How Many Ounces Are In Your Restaurant Wine Pour?

We've all probably watched a server oh-so-slowly pour out a skimpy-seeming glass of wine with a double-digit price tag and wondered how much wine, exactly, should be in a restaurant pour. Let's get this out of the way: if you're concerned about getting your money's worth you shouldn't order wine at a restaurant. Restaurant wine is an overpriced menu item that will always be marked up at least several hundred percent. That said, the right glass of wine can truly make a meal, especially if you're dining at a quality steakhouse that prioritizes wine pairings. Whether you're deciding if a tannin-rich glass of red to sip with your steak is worth the investment or simply keeping track of your alcohol intake, it's useful to know how much wine is in a standard restaurant wine pour.

Unlike pints of beer, there's no official standard measure for a glass of wine, which can lead to confusion and ambiguity. However, the generally accepted industry standard for a restaurant wine pour is around 5 ounces. The National Institutes of Health defines a standard drink as 5 ounces of table wine or 3 to 4 ounces of fortified wine (such as port wine).

Although alcohol by volume (ABV) varies, the National Institutes of Health considers 12% ABV standard for table wine, while 17% ABV is the norm for fortified wine. That means a 5-ounce glass of table wine or 3 to 4 ounces of fortified wine contains about 14 grams of alcohol, roughly the same as 12 ounces of beer or a shot of spirits — in other words, a 5-ounce pour of wine is the perfect portion to enjoy with a great meal. It's also the optimal amount to swirl around in your glass, take a dramatic sniff, and describe with delightfully snobby wine terms.

Although variation is inevitable, you can generally rest assured that you'll receive right around 5 ounces when you order a glass of wine at a restaurant. Servers are trained in pouring proper portions, and some restaurants even use specialized tools to help ensure consistent pours. Although it's easy to see the glass half empty when you're paying several bucks an ounce, we suggest taking the glass half full perspective and responsibly enjoying one of life's greatest pleasures: a delicious meal you didn't make beautifully paired with a great glass of wine. And if you're still having trouble swallowing the markup, keep in mind that it's almost always cheaper to order wine by the bottle at restaurants.