Free tool
How Much Wine for a Party?
Guests, hours, occasion: get the number of bottles to buy, plus a sensible red/white/sparkling mix.
Your party
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.
Frequently asked questions
How much wine do I need per person for a party?
How many glasses are in a bottle of wine?
What mix of red, white, and sparkling should I buy?
Is it better to buy too much or too little wine?
Vino AI
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.