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Original poster

How much wine?

219 replies

WashAsDelicates · 04/04/2023 17:42

I'm hosting a dinner for 7 people aged between 16 and 60. One of the adults will contentedly make one glass last the whole evening. At the other extreme is the one who will drink every drink you give them. Both are generous hosts.

How many bottles of wine should I buy?

OP posts:
Greenfree · 05/04/2023 19:16

I would go 8 min and 12 max. When I host for 6 people I normally get 10 bottles in as people to have a glass or two after dinner while we're playing games

FfeminyddCymraeg · 05/04/2023 19:24

At least 10, more like 13-15 for my friends. Mostly because the bottoms of bottles don’t get drunk and there ends up being lots of dregs.

I’d cry if I saw 5 bottles tbf 😂

Suzi888 · 05/04/2023 19:28

Kitsmummy · 04/04/2023 17:48

TWO BOTTLES???!! That could turn out to be the most joyless event ever!!

3 glasses per bottle if large glasses too-
at most.
I’d probably get 5 red, 5 white and some champagne/fizz. Perhaps even a few ales…

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Theelephantinthecastle · 05/04/2023 19:33

JumpToRecipe · 05/04/2023 19:04

Have you actually measured the capacity of your wine glasses? Mine are not big to look at (for reference) and they have a 240ml capacity. Very very few wine glasses are 175ml unless you live in a pub, and once people start topping up each others’ glasses they aren’t going to stick to 1/3 full or whatever is required to maintain the 175ml serving.

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I measure wine before serving myself as I am watching my units and my wine glasses are definitely 125 and 175 (the latter for guests, the former for me). I don't think 175 is that unusual - if you Google there are plenty for sale

GingerNutMe · 05/04/2023 19:38

My experience over recent years is that more people now drink red rather than white, at least they do in my circle. Probably 10 years ago far more drank white and I would often get the red to myself. How selfish are people now 😂

JumpToRecipe · 05/04/2023 19:51

Theelephantinthecastle · 05/04/2023 19:33

I measure wine before serving myself as I am watching my units and my wine glasses are definitely 125 and 175 (the latter for guests, the former for me). I don't think 175 is that unusual - if you Google there are plenty for sale

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Sorry, no. I completely disagree. 125 / 175 ml glasses are certainly available but they are not the norm on the high street. I have just had a quick look at John Lewis’s wine glasses and in a range of over 150 styles they have a grand total of two at 200ml or less - one 200ml, one 190ml (branded as ‘small’). The red wine glasses are well over a pint (although obviously you are not supposed to fill them).

QueSyrahSyrah · 05/04/2023 19:56

GingerNutMe · 05/04/2023 19:38

My experience over recent years is that more people now drink red rather than white, at least they do in my circle. Probably 10 years ago far more drank white and I would often get the red to myself. How selfish are people now 😂

I relate to this so hard Grin

Pepsi2001 · 05/04/2023 19:58

Ten bottles would be plenty x

evilharpy · 05/04/2023 19:59

@GingerNutMe I drank almost exclusively red until I turned 40 and suddenly red wine started giving me headaches. Not hangover headaches but almost the same sort I get from eye strain. White, thankfully, does not, and I've grown to like it a lot more now than I did when I was younger.

Abouttimemum · 05/04/2023 20:00

I’d be the one nursing one glass of wine all night so I’m glad I read this for future hosting reference as my guests would have been very disappointed 😂

macshoto · 05/04/2023 20:12

Personally I think some on here are going overboard (and that's as a wine drinker with 300+ bottles in the cellar at home and 1,000+ 'in bond').

You know your guests better than us - and also what what you are planning to serve. Is this an arrive at 5 and leave at 2 type party or a 6.30 for seven dinner and carriages by 11 occasion? Are you serving wine to lubricate the party or wine for people to appreciate?

If serving quality wine, I'd plan on around a bottle a head, plus probably two fizz to start and maybe a bottle of dessert wine to finish. With your teen and sedate drinker that should be more than sufficient. Or looked at another way, 1-2 bottles per course (for six people) and an extra 1-2 for the main, plus whatever you are serving pre-dinner. Generally I would be matching wines to the food, and therefore only catering for guest choice if I knew someone couldn't drink red/white.

StaceySolomonSwash · 05/04/2023 20:14

Number24Bus · 04/04/2023 17:46

IME several of them will bring a bottle with them? So if you buy two bottles there should be plenty. Unless you've told them not to bring wine?

2 bottles for 8 people? You're meant to pour a glass, not just moisten the bottom of it!

😂

pollymere · 05/04/2023 20:14

I was taught to allow a bottle per person plus one more. A bottle isn't really more than three to four glasses. I would hope that some of the guests will only have one glass and others probably will have three. Make sure you have enough soft drink options too as presumably some may be driving or not want alcohol. It's depressing to be offered diet Coke or orange juice so have a variety.

StaceySolomonSwash · 05/04/2023 20:17

Frenchfancy · 04/04/2023 18:00

I can't believe people really allow 15 bottles of wine for seven people. We a pretty big drinkers but there is no way we would get through that. I would assume a bottle per person.

At a meal for 4 recently we drank champagne before, then 3 bottles of wine during and then port/amaretto afterwards.

Hardly a lot as it's not a regular thing.

Nicola101177 · 05/04/2023 20:24

macshoto · 05/04/2023 20:12

Personally I think some on here are going overboard (and that's as a wine drinker with 300+ bottles in the cellar at home and 1,000+ 'in bond').

You know your guests better than us - and also what what you are planning to serve. Is this an arrive at 5 and leave at 2 type party or a 6.30 for seven dinner and carriages by 11 occasion? Are you serving wine to lubricate the party or wine for people to appreciate?

If serving quality wine, I'd plan on around a bottle a head, plus probably two fizz to start and maybe a bottle of dessert wine to finish. With your teen and sedate drinker that should be more than sufficient. Or looked at another way, 1-2 bottles per course (for six people) and an extra 1-2 for the main, plus whatever you are serving pre-dinner. Generally I would be matching wines to the food, and therefore only catering for guest choice if I knew someone couldn't drink red/white.

Woah. You’ve just blown my mind. All that wine. Some ‘in bond’. What a vast amount of wealth you must have. I have one in the fridge and one spare in the cupboard if I’m lucky 😂

Doremisofarsogood · 05/04/2023 20:26

StaceySolomonSwash · 05/04/2023 20:14

2 bottles for 8 people? You're meant to pour a glass, not just moisten the bottom of it!

😂

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Yes this! Plus who measures the amount that you put in a glass? (Apart from people watching their weight or designated driver maybe)....in my circle of friends we buy boxes and bottles....for 4 adults we'd get at least 3 boxes which equals 12 bottles 🤣🤣🤣

QueSyrahSyrah · 05/04/2023 20:26

I think people are missing here that those suggesting 10/12/15 bottles aren't anywhere near expecting them to all be got through, just that there's plenty available if for example everyone there decides to drink red.

If you've bought 6 bottles in a 3 red / 3 white split and all 7 people fancy red then you're quickly running short.

The most precise thing OP could do would either be not give a choice and just serve based on the food (not especially accommodating to guests) or ask in advance what people are likely to be drinking and buy accordingly, but then it only takes a rogue to change their mind on the day and again, you're running short.

mozzierella · 05/04/2023 20:54

Id buy 12-14

macshoto · 05/04/2023 20:56

@Nicola101177 some people enjoy fast cars, some I buy shoes or handbags, I buy wine...

JustCri · 05/04/2023 21:16

Definitely at least one bottle per person....I am not a big drinker either...might have a glass of wine with a meal a few times a week...but on a night out...albeit a meal at someone's house...depending on how long it lasts I can easily drink a whole bottle over the course of a few hours...possibly more, but I'd probably bring a bottle myself...if there are couples they'd probably bring a bottle between them rather than one each...

Densol57 · 05/04/2023 21:20

macshoto · 05/04/2023 20:56

@Nicola101177 some people enjoy fast cars, some I buy shoes or handbags, I buy wine...

Yeah but you dont seem to drink it from your estimates of what is needed ! 🤣

OP I suggest =
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Nicola101177 · 05/04/2023 21:37

And I imagine a lovely chunk also goes to charity so you don’t feel so guilty - good on you

Augend23 · 05/04/2023 21:46

I'd probably assume 6 bottles would be drunk (1 glass before dinner, 2 with and 1 while chatting afterwards seems pretty feasible), but I'd be wondering how to split things up if I only had 6 in the house because I would imagine everyone would want white with fish, so six of white would seem plenty but if you get a couple who want red it starts getting sticky numbers wise. I usually have 15? in the house and would top that up to 24 before I have a party so it's not an issue, but obviously if you don't really drink wine you don't want to be stuck with loads of leftovers.

I think I'd probably go 6 white, 2 red, and assume I'd probably have 2 bottles left over but not know what bottles they'd be.

Fluffmum · 05/04/2023 21:46

12 bottles

LaDamaDeElche · 05/04/2023 21:55

Frenchfancy · 04/04/2023 18:00

I can't believe people really allow 15 bottles of wine for seven people. We a pretty big drinkers but there is no way we would get through that. I would assume a bottle per person.

This is why the rest of the world thinks English people have a problem with alcohol. One bottle of wine per person should be more than enough considering some people don't drink much. Maybe with a couple of bottles extra for reserves just in case. I love wine and can happily finish a bottle, but would people really drink two bottles of wine each or more considering some people don't drink. That's just a group of people with alcohol problems or a group of absolutely shitfaced people.