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How Much Wine to Get Drunk: Answered (2024 Updated)

how much wine to get drunk

Last Updated on February 23, 2024 by Lydia Martin

When having a good time, it can be challenging to avoid overindulging in wine.

Knowing how much wine to get drunk can help you avoid a nasty hangover the following day. In this blog post, we’ll talk about wine and your alcohol limit.  

How Much Wine Will Get You Tipsy or Drunk? 

Wine Bottle

An average person can get tipsy or drunk after 3 to 5 glasses of wine. However, alcohol consumption and tolerance can vary on different factors such as your body build and food consumption. 

Even your gender can affect your alcohol tolerance because women get drunk faster than men. Wines with very high alcohol content can also get you drunk faster than wines with lower alcohol.

Moreso, the rate of alcohol consumption should be considered because the faster you drink, the faster you get drunk. 

Read: History of Winemaking

Wine’s Alcohol Content  

The ABV varies depending on the fermentation process and type of wine. With this, alcohol concentration ranges from 10% to 14.5%. 

The alcohol by volume content of an alcoholic beverage can be found on its label. Thus, higher alcohol content means it has more alcohol concentration. 

Champagne and sparkling wine generally have lower ABV than red and white wine. However, red wine has a higher ABV than white wine, making you get drunk faster.

Low alcohol wines contain under 12.5% ABV, while moderately low alcohol wines contain 12.5% to 13.5%. On the other hand, high alcohol wines range from 13.5% to 14.5% ABV, while very high alcohol wines may contain up to 20% ABV. 

Measuring Wine Glasses & Bottle  

White wine on glass

A standard pour for average ABV wine is 5 oz, while those with higher ABV may only be 3 to 4 oz. The standard pour is half a wine glass, while a single bottle can hold 750ml (25 oz.) 

One bottle of wine can give you around 4 – 6 glasses, which means if you are going to drink alcohol, specifically wine, with friends, a bottle will not get you drunk. 

In an hour, women need two glasses of wine to be legally drunk, while men need three to four, depending on the weight. 

Find out how to open a bottle of wine with a lighter here.

Wine Glasses vs Body Weight Correlation Drinking Guide

Wine Glasses vs Body Weight Correlation Drunkenness Guide

Number of Wine Glass 100 lbs 150 lbs 200 lbs 250 lbs
1 0.08 0.06 0.04 0.03
2 0.16 0.12 0.08 0.06
3 0.24 0.18 0.12 0.09
4 0.32 0.26 0.16 0.10
5 0.40 0.32 0.20 0.13
6 0.48 0.38 0.24 0.16
7 0.56 0.44 0.28 0.19
8 0.64 0.50 0.32 0.22
9 0.72 0.53 0.36 0.25
10 0.80 0.59 0.40 0.28

How Many Glasses Will Get You Drunk? 

How Many Glasses Will Get You Drunk? 

Men

The alcohol tolerance of men is higher than women, and with this, men need three glasses of wine in an hour to get drunk. 

However, a man that weighs 150 lbs should drink four glasses of wine to get drunk, while a man who weighs 200 lbs needs six glasses to get drunk with wine. 

But what’s the best organic red wine today?

Women

Group of people drinking

One or two drinks can get an average woman drunk, but that may change depending on the person’s weight and lifestyle. 

Everybody has different alcohol tolerance, so sometimes, women can drink many glasses of wine while others get drunk after more than two glasses. ut does wine make you horny

7 Factors That Affect Intoxication 

7 Factors That Affect Intoxication 

1. Gender

An average woman becomes intoxicated faster than an average man because of the genes and body water content. A man’s body water content is higher by 10% than a woman’s, which helps dilute the blood alcohol content. 

Men have higher levels of gastric alcohol dehydrogenase, which improves the metabolism rate of a person. It means that before the alcohol hits the bloodstream, it is already metabolized, and few are left. 

Read: Recommended Napa Wine Clubs

2. Body Build

Muscle Chest

The person’s body build affects how much alcohol their body can take. One big reason someone gets easily intoxicated is their body mass index and body size. 

For instance, a person with higher body fat or body weight has slower reaction times on alcohol absorption than those average people. 

If you have a bigger body build, you can drink many glasses of wine and not get drunk easily because you may have high alcohol tolerance. 

3. Ethnicity

Based on the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, alcohol sensitivity is usual in East Asian individuals [1].

Your ethnicity can affect your alcohol tolerance because Asian genes have mutations that reduce the production of alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes. 

By this, your DNA prevents alcohol from breaking down properly in your body, resulting in a heightened physical reaction. 

If you love drinking wine and are non-Asian, you surely have higher metabolic tolerance.  

4. Food Consumption

Healthy Food

If you are drinking wine on an empty stomach, the alcohol will hit your bloodstream faster, so make sure to eat a full meal before drinking a glass of wine. Also, eating before you drink alcohol can prevent an upset stomach. 

If you had a heavy meal before drinking, the liquor would have a smaller impact, and you will need many glasses of wine to get drunk. But how can you open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew?  

5. Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation can affect your alcohol tolerance. Based on Oxford Academic Journal, sleep deprivation for 24 hours before alcohol exposure eliminates the development of functional tolerance [2]. 

Lack of sleep can be exhausting, and there’s a chance that you can get drunk in just one glass. But does wine make you sleepy?

6. Overall Health & Medication Status

Apple Watch Health Recording

A person’s pre-existing medical condition and overall health may affect how the body reacts to alcohol consumption. 

If you are on any medications, it would be safe to ask your doctor before drinking even one glass of wine. Medicines and alcohol can be a bad combination and may ruin your health. 

7. Drinking Experience

There’s an old saying, “practice makes perfect,” which can be relatable and timely for people who want to increase alcohol tolerance, regardless of genes and BMI. 

If your body gets used to drinking red wines almost daily, it will process the liquor quicker.

Constant exposure to alcohol will increase your tolerance, so if it is your first time drinking, one and a half glasses can surely make you drunk.

However, remember to drink responsibly because intense alcohol tolerance can result in adverse effects and health risks. 

Read:

4 Ways To Drink Wine Without Getting Drunk

4 Ways To Drink Wine Without Getting Drunk

1. Eat & Hydrate

If you don’t want to get intoxicated easily, eat food with high protein and fat. The food in your stomach will metabolize before your blood alcohol concentration rises. In the same way, staying hydrated will help dilute the alcohol. 

Fun Fact: In the US, 0.08% blood alcohol concentration is the legal limit for drivers [3], so if you drink a single glass of wine and are 100lbs, you are considered legally drunk.

2. Pace Yourself

pouring wine on glass

We may have different reasons why we drink wine but getting drunk depends on how much red wine you consume in an hour. Instead of drinking the liquor quickly, sip it slowly because if you drink it faster, you may get more. 

How much wine does it take to get drunk? You can get intoxicated by drinking two glasses in an hour, so keep your alcohol levels low by pacing yourself. But what’s the most popular wine for no hangover?

3. Get Some Fresh Air

You may think that getting some fresh air is just an escape not to drink the next glass of wine- for once, it can be. 

However, did you know fresh air helps you not get drunk easily? 

When we drink wine, our bodies warm up, sweat out the liquids in our bodies, and make our stomachs concentrate with alcohol. Getting fresh air will cool you down and help you sober up. That’s not magic; it’s science. 

4. Stick To Wines With Lower ABV

Holding a bottle of wine

The same amount of alcohol will get you drunk, especially if it contains high ABV, so stick with lower ABV. 

Different wine types with lower ABV, such as Moscato d’Asti and Prosecco, can help you stay sober longer than higher ABV, plus it is easy and enjoyable to drink. 

Read: How Much is Firstleaf Wine Club?

FAQs

Why do wines get you easily drunk?

Wine can get you easily drunk because of its alcohol content, consumption, and pacing. Unlike other liquors, fortified wines can be easy to consume, even with higher ABV.  

What’s it like being wine-drunk?

When you are wine-drunk, you feel warm, relaxed, and cozy. However, some feel tipsy, dizzy, and chatty when they are wine-drunk. When your BAC reaches 0.09, your emotions are heightened and sometimes may result in poor judgment and a higher pain threshold. 

Final Verdict 

It will take an average man at least three to five glasses of wine to get drunk, while an average woman needs two to three glasses to get intoxicated. 

However, the alcohol tolerance of a person varies because of certain factors such as gender, body build, ethnicity, and lifestyle. 

Men have a higher tolerance than women because of their body build and DNA. Also, the ABV, pacing, and consumption affect a person’s intoxication.

Always remember to drink responsibly!  

References:

  1. https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/12634/acute-alcohol-sensitivity#ref_9183 
  2. https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/40/suppl_1/A27/3780960 
  3. https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/blood-alcohol-level/#
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