The caterer’s rule of thumb: each drinking guest has two drinks in the first hour and one each hour after. A bottle pours five glasses. The calculator above does the rest and splits it into red, white and sparkling.
Party & wedding wine calculator
Guests, hours and how thirsty they are: we’ll do the bottle math.
You need about
0 bottles
Red0bottles
White & rosé0bottles
Sparkling0bottles
Based on 5 glasses (5 oz each) per 750 ml bottle, two drinks per drinker in the first hour and one each hour after, and 8 toasts per bottle of sparkling. Most shops take back unopened bottles: ask before you buy.
Quick answers
- Dinner party for 8, 3 hours: about 5-6 bottles.
- Party of 50, 4 hours, wine and beer: about 25-30 bottles.
- Wedding of 100, 5 hours, full bar: about 35-45 bottles of wine, plus sparkling for the toast.
Red or white?
Split 50/50 unless the menu leans one way. Summer and seafood → more white and rosé; beef and winter → more red.
Saving money
- Buy by the case: many shops give 10-15% off.
- Ask about returns on unopened bottles.
- For big events, a good $12-$15 bottle is plenty. See our cheapest wine clubs for bulk deals.
Frequently asked questions
How many bottles of wine for 100 guests?
For a four-hour event where wine is one of several drinks, roughly 40-50 bottles, plus about 13 bottles of sparkling for a toast.
How many glasses per bottle?
Five 5-ounce glasses per standard 750 ml bottle.