Stumped about how many bottles of wine to serve at your next dinner party? Having a cocktail party and unsure about how much wine to buy? These estimations should send you well on your way.

Dinner Party: One 750 ml bottle (standard size) contains 25.4 ounces. Estimate that a glass of wine per person is 5 oz. This means that there are approximately 5 glasses of wine in every bottle. Count on serving at least two glasses of wine per person during a meal. Don't forget to account for if you are serving champagne or another wine as an aperitif, and also if you are serving port or a late harvest sweet wine with the dessert or cheese course. The average pour for a dessert wine or port is approximately 2-3 ounces, so you will get approximately 8 servings out of a 750 ml bottle of port or dessert wine. Many late harvest and dessert wines come in 375 ml bottles, which should give you 4-5 servings.

Cocktail Party: If you are hosting a cocktail party for two hours, estimate that each guest will consume 1-2 drinks the first hour and one drink the second hour. If the party is longer than that, account for one additional glass of wine per each additional hour. Multiply your estimated amount of guests by the estimated amount of glasses per person, then divide by 5 to obtain the number of bottles you will need.

(Remember, always provide plenty of non-alcoholic drink options for guests, and always drink responsibly.)

Food & Wine Pairing

The old rules of white with fish and red with meat has become obsolete. Wine is about enjoying with friends and family, and to serve as an enhancement to your lifestyle. That said, there are a few key tips to remember when pairing wine and food.

When in doubt? Trust your palate- wine is about discovering your own preferences. Don't be afraid to try new varietals or appellations- it is all a delicious experiment!

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