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Our Guide to Determining the Amount of Wine Required for Any Event

When planning the beverage menu for a party or banquet, our rule of thumb is simple: assume that every adult in attendance will consume one glass of wine per hour of an event. There are a total of five 5oz glasses in a standard 750ml bottle of wine, so to calculate the number of bottles needed per hour, divide the number of adult guests by five. From there, multiply the number of bottles needed per hour by the number of hours in the event and you will arrive at the total number of bottles required for your event. This formula can be expressed as (G ÷ 5) × H, where G is the number of adult guests and H is the number of hours in the event. See below for a real-world example:

John is hosting a total of 40 adults from 5pm to 8pm. To calculate the number of bottles needed for this event, first divide the number of guests (40) by the number of glasses in a bottle (5), yielding 8 bottles of wine per hour. Next, multiply the number of bottles needed per hour (8) by the length of the event (3 hours) to arrive at a total of 24 bottles.

In the above example, John could select an equal number of bottles of sparkling, white, and red (8 of each) to please a broad range of palates, or choose a different ratio depending on the preferences of his guests and/or the requirements of the event. For example, he may want every guest to enjoy a toast of sparkling wine at the beginning of the event, or he may want more of a white or red wine that will pair with a specific dish.

There are several other variables to consider here, the first being pour levels. A 5oz glass is standard, but one could choose to pour heavier 6oz glasses (4 per bottle) or 2.5oz half-glasses (10 per bottle) for wine flights or food pairings. Moreover, some adults may not drink wine at all, while others may have more than one glass per hour, so it’s important to know your audience.  A final consideration is whether other libations such as cocktails or beer will be served which will decrease the overall consumption of wine at an event. We are experts at selecting and planning the wine offerings for any event, so contact us for a free consultation.