When you’re planning for a dinner party or a wine and cheese gathering, there are many questions one must ask themselves. And one of those questions, arguably the most important, is; how many glasses of wine are in a bottle? After all, you don’t want a glass to go dry.
Like many aspects of wine; It depends. There are a few factors to consider like how big your bottle is and what type of wine you’re serving. Here, we break down how many glasses there are in a bottle of wine so you can plan for plenty to go around.
But First, What Is the Standard Serving of Wine?
For still and sparkling wine, your standard serving size is five ounces. And that won’t change even if you’re using a Champagne flute, universal wine glass, Burgundy glass or anything in between.
If you are serving a fortified or sweet wine, the standard pour is two ounces. These wines tend to be high in alcohol, so you’ll want a glass like this one. Its short opening is designed to dull the alcohol aromas while enhancing the wine’s other characteristics.
How Many Glasses of Wine Are in a Bottle?
Of course, this is going to depend on the bottle size, but this guide can help you determine how many glasses are in your particular bottle.
Split or Piccolo Bottles
Looking for a single serving? Grab a split bottle as it holds one glass of still or sparkling wine.
Size: 187.5 milliliter (ml)
Half Bottle
This bottle is the perfect sample size for you and one other person. It contains 2.5 glasses of still or sparkling wine.
Size: 375 ml
Standard Bottle
There are five 5-ounce glasses in a standard bottle of wine. This applies to both still and sparkling.
Size: 750 ml
Magnum
Have a party coming up? If you can, grab a magnum. This behemoth holds 10 glasses of still or sparkling wine.
Size: 1.5 L
If you still aren’t seeing the one you are looking for, check out our guide to wine bottle sizes.
Sweet or Fortified Bottles
Wine bottle sizes will vary when it comes to sweet wines. But typically, your fortified options are going to come in half-bottles, meaning you’ll get about 8.5 two-ounce pours.
Size: Varies
How Do You Pour a Glass of Wine?
Now that you know how many glasses your bottle can bring to the table, now you need to master pouring the bottle. Believe it or not, there is an art to the seemingly simple task of pouring a glass of wine.
Rather than hold it from the neck, hold the bottle from the base. It’s the heaviest part of the bottle and will give you more control. Then, hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle and pour. When you’re ready to stop pouring, gently twist the bottle counterclockwise as this prevents spills and dripping. But, keep a towel or napkin handy just in case!
Pro tip: When pouring sparkling wine, stop pouring it a little earlier than when serving still to allow for carbonation. You can check out more tips in our guide to pouring wine.
How Do You Clean Glassware?
You’ve picked the perfect bottle, you’ve perfected your pouring technique and you know how many wine glasses are in a bottle of wine. Now, make sure smudges on your glassware don’t distract from what you’re serving.
There are a few ways to ensure spotless glassware. If you are hand washing, you can soak them in warm water with a bit of unscented soap. Your standard kitchen sponge will work, but if you want to be sure there won’t be any streaks or smudges, check out this cleaning brush that can help get into hard-to-reach crevices.
You can also put glasses in the dishwasher. However, make sure they are hardy enough as they will get jostled around.
Lastly, use a microfiber towel to prevent any streaks caused by air drying. Check out more tips in our guide to cleaning glasses.
Published: February 22, 2023
