Last Updated on March 23, 2024 by Lydia Martin
You don’t want your dinner party to lack your favorite bottles of wine, but you also don’t want to have too much, either.
To have enough for your guests, you must first know how many bottles are in a case of wine if you’re considering buying cases at the wine shop.
If knowing how many wine cases you’ll need to buy is your concern, we’ve prepared this ultimate guide today.
How Many Bottles Are Typically In A Case Of Wine?
A case of wine typically holds 12 bottles of wine. Each bottle is 750 ml, making nine liters of wine in a standard case.
Actually, a standard-sized bottle makes about five glasses of wine–5oz each. So, the standard size of a wine case makes around 60 wine glasses.
But the number of bottles in a case of wine varies depending on the crate size, bottle sizes, and shape. You’ll know more about this as we proceed.
Wine Crate Sizes & The Number Of Bottles They Hold
12-Bottle Wine Crate
Number of Bottles It Holds: 12 (750ml)
Average Dimensions: 19 1/2″L X 13″W X 7″H
Most Commonly Made By: Bordeaux Wineries
Additional Details: 12-bottle wine crates are designed to hold 12 bottles—with individual bottles having 750 ml.
Bordeaux Wineries, in particular, is known to offer this crate or case of wine. This crate usually has inserts that hold the wine carafes.
If you ask how many gallons are in a 12-bottle case of wine–this makes around nine liters or 2.3 gallons of wine.
24 1/2 Bottle Wine Crate
Number of Bottles It Holds: 24 (375ml)
Average Dimensions: 22″L X 10 1/2″W X 9″H
Most Commonly Made By: Bordeaux wineries
Additional Details: This type of crate is rare because most winemakers don’t produce 1/2 bottles yearly.
This means only a few dozen cases are made. This case of wine size holds 24 bottles in 375ml (each wine bottle).
The 24 1/2 bottle crate is tall and long but thinner than other types of crates. Also, the wooden inserts used in these are in sets of eight.
Some wine enthusiasts prefer buying wines in bulk, making this size an ideal option.
6-Bottle Wine Crate
Number of Bottles It Holds: 6 (standard size)
Average Dimensions: 13″L X 11″W X 7″H (may vary depending on the wine producers)
Most Commonly Made By: Californian, Italian, and Spanish wineries
Additional Details: A 6-bottle wooden crate is designed to hold six bottles of wine (750ml).
Spanish and Californian crates or cases are more modern looking than Italian ones, with an old-fashioned feel.
Regarding the volume, this crate size creates a total of 4.5 liters of wine, which can fill around 30 wine glasses.
6-Bottle Magnum Crate
Number of Bottles It Holds: 6 (magnum bottle size)
Average Dimensions: 15″L X 14″W X 9″H
Most Commonly Made By: Bordeaux Wineries
Additional Details: This wine case is made to hold six large bottles (1.5 liters per wine bottle), and the engraving is large enough to distinguish them from a regular 12-capacity crate.
Actually, only a few hundred of this size are made annually, making these wine cases incredibly rare.
“Winemakers tend to put their best bottlings—tête de cuvée, they call them—and the best vintages, wines they’re really truly proud of, they’ll put into a large format.”
— Joe Robitaille, Head Sommelier at NY’s Bar Boulud.
In some cases, it also holds 750ml bottles. This size also makes around 9 liters of wine. Typically, Champagne and sparkling wines are sold in magnum sizes [1].
6-Bottle Flat Wine Crate
Number of Bottles It Holds: 6 half wine bottles (375ml)
Average Dimensions: 20″L X 13″W X 4″H
Most Commonly Made By: Italian & Californian wineries
Additional Details: This case of wine holds six 375ml wine bottles. To give you an idea of how many glasses you can drink in this wine case, it’s around 15 to 60 glasses of red wine.
In most cases, Pinot Noir is sold in small or half bottles.
3-Bottle Wine Crate
Number of Bottles It Holds: 3
Average Dimensions: 14″L X 4″W X 4″H
Most Commonly Made By: Californian Wineries
Additional Details: 3-bottle cases hold three glass bottles of standard party wines. Also, this crate size is generally made for gift purposes.
It holds three but may also contain only two bottles of white/red wine. This crate size is ideal if you’re buying wine as a gift to your wine-lover friends.
The wine cost is also lower compared to other big crate sizes.
Single-Bottle Wine Crate
Number of Bottles It Holds: 1
Average Dimensions: varies according to the bottle’s shape and size
Most Commonly Made By: Italian Wineries
Additional Details: Single-bottle wine crates only hold one carafe, and the size varies depending on what’s inside. Here are the average dimensions:
- Single (750ml): 13″L X 4″ W X 4″H
- Magnum (1500ml): 15″L X 5″W X 5″H
- Double Magnum (3000ml): 19 1/2″L X 6″W X 6″H
- Imperial (6000ml): 21 1/2″L X 7″W X 7″H (These are gigantic bottles you usually see in the window of good quality wine stores.
Like three-bottle crates, this case of wine is usually for gifting purposes or ideal for drinkers displaying wines in their cellar.
Are Wine Cases In The US Always 12 Bottles?
In the US, a case of wine typically contains 12 bottles (750ml). Drinkers are buying in bulk in this particular size, which is widely available in many retailers and liquor shops.
Also, some drinkers buy wines in a mixed case, holding their wine preferences. The size of the case and the carafes inside varies, as well as the price points.
FAQs
How many cases of wine do I need for 100 guests?
How many cases of wine you’ll need for 100 guests depends on how much they’ll consume.
Assuming you’ll serve them one glass each, we can compute it this way:
One standard bottle (750ml) makes five glasses. So, 100 guests/ 5 glasses are 20 bottles of wine. 12 bottles make for one case, so you’ll need almost two cases of wine.
What are 4 bottles of wine called?
Four bottles are called Jeroboam or Double Magnum [2], equivalent to 3 liters or four standard wine bottles.
Is it cheaper to buy wine by the case?
Yes, it can be cheaper to buy wine by the case, as most retailers offer a 10-20% discount.
How much is a full case of wine?
A case of wine may range from $100 to $500, depending on the brand and the quality of the wine. How much a case cost also depends on how many cases and how many bottles you’ll buy.
To Sum It Up
In general, a case of wine contains 12 bottles in 750ml. This is standard and is widely available.
There are other crates or cases, and how many bottles they hold varies depending on the wine’s shape and size.
If you’re saving money, we suggest purchasing wine by the case since you can get discounts, unlike buying per bottle.
Also, you can purchase a mixed case with the wines of your choice.
References:
- https://qz.com/quartzy/1502512/large-format-bottles-are-the-biggest-thing-in-wine
- https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/7-things-you-need-to-know-wine-bottle-sizes
