Bottles of wine for a 3-hour party
| Guests | Wine only | With beer & cocktails too | Cases (wine only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 |
| 20 | 12 | 6 | 1 |
| 30 | 18 | 9 | 2 |
| 40 | 24 | 12 | 2 |
| 50 | 30 | 15 | 3 |
| 60 | 36 | 18 | 3 |
| 75 | 45 | 23 | 4 |
| 100 | 60 | 30 | 5 |
| 150 | 90 | 45 | 8 |
How many glasses in a bottle?
| Bottle | Glasses (5 oz) |
|---|---|
| 750 ml (standard) | 5 |
| 1.5 L magnum | 10 |
| 750 ml sparkling, champagne flutes (4 oz) | 6 |
| 3 L box wine | 20 |
How to split red, white and sparkling
- Dinner party (winter): about 60% red, 40% white.
- Summer or daytime: flip it, with more white and rosé.
- Toast: one bottle of sparkling for every 6–8 guests for a single toast.
- Thanksgiving: Pinot Noir, Beaujolais and Riesling go with turkey and most sides.
Tips
- Buy by the case: many stores give 10–15% off 12 bottles.
- Unopened bottles keep, so it’s fine to over-buy.
- Always have water and non-alcoholic options, and plan rides home.
Questions
How many bottles of wine for 50 guests?
About 30 bottles for a 3-hour party if wine is the only drink, or about 15 if beer and cocktails are also served.
How many bottles of wine for 20 people?
About 12 bottles for a 3-hour party with wine only, or 6 with other drinks.
How many glasses of wine in a bottle?
A 750 ml bottle holds about 25 oz, which is 5 standard 5-oz glasses.
How much wine for 100 wedding guests?
About 60 bottles (5 cases) for 3 hours if wine is the main drink, or 30 bottles with a full bar.