How many glasses are in a bottle of wine?

A standard 750 ml bottle holds about five 150 ml (5 oz) glasses. A magnum (1.5 L) holds ten.

What mix of red, white, and sparkling should I buy?

For a dinner party a common split is about 50% red, 30% white, 20% sparkling. For a summer or daytime event, flip it toward white and rosé. When in doubt, buy slightly more than the estimate — unopened bottles keep.

Is it better to buy too much or too little wine?

Slightly too much. Unopened bottles last for years stored on their side in a cool, dark place, while running out mid-party is unrecoverable. Many stores also take back unopened bottles.

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How Much Wine for a Party?

Q: How much wine do I need per person for a party?

Plan on about one glass per guest for the first hour and roughly three-quarters of a glass for each hour after that. A standard 750 ml bottle pours five glasses, so a three-hour dinner party works out to roughly half a bottle per wine-drinking guest.

Guests, hours, occasion — get the number of bottles to buy, plus a sensible red/white/sparkling mix.

Your party

Wine-drinking guests

Duration (hours)

Occasion

The Rule of Thumb

Caterers plan roughly one glass per guest for the first hour and about three-quarters of a glass per hour after that. A standard 750 ml bottle pours five 150 ml glasses. That makes a three-hour dinner party roughly half a bottle per wine-drinking guest — before you adjust for how festive the crowd is.

Buy slightly over the estimate: unopened bottles keep for years, an empty table doesn't. If some bottles do get opened but not finished, see our guide on how long open wine lasts.

Picking the Actual Bottles

Once you know how many, the harder question is which. Match the wine to your menu with the free wine pairing tool, serve everything at the right temperature with the serving temperature guide, and when you're standing in the shop, scan any label with Vino AI to get tasting notes and a verdict before it goes in the cart. Need inspiration? Browse the Wine Library.

Shop for the Party With a Sommelier

Scan any bottle in the store and know instantly if it fits your menu — free to download on iPhone and Android.

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