How many units in a bottle of wine? By strength and glass
Short answer: a standard 750 ml bottle of wine contains between 9 and 11 UK units, depending on its strength: 9.0 units at 12%, 10.1 at 13.5% and 10.9 at 14.5%. That is 4 standard 175 ml glasses or 3 large 250 ml glasses. A bottle shared between two is 4 to 5 units each, about a third of the weekly guideline of 14 units, and a whole bottle is around 650 to 700 kcal.
Units in a bottle, by strength
The alcohol content of wine has crept up over the years. Many reds from warm regions are now 13.5% to 15%, far from the 12% often used in examples. To work out the units in any bottle: multiply the volume in ml by the ABV and divide by 1,000 (NHS).
| Strength (ABV) | Typical wine | UK units per 750 ml bottle |
|---|---|---|
| 11% | Prosecco, some light whites | 8.2 |
| 12% | Many whites and rosés | 9.0 |
| 12.5% | Sauvignon blanc, Pinot grigio | 9.4 |
| 13% | Many reds and whites | 9.8 |
| 13.5% | Rioja, Merlot, Chardonnay | 10.1 |
| 14% | Malbec, Shiraz | 10.5 |
| 14.5% | Zinfandel, some Australian reds | 10.9 |
| 15% | Amarone, some very ripe reds | 11.2 |
The difference between a 12% white and a 14.5% red is almost two units per bottle: the same as an extra glass.
Units per glass
| Glass | At 12% | At 13.5% | Glasses per bottle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small, 125 ml | 1.5 | 1.7 | 6 |
| Standard, 175 ml | 2.1 | 2.4 | about 4 |
| Large, 250 ml | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3 |
In pubs and restaurants, 175 ml is often the default, and 250 ml is “large”. A large glass is a third of a bottle. At home, glasses are often bigger still: it is easy to pour 250 ml without noticing. Pouring into a measuring jug once is an eye-opener.
Other formats
- Mini bottle (187 ml, 12%): 2.2 units, about the same as a standard glass.
- Magnum (1.5 litres, 13.5%): 20 units.
- Wine box (3 litres, 12%): 36 units, the equivalent of four bottles.
Wine boxes and large bottles make it particularly hard to keep track, because there is no visible “end of the bottle”.
What a bottle means for your week
The UK Chief Medical Officers advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days (NHS). In wine terms:
- 14 units is about one and a half bottles of 12% wine, or six standard glasses of 13% wine, across the whole week.
- Half a bottle every evening is about 32 to 35 units a week, more than double the guideline.
- A bottle on a Saturday night is 9 to 11 units in one evening, which counts as a heavy drinking session in itself.
In Ireland, the HSE uses standard drinks of 10 g of alcohol. A bottle of 12.5% wine is about 7.4 standard drinks, against low-risk weekly limits of 11 for women and 17 for men (HSE).
Calories in a bottle of wine
The NHS puts a 175 ml glass of 12% wine at up to 158 kcal, and notes that four bottles of 12% wine a month add up to up to 32,400 kcal a year (NHS). That puts a whole bottle at around 650 to 700 kcal, a little more for stronger or sweeter wines. Most of it comes from the alcohol.
How long a bottle stays in your system
Your liver clears roughly one unit an hour. A bottle of 13.5% wine takes around 10 hours for an average man and up to 14 hours for a smaller woman to clear completely. Finish a bottle at 11pm and you may well still have alcohol in your blood at breakfast. Our drink-by-drink table and our guide to driving the morning after go into the details.
To see the units in a specific drink, the ConsomAction database lists more than 240 drinks, including wine by the glass and champagne, and adds them to your blood alcohol estimate as you log them.
FAQ
How many units are in a bottle of wine?
Between 9 and 11 UK units for a standard 750 ml bottle: 9.0 at 12%, 10.1 at 13.5% and 10.9 at 14.5%.
How many units in a glass of wine?
A small 125 ml glass is 1.5 to 1.7 units, a standard 175 ml glass 2.1 to 2.4 units, and a large 250 ml glass 3.0 to 3.4 units, depending on strength.
How many glasses are in a bottle of wine?
Six small 125 ml glasses, about four standard 175 ml glasses, or three large 250 ml glasses.
Is a bottle of wine a week too much?
A bottle of 12% to 13.5% wine is 9 to 10 units, under the weekly guideline of 14 units if you drink nothing else. Drunk in one sitting, though, it is a heavy session, and it is better spread over several days with alcohol-free days in between.
Further reading
- How many units in a drink? UK alcohol units table
- How long does alcohol stay in your system? Drink-by-drink table
- Am I still over the limit the morning after?