How Many Glasses of Wine Are in a Bottle? (Probably More Than You Think)

If you're planning a party, wine is likely to be a key part of your shopping list. Understanding how many glasses of wine are in a bottle—and then how many bottles you'll need—is key for hosts. Nobody wants to run to the store mid-party because they need to get up an extra case of sauvignon blanc. But most of us also prefer not to break the bank by overestimating and ending up with unused bottles. There are certainly worse things than leftover wine, but you still want to get it right. Here's how to figure out the number of glasses in a bottle and how much you will need for a gathering, large or small.

How Many Glasses Are in a Standard Bottle of Wine?

When it comes to the specifics, a standard wine bottle typically holds 750 milliliters or roughly 25 ounces (24.5 ounces, to be precise). The recognized size for a standard pour of wine is around 5 ounces. So, if you're doing the math, a bottle should yield about five glasses of wine. Of course, individual preferences might vary the pour, but as a general rule of thumb, expect five 5-ounce glasses from a 750-milliliter bottle.

How the Standard Pour Size Came to Be

The 5-ounce pour is considered the sweet spot in the world of wine servings, and this has evolved over time. In certain bygone eras, the pours were larger; after prohibition, there was a new eye toward moderation. The 5-ounce pour allows for a decently sized serving that captures the wine's flavor profile without overwhelming the palate. You can enjoy the wine's complexities while ensuring you still have a responsible and enjoyable experience. 

Port, Sherry, and Other Fortified Wines

The rules are different for fortified wines—including dessert wines like Port, sherry, and Madeira—which are much higher in alcohol content than standard table wines due to the addition of a bit of brandy during the winemaking process. That means these wines are more powerful and richer—a little goes a long way. 

"As Port is a rich, velvety indulgence to sip on, the pours are usually small, not more than two ounces. This would allow for approximately 12 servings per bottle. However, if you'd rather do a 1.25-ounce pour, you can serve up to 20 guests,” says Anita Musi, fine wine specialist at Evaton Wines and Sandeman Port. She points out that even though the serving is smaller, a standard-size wine glass is the preferred drinking vessel for Port. 

How Many Glasses of Wine Are in Other Bottle Sizes?

Bottle shapes and sizes can play a role in the equation. After the standard 750 milliliters, the most common variation is the larger magnum bottles, which hold 1.5 liters, or approximately twice the standard size. Double the wine means double the number of glasses you'll be able to get from that bottle. So, that would be 10. Magnum bottles can be an excellent option for gatherings—sometimes, the price-per-pour will be lower due to the packaging. Generally, they age much more gracefully than standard-size bottles and stay youthful and fresh longer.

The opposite side of the bottle-size spectrum is half-bottles that are 375 milliliters, or about 12 ounces. These will yield about two and a half glasses—a nice size for two people to share.

A Larger Glass Should Not Mean a Bigger Pour

When it comes to glassware, sizes and shapes vary, but that shouldn't significantly impact the proper pour size—a larger wine glass doesn't mean a larger proper pour! The extra room is meant to allow more oxygen to interact with the wine and make certain wine varieties taste better due to better aeration. But, personal pouring habits do come into the mix, and some may be more generous with their servings, leading to fewer portions in the bottle, while others may stick to a more standard pour. 

How to Work Out How Much Wine You Need for Events 

Now that we've established there are five glasses of wine per standard-size bottle, let's break down how much wine you will need for your gathering. It largely depends on the type of event you're hosting.

Weddings and Other Grand Festive Events

Grand events like weddings—usually held on weekends and often with transportation provided for guests—will naturally veer towards the higher side of consumption. For parties like this, most guests will consume two glasses of wine in the first hour of the event and one glass of wine per hour after that. A four-hour event adds up to five glasses of wine per person. That's a straightforward calculation for wine shopping: one bottle per guest. 

Dinner Parties and Weeknight Wine Events

For more casual affairs such as dinner parties and weeknight wine nights, sommelier Carrie Lyn Strong of Strong Wine Consulting says to calculate two glasses per guest. Some people will have more; some people will have less. In these scenarios, grabbing one bottle for every two guests would be safe.

Less Boozy Events

Say you're hosting an event where you know your guests are not big drinkers, or many of them won't be imbibing at all (baby showers or daytime events come to mind)—you can adjust accordingly. When purchasing wine, check with your retailer to see if they will accept returns of unopened bottles. Many will, or you can stash them so you have a quick, easy host gift whenever you need one.

Other Alcoholic Options

Consider the array of options available to guests—if you're also offering beer and cocktails, that will affect the amount of wine consumed. According to Total Wine, it's safe to assume that 50 percent of guests will prefer wine as their drink of choice, with 25 percent each opting for beer and cocktails.