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A bushel of wine, a peck of wine, a case of wine? How many words do we have to describe different quantities of wine? Which ones do we need for managing a restaurant or bar?
You don't want to order too much or too little for the bar. From the wine lists for a wine bar business to the wine cellar of a country club, the right amount of wine is paramount.
There is the expectation that a good bar owner understands the quantities involved when purchasing supplies. Unfortunately, wholesalers (see: what is wholesale) may not adequately explain the differences between products and quantities. So if you have questions like "How much does a case of wine weigh" and other similar ones, we are here in this BinWise blog post to answer them.
We'll walk you through the most important facts about cases of wine and get you back to ordering and managing your wine collection and restaurant.
How Many Bottles In a Case of Wine?
There are 12 750 ml bottles of wine in a standard case of wine. This adds up to a total of 9 liters of wine per case. That's equivalent to 60 servings of wine, assuming you adhere to the standard wine pour of 5 ounces with wine portion control in mind. That pour can also keep the work streamlined and maintain the bar profit margin. It's all part of honing how to increase restaurant sales.
750 ml is one of the most common liquor bottle sizes and is likely what you will order from a wholesaler. However, there are different wine bottle sizes that are used depending on the wine and vineyard involved. You should always check with the seller, because you may also want to order other sizes of wine bottles in the future.
How Much Is a Case of Wine? Case of Wine Cost
A case of wine costs anywhere from $100 to $500 depending on the quality of wine you're purchasing. Good quality wines are usually between $15 and $25 per bottle wholesale. Expect a case to be between $150 and $250. This is the average spend, but you should know your business and customers and adjust as needed. Find more on the topic in our article on average price of wine.
Cheaper value wines can come in at around $10 per bottle. This is a great choice for large parties, for bars that offer low-cost drinks for happy hour, or to go on a well drinks list. The higher quality bottles of wine come in at $50+, so buying in bulk is costly but will save money in the long run.
How Much Does a Case of Wine Weigh?
The average case of wine weighs between 30 and 40 lbs or 14.25 to 19 kg. Since there are 12 bottles of wine in a case, we can estimate the total weight based off of a single bottle's weight. The standard 750 ml bottle of wine weighs an average of 2.65 pounds (1.2 kg).
You should also consider the extra weight added by the packaging itself. Some wholesalers offer free shipping if you order a certain amount. Still, if you order in smaller quantities you'll find that the shipping cost varies based on the weight. Err on the side of caution and assume the case weighs a bit more than the sum of the bottles. This will ensure you don't mistakenly order more than you can afford.
How Many Cases of Wine in a Barrel?
There are about 25 cases of wine in one barrel. The standard wine barrel is 60 gallons and can fill 300 standard 750 ml bottles. That's equivalent to a total of 1,500 glasses of wine.
Bottle sizes may be different for different varietals. If a winery uses another bottle size, this will change the cases produced. A pinot noir is unlikely to be in a large bottle while a champagne might be. Plan for these numbers to change based on the wine you're looking for.
Larger bottles are often used for small-batch vintages and for the highest-end wines. Magnum bottles are 1.5 liters, so a barrel would only produce 12-and-a-half cases of wine. Jeroboam and Rehoboam bottles are so large that a barrel would only produce 5 to 6 cases.
How Many Gallons in a Case of Wine?
There are 2.378 gallons of wine in a case. All wines are generally measured in metric units, not imperial. You should expect to see, and learn to understand, volume in liters. It is highly unlikely to see wine listed in gallons anywhere. However, if the gallon measurement is important to you, you'll have to calculate that yourself.
Converting these units can be confusing, but we'll run you through the math. Since there are 12 750 ml bottles in a case, we know that it is a total of 9 liters. To convert liters to gallons, you divide the volume in liters by 3.785. This leaves you with 2.378 gallons of wine in a case.
How Many Cases of Wine in a Pallet?
There is an average of 56 cases of wine in a pallet. That's a whopping 672 average 750ml bottles in a single pallet. It's also more than two full barrels of wine. You could even fill 3,375 wine glasses with that amount of wine.
If you order that much wine in one go, it's important that you have a large enough wine cellar to store it all. Make sure you maintain the correct wine storage temperature and utilize the proper wine cellar lighting. You don't want to have 600+ bottles of wine go bad on you and eat up your bottom line. A wine cellar app helps.
"Key Takeaway: Learning about what a case of wine is and everything it means for you in a restaurant or bar business gives you more control over your inventory and customer experience management."
Frequently Asked Questions About Wine Cases
Learning about what a case of wine is and everything it means for you in a restaurant or bar business gives you more control over your inventory and customer experience management. Our answers to these frequently asked questions will give you even more insight into wine cases and general wine quantities and wine ordering.
Is a Case of Wine 6 or 12?
A standard case of wine contains 12 bottles of wine. This question comes up because often, in stores, customers will be sold 6 bottles of wine for a discounted price. That discount ends up being around a half-case price, if not a little more expensive. A full case is one of the most cost-efficient ways to buy wine.
What Is a 12-Pack of Wine Called?
A 12-pack of wine is called a case of wine. When you dive into this question online, you’ll find sources telling you it is also often called a Salmanazar. A Salmanazar is the equivalent of 12 bottles of wine, but it isn’t a case of wine. It is, in fact, a bottle of wine measuring 9 liters, which equals out to 12 bottles of wine.
How Much Does a Case of Wine Sell For?
A case of wine sells for anywhere between $100 and $500 depending on the type of wine. Most cases of wine average between $100 and $250. There are, however, a great deal of high-quality, high-priced wines in the world that get into the $300 to $500 per case price range.
How Much Wine Do I Need For 100 Guests?
To serve 100 guests, you should have four cases of wine at the ready. That equals out to 48 bottles, giving you wiggle room. Overall, when you’re ordering wine and thinking about the number of customers you’ll be serving, having a little more wine than you think you need will serve you well.
What are Wine Drinkers Called?
Wine drinkers are called all number of things, from wine lovers to sommeliers. An oenophile is another name for a wine drinker. An oenophile is, technically, a lover of wine or a wine connoisseur. Overall, there are many names for people who love to enjoy wine and experience all sorts of different varieties of wine.
Wine Case Closed
There are a lot of complex, moving parts to running a bar (like all that restaurant slang!), but ordering wine shouldn't have to be difficult. Knowing the difference between a case, pallet, and barrel of wine will ensure you make the right purchasing decisions.
From celebrating National Pinot Grigio Day and National Wine Day in 2023 to any standard restaurant night, it’s best to always be prepared with house wines and everything else.
Any bartender or owner worth their salt should put in the effort to learn as much about the business as possible. Mastering wine quantities, keg sizes, how to free pour, how to clean a wine decanter, and other skills will keep you ahead of the competition.
Keeping a bar running is hard work but pays dividends when done correctly. You should also invest in a good wine tracker to get the most out of those cases of wine. Inventory program support from the BinWise Pro program, paired with the BinScan mobile app, can also help as well.