Wine on Tap: How It Works, What It Costs a Bar, and the Tap Handle Nobody Plans For
Updated September 2026 by Brad Lugar, owner of Steel City Tap Co., Birmingham, AL.
Quick answer: Wine on tap is wine served from a stainless keg through a faucet, the same way draft beer pours. Bars switch because an opened keg does not oxidize, every glass pours the same, and there is no bottle waste. The part most operators plan last: the faucet needs a handle, and a wine tap on a beer wall with a chrome knob is invisible. The fix is a branded tap handle on the same 3/8-16 thread beer uses.
We are a tap handle shop, not a wine distributor, so this guide covers what we know: how the system works on the bar side and how to make the wine tap earn its slot on the wall.
How does wine on tap work?
The winery fills a stainless steel keg (usually 19.5 liters, about 26 bottles) and seals it under inert gas. The bar connects the keg to a faucet through a gas line, typically nitrogen or a nitrogen blend rather than CO2, so the wine does not carbonate. The keg pours until it is empty, and the wine in it tastes the same on day 30 as it did on day 1 because oxygen never touches it.
Why do bars and restaurants switch to keg wine?
- No oxidized pours. An opened bottle is going bad by the second night. A keg is not.
- Portion control. Same pour every time, which is margin.
- Less waste and less glass. One keg replaces two cases of bottles, corks, and cardboard.
- Faster service. A tap pour takes five seconds. No cutting foil.
- Room for more by-the-glass options. The cost of opening a bottle for one glass goes away.
What equipment does wine on tap need?
- Stainless wine kegs (supplied by the winery or distributor, usually on deposit)
- A keg coupler that matches the keg valve
- Gas: nitrogen or a nitrogen and CO2 blend, with a regulator
- Refrigeration for the keg, either a kegerator or a walk-in line run
- A faucet, ideally one rated for wine to avoid metallic pickup
- A tap handle on a 3/8-16 thread
If you already pour draft beer, you own most of this list. The wine line drops into the same tower.
The tap handle problem
Here is what happens at most bars. The wine keg goes in, the faucet goes on the beer tower, and the handle is whatever chrome knob came in the box. Now the customer looking at the wall sees twelve beer brands and one anonymous silver stub. The wine never gets ordered from the tap because nobody knows it is there.
The wineries that sell keg wine well treat the handle the way breweries do. A custom tap handle in the shape of the bottle, or a wood handle printed with the label, makes the wine tap read from across the room. Same faucet, same thread, same 6 to 8 week build after design approval, same 100 unit minimum for a custom shape. For a single restaurant group or a small winery, our stock handles start at 12 units with your print.
What should a bar ask the distributor before adding wine on tap?
- Which wines are available in keg, and is the keg on deposit or purchased?
- What gas does the winery specify for that wine?
- Who services the line and how often?
- Is a branded tap handle included, and if not, can you get the label art to have one made?
That last question is the one nobody asks, and it is the one that decides whether the tap sells.
Beyond wine: cider, cold brew, kombucha, cocktails
Everything above applies to any keg on a bar wall. Cider, hard seltzer, nitro cold brew, kombucha, and batched cocktails all pour through the same faucet and all need a handle that tells the customer what it is. We build handles for all of them. The faucet does not care what is in the keg, and neither does the ferrule.
Have a wine, cider, or coffee program that needs a handle on the wall? Send us the label and we will sketch it.
Frequently asked questions
Does wine on tap taste different from bottled wine?
It tastes like the wine on the day it was kegged. The keg is sealed under inert gas, so there is no oxidation between the first glass and the last. Most drinkers cannot tell it came from a keg.
What gas is used for wine on tap?
Nitrogen, or a nitrogen and CO2 blend specified by the winery. Straight CO2 would carbonate the wine over time.
How many glasses are in a keg of wine?
A standard 19.5 liter wine keg holds about 26 bottles worth, roughly 130 five ounce pours.
Can I use a beer tap handle for wine?
Yes. Wine faucets use the same 3/8-16 thread as beer faucets, so any tap handle we make fits. Brand it so the wine tap is visible on a beer wall.
Do you make tap handles for cider, cold brew, or kombucha?
Yes. Any keg on a bar wall needs a handle, and we build custom and stock handles for cider, seltzer, nitro coffee, kombucha, and cocktails on tap.