It can be difficult to know how much wine to buy for a party. While you know your guests better than anyone, it can be hard to guess how much people will drink, whether they prefer beer or wine, how long the party will last etc etc.

However, with a few simple rules, it is possible to devise a good estimate.

As a general rule, when offering wine and beer, it’s usual that around 60% of guests will consume wine and 40% beer. Obviously, if your crowd is under 20 or consists of the local rugby team, you may want to buy in more beer than wine.

As to the split between red and white wine, this is very much down to the guests attending. If you do not know people’s preferences then assume a 50/50 split. If you are hosting a summertime party, then more white wine is probably a…