Wines and SpiritsHow Much Wine Will I Need For My Dinner Party Tonight?
So, you are having a dinner party and do not know how much wine to buy to satisfy everyone"s needs. First, you will need to determine how many types of vino you will be serving. If you are planning a dinner with several courses, you will probably serve several wines through the course of the meal; one as an aperitif, 2 during the course of the meal, and possibly another with cheese.
Second, the size of the glasses being used will also affect the amount of vino you will need. The larger the wineglass the more beverage you will ultimately need due to the fact that everyone has a tendency to pour more wine than needed in a larger glass. It may be a good idea to furnish separate glasses for each wine to be served during the course of the meal. If the guest has a separate glass for each wine served, he will not feel that he must finish one glass before he goes on to the next. Also, the host will be able to tell how much each individual has consumed of the previous wines and judge from there how much to pour into the next glass. Some guests may not be wine drinkers and only take a sip of each wine presented.
If serving four wines with a formal dinner and the guests are modest drinkers, count on one bottle of each wine for every four guests. If you are serving two wines, then one bottle of each wine would be needed per couple. Or, you may plan one full bottle of wine for each guest. This may sound like a lot but if you are serving a lot of food over several hours, this amount is conceivable. To cut down on consumption, make sure each guest"s water glass is always full so that there is something other than wine to reach for.