How Much Wine To Buy For An Event?

There is a lot of planning that goes into organizing an event. Arranging the location, inviting guests, selecting food, and of course, buying wine.

Buying wine for an event can be tricky as there are many factors that go into making your decision. Which types of wine to buy, how much of each type to buy, etc.

And what about the biggest concern – what if we run out during the event?!

Planning an event is a mix of social science, a bit of simple math, and a little common sense. Here are a few tips that will help alleviate your worries.

The Social Science

Try to write down a few facts about the event.

The number of guests
The duration

Now let’s add a few social facts about wine.

Alcohol consumption studies indicate that 35% to 40% of people prefer wine over other beverages.
At an event, studies show that on average, people will drink 2 glasses of wine in the first hour and one glass every subsequent hour.
Red and white wine have similar consumption patterns.

The Simple Math

We only need simple arithmetic here.

Let list out a few facts first.

One bottle of wine is equivalent to 750 ml.
750 ml is equal to 25.36 ounces.
The standard serving size (glass) of wine is equal to 5 ounces.

We now know that one bottle of wine contains a little over 5 glasses in it.

Combining the Facts

Let us assume it is a 4-hour event for 20 guests.

Approximately 35% to 40% accounts for 7 to 8 guests that prefer wine.
Consumption in the first hour at 2 glasses per guest would be the equivalent of 14 to 16 glasses.
Consumption during the next 3 hours at 1 glass per guest per hour would equate to 21 to 24 glasses.
The total consumption in four hours would be 35 to 40 glasses.
At 5 glasses per bottle this would be equal to 7 or 8 bottles of wine.
With an equal preference for red and white wine, it would amount to four bottles of each type.