Plan the wedding
How Much Wine Do You Need for a Wedding?
Work out how much wine, MCC and alternatives you need per guest, how corkage works at SA venues and how to choose estate wines.
Last checked: 5 October 2026
At a Winelands wedding, the wine is part of the experience, so running out is the last thing you want. Over-ordering wastes money, though. There's no exact formula, but published industry rules of thumb give you a sensible range. This guide shows the maths, how to split red, white, rosé and MCC by season, how corkage works and how to keep everyone safe getting home.
How we checked this
Quantities are based on published rules of thumb from The Knot (wedding alcohol calculator, updated 30 September 2025) and Hitched UK (wedding food and drink guide, 2020). We show ranges, not exact numbers, because every crowd drinks differently. Legal points come from the Western Cape Liquor Act 4 of 2008, the Western Cape Liquor Authority and Arrive Alive. Links are under Sources.
The rules of thumb
- One drink per guest per hour. The Knot quotes a bartending company's guidance: assume each guest has about one drink an hour, or about five over an evening. People drink more early on and slow down later.
- Five glasses of wine per bottle. The Knot counts a 750 ml bottle of wine as five 5-ounce (about 150 ml) servings.
- Six glasses of sparkling wine per bottle. The Knot counts six servings per 750 ml bottle. Hitched says six fairly large glasses, or up to eight flutes if you only part-fill them for a toast.
- Half a bottle per guest with the meal. Hitched's guidance is about half a bottle of wine per guest with the wedding meal, with more if your guests are particularly keen on wine.
- Split red and white roughly 50/50, The Knot says, adjusting for season and climate.
Bottles per guest by reception length (calculator)
Use these steps for adult guests who drink:
1. Drinks per guest = hours of reception × 1 (The Knot's rule). 2. Wine share = the proportion of those drinks you expect to be wine. At a wine farm with a wine-led bar, that might be most of them; with a full bar, beer and cocktails, much less. 3. Bottles of still wine = drinking guests × drinks per guest × wine share ÷ 5.
| Reception length | Drinks per guest | Bottles per drinking guest if wine is about half of drinks | Upper bound if nearly all drinks are wine |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | 3 | about 0.3 | about 0.6 |
| 4 hours | 4 | about 0.4 | about 0.8 |
| 5 hours | 5 | about 0.5 | about 1 |
| 6 hours | 6 | about 0.6 | about 1.2 |
Derived from The Knot's one-drink-per-guest-per-hour rule and five glasses per bottle. These are planning ranges, not guarantees.
Worked example: 100 guests, 90 of them drinking, at a five-hour reception where wine is the main drink. The range is roughly 45 bottles (half of drinks are wine) to 90 bottles (nearly all drinks are wine). Hitched's half-a-bottle-with-the-meal guide lands at around 45 to 50 bottles for dinner alone. A wine-loving Winelands crowd is likely to sit towards the upper end.
For the toast, add MCC (Méthode Cap Classique, South Africa's traditional-method sparkling wine) at about one bottle per six to eight guests, using The Knot's and Hitched's serving counts. The Knot notes that many guests prefer to toast with whatever they're already drinking, so you may not need a full glass for everyone.
Then adjust:
- More for long receptions, an after-party, hot days or a crowd that loves wine.
- Less for a lunch wedding (The Knot suggests scaling back by about 15%), many non-drinkers, or a big beer and cocktail offering.
- Ask the supplier about returns. Some wine suppliers take back unopened bottles; confirm this before you order.
Red, white, rosé and MCC split by season
The Knot says warmer weather calls for more white wine, beer, refreshing drinks and water, and fewer heavy reds. For the Cape, that translates into a practical starting point (our suggestion, not a rule):
| Season | Suggested lean |
|---|---|
| Summer (Dec–Feb) | More white, rosé and MCC; chill everything well; lighter reds |
| Autumn (Mar–May) | Close to an even red/white split; MCC for welcome drinks |
| Winter (Jun–Aug) | More red; fuller whites; MCC for the toast |
| Spring (Sep–Nov) | Even split, leaning white as it warms |
Taste the wines with your menu. If your venue is a wine estate, its team will know which of its wines work with the food and the season.
Corkage and buying from the host estate
Policies differ from venue to venue, so ask before you sign. In general:
- Some wine farm venues require you to buy their wines. This can be simpler, and you can often taste the wedding wines beforehand.
- Others allow your own wine for a corkage charge, a per-bottle fee for serving wine you bring in. Hitched describes it as a fee that can significantly increase the price of bringing your own drinks.
- Ask whether corkage covers MCC, and whether glassware, chilling and service staff are included.
- Ask about the bar. Who serves, when the bar closes, and whether the venue holds its own liquor licence.
- Check the price year. Wine list prices may rise before your wedding date.
We don't quote corkage or wine prices because they vary by venue and change every year. For the bigger budget picture, see our wine farm wedding cost guide. If you want full control over drinks, self-catering wedding venues in the Western Cape are worth a look. All-inclusive wedding packages in the Cape Winelands may bundle drinks, so compare what's in each package.
Selling drinks? If you plan a cash bar at a venue without its own liquor licence, the Western Cape Liquor Authority says a temporary licence is required for events where liquor will be sold, applied for at least 39 days before the event.
Non-alcoholic options
Plan these properly; they aren't an afterthought.
- Water everywhere, especially in summer. Still and sparkling at every table.
- Alcohol-free wine and MCC for the toast, so non-drinkers aren't left out.
- One or two mocktails. The Knot notes that mocktails have become very popular.
- Soft drinks, juices and iced tea, plus coffee and tea late in the evening.
- Food, especially if there's a long gap between the ceremony and dinner.
Responsible service and transport
- No alcohol for under-18s. Section 54 of the Western Cape Liquor Act says no person may sell, give or supply liquor to someone under 18. Brief your bar staff if young guests are attending.
- Look after guests who've had enough. Tell the bar team who to keep an eye on, and make water easy to get.
- Get everyone home safely. The legal limit under the National Road Traffic Act is 0.05 g of alcohol per 100 ml of blood for ordinary drivers, and 0.02 g for professional drivers (Arrive Alive). Book shuttles, encourage guests to stay nearby, and see our guide to wedding guest transport in the Winelands.
To find a venue, start with the best wine farm wedding venues in the Western Cape.
Frequently asked questions
How many bottles of wine do I need for 100 guests?
For a five-hour reception where wine is the main drink, published rules of thumb give a range of roughly 45 to 90 bottles of still wine for 90 drinking guests, plus about 13 to 17 bottles of MCC for the toast. Adjust for your crowd and the rest of the bar.
How many glasses are in a bottle of wine?
About five 150 ml glasses per 750 ml bottle, according to The Knot. Sparkling wine gives about six glasses, or up to eight part-filled toast flutes (Hitched).
What is corkage at a wedding venue?
A per-bottle fee some venues charge if you bring your own wine instead of buying theirs. Policies vary, and some wine farms don't allow outside wine at all, so ask before you sign.
Should we serve more white or red wine?
The Knot suggests a roughly even split, with more white and refreshing drinks in warm weather. In the Cape, lean white and rosé in summer and red in winter.
Do we need a liquor licence for our wedding?
Not if the venue holds its own licence and runs the bar. If you plan to sell drinks at an unlicensed venue, the Western Cape Liquor Authority says a temporary event licence is required. More answers are in our wine farm wedding FAQ.
Sources
All sources were checked on 5 October 2026.
- The Knot, "You Need This Wedding Alcohol Calculator to Stock Your Reception Bar" (updated 30 September 2025): https://www.theknot.com/content/how-to-stock-the-bar-at-your-wedding
- Hitched UK, "21 Wedding Food & Drink Questions Answered" (28 September 2020): https://www.hitched.co.uk/wedding-planning/organising-and-planning/how-many-glasses-in-a-bottle-of-prosecco/
- Western Cape Liquor Authority, Western Cape Liquor Act 4 of 2008 (section 54): https://www.wcla.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Western-Cape-Liquor-Act-2008.pdf
- Western Cape Liquor Authority, FAQs (event liquor licences): https://www.wcla.gov.za/faqs/
- Arrive Alive, "Drunk Driving and Road Safety" (National Road Traffic Act section 65 limits): https://www.arrivealive.mobi/drunk-driving-and-road-safety
Rates, guest numbers, and what is bookable change. Check the farm’s website before you commit.