Last Updated on February 15, 2023 by Tom
In today’s blog post, I will show you everything about a case of wine, how many wine bottles in a case, how to plan your upcoming parties, and what costs are involved.
Without further ado, let’s dive right in.
The Benefits of Buying a Case of Wine
Buying wine by the case offers you the opportunity to taste different flavors from emerging brands or long-standing ones. But most importantly, you get great savings compared to buying a single bottle. A retailer usually offers a discount of 10-15% or a deduction of 10% if you buy 6 or more bottles from Costco. Taking the sizes, the number of guests you are serving, and prices into consideration will help you avoid wasting the wine after purchasing it.
How many wine bottles in a case?
The standard bottle size in the wine industry is 750 ml which offers 5 glasses of wine of around 5 ounces or 148 ml each. While a standard case of wine consists of 12 bottles, making 9 liters of wine.
How Many Gallons Is a Case of Wine?
Please note that wines are measured in metric units, not imperial units. If you are unfamiliar with metric units, you can simply multiply the volume in liters by 0.264 to get measurements in gallons. That being said, a case of 12 bottles is equivalent to 2.3 gallons when converted.
How Many Cases of Wine in a Barrel and a Pallet?
There are 25 cases in 1 barrel and that is equivalent to 1,500 glasses of wine. A standard barrel can hold up to 60 gallons or 227 liters. On the other hand, 1 pallet equals 56 cases which can serve 3,375 glasses of wine – more than 2 full barrels of wine! If you wish to stock up multiple cases at home, you should first understand the recommended temperature conditions for wine storage as well as the proper use of a wine cellar.
How Many Cases Should You Buy for a Party?
Planning to buy enough bottles can be a headache, but you can estimate it with a little trick below:
Let’s say you’re hosting a Champagne party with 100 guests for 3 hours at your wedding. To get the total number of glasses, you take:
100 guests X 3 hours X 1 glass/hour = 300 glasses
Remember that a 750 ml bottle can serve 5 glasses of wine, so in order to find the total number of wine bottles, you need to take:
300 glasses / 5 glasses per bottle = 60 bottles
Finally, to calculate the number of cases, simply divide 60 by 12 as followed:
60 bottles / 12 bottles per case = 5 cases
If you wish to make it a little more fun, you can order different types of wines, a mixed case would be great to show your sincerity in this situation (stay tuned for more details below).
Other Bottle Sizes and Shapes
Wine bottle sizes depend on the winery and its style, but aside from the standard 750 ml bottle, you will come across these common types on the marketplace:
- Half bottle: 375 ml
- Magnum: 1.5 liters
- Jeroboam: 3 liters
- Imperial: 6 liters
In addition to the popular wine bottle sizes listed, there are some other unpopular ones that are originated from interesting names, such as:
- Split Wine Bottle or sometimes called a piccolo. It holds 187.5 ml of wine, which is used for single servings of Champagne.
- Rehoboam Wine Bottle has its name from the first King of the Kingdom of Judah. Its capacity is 4 liters. It is not easy to see them as they usually “hide” in the finest vintages. If you have a chance to own this super bottle, don’t hesitate to celebrate with important people in your life, such as a business partner, mentor, family, or any special events.
- Salmanazar Wine Bottle obtains its name from the King of the ancient Neo-Assyrian Empire. It can fill up to 9 liters which equals a whole case of wine!
- Balthazar Wine Bottle comes from one of the wise men in the Biblical story of the Birth of Jesus. It is equivalent to two Imperial bottles which are… Can you guess? Yes, it is exactly 12 liters of wine.
- Nebuchadnezzar Wine Bottle is the name of the second king of the ancient Neo-Babylonian Empire. Its volume of 15 liters corresponds to 20 normal bottles.
- Solomon Wine Bottle derives from the King of the Kingdom of Judah and the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This bottle is massive as it is equivalent to two full cases of 18 liters of wine. Care must be taken to keep this multi-thousand-dollar bottle under optimal storage conditions.
What about the shapes of these bottles, you may wonder? Below are the 6 most common wine bottle shapes:
- Bordeaux is the most well-known shape for wine bottles. It has straight sides, high and distinct shoulders.
- Burgundy has sloping shoulders and a wider base than Bordeaux bottles. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are classic wines that use this design.
- Alsace is more elegantly built, taller and slimmer with slightly sloping shoulders. It is mainly associated with a sweeter wine.
- Champagne is the heaviest bottle as its bulky and thick design is built for bearing the high pressure of sparkling wine. Its “punt” in the bottom also helps strengthen the bottle.
- Port mimics Bordeaux bottles, except for its unique bulb in the neck. It is there to catch excess sediment as you pour – resulting from aging wine over time.
- Ice or Dessert usually bottles rich and expensive ice wines in tall and thin vessels. The slim shape offers a touch of elegance which can be used with smaller glasses.
Different Types of Wine Cases
Due to the diversity of bottled wines, the cases also depend on the properties of the bottles. There are generally 2 types of wine cases:
- 6-bottle case: This case is suitable for big bottle lovers hence you can buy 6 magnum bottles (1.5 liters each).
- Mixed 12-bottle case: A mixed case contains 12 standard bottle sizes and you can customize your case with different styles of wine.
How To Build A mixed wine case 12 bottles
It is crucial to ask yourself why you want a mixed case and what it is for will help you make the right decision when it comes to mixing. A great basic starter case would consist of 5 red wines, 5 white wines, and 2 sparkling wines. Feel free to check out some of the combinations below:
- Personal Interest: Doing a bit of research in advance allows you to discover more types so you can mix your go-to flavors and kinds that you want to try. Having them all stored at your house would be handy as you can change your taste at any time.
- Party Hosting: Try to get a case of Cabernet and Pinot Grigio because classic wines will never go wrong in a social setting.
- Taste Testing Kit: Mixing multiple types with similar flavors allows you to stumble upon your “true future wine” and be open to new experiences.
How Much Does a Case of Wine Cost?
Bear in mind the price of a bottle you intend to buy as you will multiply that price by 12 – the number of bottles per case. Knowing this formula can help you find the best option.
- Around $100: You can easily get $10 for a bottle of standard wine, quick for family gatherings or some intimate parties. You can check out Napa Valley Pinot Noirs and Malbecs as these are rich in flavor and easy to drink.
- Around $150: With this price, you can still find some good quality wines such as Pinot Grigios, Catena Malbec from Argentina, or Etna Rosso.
- Around $200: This is the ideal price if you want decent quality like Petite Sirah.
- Around $300: Aim for a classic Tempranillo like Rioja as it is full of fruity flavors – you will not be disappointed with its addictive aroma.
- Around $500: For this price range, you can level up your taste with popular vineyards from well-liked regions such as Bordeaux and Napa wines.
- Above $500: If you are here, you are definitely looking for outstanding brands and flavors, aren’t you? You can try Brut Champagne or Chablis Chardonnay which are made in high quality and in large quantities.
Related: Top 5 The Best 4 Bottle Wine Fridge/ Coolers Reviews in 2022
Most Popular Wine Brands
“This list includes only the largest and most well-known wine brands by passenger volume, not boutique wines or family wines.”
According to The Wine Institute, the top ten wine producers in 2021 were:
- Château Lafite Rothschild (Bordeaux)
- Penfolds (Australia)
- Louis Roederer (France)
- Marchesi Antinori (Italy)
- Harlan Estate (Napa Valley)
- Weingut Egon Müller, Scharzhof (Germany)
- Castel Frères (France)
- Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A., France & UK
- Coche-Dury (France)
- Baron de Ley (Spain)
Where to buy Wine Bottles
What is the best place online to buy wine bottles for a good price? I’m looking to make candles and need at least 10 or 20 bottles
There are dozens of places online where you can buy wine and spirit bottles , and the prices vary widely depending on what kind of bottle you’re in the market for: Chianti, Pinot Grigio, Malbec… Most places that sell them also offer wholesale discounts when you purchase in large quantities
We recommend shopping around before settling on one supplier so you get the “best” deal. To give you an idea of what kinds of prices you can expect to pay for different kinds of bottles when buying in bulk.
We researched prices offered by two popular bottle suppliers: Adirondack Bottle & Beverage (wine bottles, spirits bottles) and All Star Wine & Spirits (champagne/cava/sparkling wine bottles), you also can to buy them on Amazon.
Conclusion
This blog post has provided you with a lot of information about how to calculate wine bottle in a case and The answer to the question of how many wine bottles in a case is not set in stone and depends on what type of wine it is, we hope it’s been helpful.
If you have any additional questions, please contact us at www.realgastropub.com. Our team is always happy to help!
