Here's How Much Wine You Should Be Pouring For One Glass

Whether you are planning a sophisticated soiree and sit-down dinner or a simple and informal gathering like a wine-tasting party and keeping your food options light, knowing how much wine you need on hand can be a bit of a conundrum. While some may wonder if a glass of wine, be it a rosé made entirely of pinot noir grapes or an elegant Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, can ever contain too much of this libation, the answer is yes. A standard glass of wine in the U.S. is five ounces. 

So, how many glasses are in a bottle? While you can purchase all different sizes of wine, a typical bottle contains 750 mL or 25.5 ounces. This means there are a little more than five standard servings of this alcohol in a single bottle. But before you start pouring, you should also know not all wines are created equal and you should be pouring less of some wines into a glass than others.

Though a standard serving of wine is five ounces, pouring less into a glass allows the wine to breathe and for the wine drinker to swirl the liquid in their glass to experience all of the tasting notes. A smaller pour also ensures the wine doesn't warm up too quickly which can cause your vino to lose all those beautiful aromatics.

When white wine is served, only three ounces should be poured into your wine glass. This is largely because white wine is lighter, is usually served chilled, and tends to be consumed quickly. A smaller pour ensures the wine stays cold and crisp while also keeping you from drinking too much too quickly. While champagne flutes can hold six ounces, you should only pour between four and five ounces into this stemware for much of the same reason.

If you are drinking red wine, you should only be pouring around four ounces per glass. Red wines tend to be heavier, have a higher percentage of alcohol by volume, and naturally take longer to sip. There is also much less risk of them warming up too quickly compared to white wines.

These amounts may not look like a lot, but even if your glass looks empty, don't overcompensate and try to fill it to the rim. The flavor of your wine will thank us.