How many standard drinks are in a bottle of wine? A 750 ml bottle at 12% alcohol by volume (ABV) contains about 5 U.S. standard drinks. At 13.5%, which is common for many reds, it contains about 5.7, and at 15% about 6.3. One standard drink of wine is 5 fl oz at 12% ABV.
Wine is easy to undercount. Restaurant pours are often 6 oz, home pours are often bigger, and many wines are stronger than the 12% used in the standard example. This guide gives you the numbers for bottles and glasses, a formula for any label, and tips for tracking wine accurately.
How many ounces of wine are in a standard drink?
A U.S. standard drink contains about 14 grams (0.6 fl oz) of pure alcohol. For wine at 12% ABV, that equals a 5 oz pour, which is the example used by the CDC and NIAAA.
Stronger wine means a smaller standard drink:
| Wine ABV | Ounces in one standard drink |
|---|---|
| 10% | 6.0 oz |
| 12% | 5.0 oz |
| 13% | 4.6 oz |
| 14% | 4.3 oz |
| 15% | 4.0 oz |
| 20% (fortified, such as port) | 3.0 oz |
So a "standard" 5 oz glass is a little more than one standard drink for most reds, which are often 13.5% to 15%.
How many standard drinks are in a bottle of wine, by ABV?
A standard wine bottle is 750 ml, about 25.4 U.S. fl oz.
| Bottle | 11% ABV | 12% ABV | 13% ABV | 14% ABV | 15% ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 187 ml split | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| 375 ml half bottle | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 3.2 |
| 750 ml bottle | 4.6 | 5.1 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 6.3 |
| 1.5 L magnum | 9.3 | 10.1 | 11.0 | 11.8 | 12.7 |
| 3 L box | 18.6 | 20.3 | 22.0 | 23.7 | 25.4 |
Typical strengths vary by style. Many off-dry whites and sparkling wines sit around 11% to 12%, many dry whites and rosés around 12% to 13.5%, and many reds from warm regions around 13.5% to 15%. The label is always the best source.
If you track in UK units instead of U.S. standard drinks, see how many units are in a bottle of wine or a glass of prosecco.
How many standard drinks are in a glass of wine?
Glass size changes everything. The table below shows common pours.
| Pour | 12% ABV | 13% ABV | 14% ABV | 15% ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 oz | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 |
| 5 oz | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| 6 oz | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| 8 oz | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.0 |
| 9 oz (about a third of a bottle) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
A 9 oz pour, which is common at home in a large glass, can contain about two standard drinks. Two of those is close to a full bottle's worth of alcohol for many people's evenings.
How many glasses are in a bottle of wine?
A 750 ml bottle holds about five 5 oz glasses, four 6 oz glasses, or just under three 9 oz glasses. Restaurants often pour 5 or 6 oz. Large home glasses filled halfway can hold 8 oz or more.
The standard drink formula for wine
To check any wine:
standard drinks = ounces × ABV ÷ 0.6
Write the ABV as a decimal. For a 6 oz glass of 13.5% wine: 6 × 0.135 ÷ 0.6 = 1.35 standard drinks.
If you know the volume in millilitres:
standard drinks = millilitres × ABV × 0.789 ÷ 14
For a 750 ml bottle at 13.5%: 750 × 0.135 × 0.789 ÷ 14 = 5.7 standard drinks.
The standard drink calculator does this for you and accepts either ounces or millilitres.
Why wine is easy to undercount
Several things make wine harder to track than beer or spirits:
- No fixed serving. A can of beer has a printed size, but a glass of wine is whatever was poured.
- Topping up. When glasses are refilled before they are empty, it is hard to know how many pours you had.
- Large glasses. A big bowl makes a generous pour look small.
- Higher ABV. Many popular wines are 13.5% to 15%, not 12%.
- Shared bottles. Splitting a bottle evenly between two people is about 2.5 to 3 standard drinks each, which many people count as "a couple of glasses."
The *Dietary Guidelines for Americans* describe moderate drinking for adults who drink as up to one drink a day for women and up to two for men, in standard drinks. A single large glass of a 14% red can be close to two of those.
Tips for tracking wine accurately
- Measure your glass once. Pour 5 oz of water into your usual glass to see where the line falls.
- Count by bottle when sharing. Note how much of the bottle was gone and how many people shared it.
- Avoid top-ups. Finish a glass before refilling it, so each pour can be counted.
- Note the ABV. It is on every label and often varies more than people expect.
- Log as you go. A note at the time is more accurate than a guess the next day.
Alcohol Tracker° lets you log wine by pour size and ABV, then shows your daily and weekly standard drinks. You can [see Alcohol Tracker° for iPhone and Apple Watch](/), or use a printable alcohol diary if you prefer paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a glass of wine one standard drink?
Only if it is about 5 oz at 12% ABV. A 6 oz pour or a stronger wine is more than one standard drink, and a large home pour can be close to two.
Is a bottle of wine a day too much?
A 750 ml bottle contains about 5 to 6 U.S. standard drinks, which is well above the amounts the *Dietary Guidelines for Americans* describe as moderate. If you are concerned about your drinking, a healthcare professional can help.
How many standard drinks are in a bottle of red wine?
Most red wines are 13% to 15% ABV, so a 750 ml bottle contains about 5.5 to 6.3 standard drinks. Check the label for the exact strength.
How many standard drinks are in a bottle of champagne or prosecco?
Most sparkling wines are 11% to 12.5% ABV, so a 750 ml bottle contains about 4.6 to 5.3 standard drinks.
How many standard drinks are in a box of wine?
A 3 liter box holds four bottles' worth of wine. At 13% ABV that is about 22 standard drinks.
The quick answer
How many standard drinks are in a bottle of wine? About 5 at 12% ABV, about 5.7 at 13.5%, and about 6.3 at 15%. A standard drink of wine is 5 oz at 12%, so stronger wines and larger pours add up quickly. Check the label, measure your usual glass, and log each pour.
Sources: CDC standard drink sizes, NIAAA: What is a standard drink?, and Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Keep exploring
Use the calculator or continue with a related guide:
Put the guide into practice
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