creating a wine menu that incorporates food pairing ensures that your customers have a great dining experience and pairing wine and food thoughtfully enhances the flavors. It also brings the opportunity to make more sales and may prompt your customer to want to try an appetizer or main course.

For instance, pair red wine with foods rich in fat like red meat and macaroni. This is because red wines have a bitterness that goes well with fatty flavors. On the other hand, pair dry white wine like Pinot Grigio with grilled white meat like fish or roasted vegetables and Pinot Grigio has more acidity. For sweet white wine like Pinot Gris, pair with spicy meals, as the sweetness will help mute the spiciness.

Embrace Your Inner Picasso Using Evergreen Software

After you are done with the design, it’s time to incorporate all the elements and create a captivating wine menu design.

To help simplify this process, use Evergreen. It helps you create a wine menu that incorporates all the above elements. You also get to play around with different layouts, color schemes, and styles until you find the one that resonates with your brand and captivates your customers.

Additionally, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting the font you want to use. You can have different fonts for each wine section or just use one font. You can even change the background or move it around until your menu is visually stunning and memorable.

Also, you can edit the wine menu in the future to include the new additions or those on offer. And before you print or save the menu, you can review it. This allows you to fine-tune every detail before saving or publishing, guaranteeing a polished and professional result.

Do not shy away from showing your artistic side with a well-designed and unique menu.

Request a demo today and create a visually stunning wine menu design using Evergreen that will have your patrons tweeting about it all weekend.