A Curious Bill at Quill...
The concept was uncorked late in 2025 over a rather pleasant evening at the Quill Wine Bar in London Bridge. Studying the list, we noticed an intriguing pricing quirk: ordering two 500ml carafes worked out mathematically cheaper per millilitre than buying the full 750ml bottle of the exact same wine.
It was a classic hospitality ‘Glass Tax’ anomaly... an ingenious operational strategy to move open wine, but an eye-opener for the guest.
That curious observation sparked a much wider conversation: why is the wine list still one of the few places in modern life where guests are expected to spend substantial money with almost zero transparent information? Markups range from generous to steep, vintages are rarely explained, and diners are frequently nudged towards the second-cheapest bottle out of awkwardness.
We wanted a pocket-sized sommelier that could instantly level the playing field. So, we built SavvySipper to crunch the maths. And from that initial engine, The Good Wine Guide was born: an independent publication dedicated to championing venues with fair, inspiring wine programmes and giving guests total confidence at every table.
The Menu & Early Prototypes
The Original London Bridge Wine List
The physical list at Quill Wine Bar where the 500ml carafe vs 750ml bottle pricing anomaly was first spotted.
The Original London Bridge Wine List
The physical list at Quill Wine Bar where the 500ml carafe vs 750ml bottle pricing anomaly was first spotted.
The First "Glass Tax" Calculation
An early prototype screen exposing the mathematical anomalies between by-the-glass pours, carafes, and bottles.
First-Generation Retail Benchmarking
Our earliest algorithm comparing venue wine list prices directly against estimated UK retail merchant benchmarks.