Calculating how much wine to purchase

[corinnesweeney]

Having a "90 yr old Birthday Celebration Open House for my Dad

Trying to calculate how much wine to purchase?

Details that might help in calculating:

2:00-5:00 PM Saturday in February

120 guests have accepted

Age range: 22-90 yrs (Only 20 people less than 40 years old)

Food- Butlered and self serve; bite size crab cakes, filet bites, shucked oysters, chicken salad, chopped salad, etc, desserts

Will have bartender:

Beverages: non-alcoholic cider punch, sodas, water, beer, wine red and white

Wine suggestions welcomed: was thinking Sauvignon Blanc for white, Shiraz? for red

[Lisa Shock]

The usual formula is to get one bottle of wine per person who will be drinking. Each standard bottle contains 4 of 5 glasses, depending on how people pour. And, if they pour for themselves they tend to fill up glasses almost twice as full as a server would.

The rationale for the one bottle is as follows: one glass before dinner, two with dinner, and one afterwards. That, and some people will always drink more than others.

[docdix]

I agree with the formula above if wine is the only drink you will serve but based on your set up, I would allow for 4-6 persons to a bottle especially since you will be serving some cocktails and beer. Some of your guests will not mix drinks. As for the wine suggestions, IMHO a brut Champagne, Sparkling Wine or cava will work well with the oysters. Then either a Muscadet, Chenin Blanc or Sauv Blanc will work with the other seafoods you are serving (If you can find a sparkling Rose' even better. I had some the other week it's called Frou Frou sparkling Rose' from France, quite good and inexpensive). If you are not serving any heavy or rich meat or poultry, for variety, I think a Cote Du Rhone (Parallele 45 or a Jadot) or a merlot may work well with the lighter meat dishes like cold cuts or sausages.

Hope this helps.

[dougal]

Its entirely normal for UK merchants to offer "sale or return" for such events.

You get a 100% credit for whatever you bring back unopened.

(And you'd be looking for significant quantity discounts. Maybe even free glass hire too.)

Not the situation with you, wherever you are?