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The short answer, the simple sum behind it, and what it means against the UK guidelines.
A standard 750ml bottle of wine contains roughly 9 to 11 UK units, depending on its strength. At the most common supermarket strength of 13% ABV, a bottle holds about 9.75 units — call it ten.
That single number surprises a lot of people, because the UK low-risk guideline is 14 units a week for adults. Below you'll find the exact figures by strength and glass size, the one-line sum that lets you work out any drink yourself, and what the official guidance actually says.
All figures are for a standard 750ml bottle. Find your wine's ABV on the label — it is the percentage printed near the volume.
| Strength (ABV) | Units per 750ml bottle | Typical wines at this strength |
|---|---|---|
| 11% | 8.3 units | Prosecco, Vinho Verde, German Riesling |
| 12% | 9.0 units | Many Champagnes, lighter whites, Beaujolais |
| 12.5% | 9.4 units | Sancerre, Chablis, everyday whites |
| 13% | 9.8 units | The most common supermarket strength |
| 13.5% | 10.1 units | Rioja, Chianti, many mid-weight reds |
| 14% | 10.5 units | Malbec, Shiraz, warm-climate reds |
| 14.5% | 10.9 units | Barossa Shiraz, Californian Cabernet |
| 15% | 11.3 units | Amarone, Zinfandel, the fullest reds |
So the honest headline is that one bottle of wine is about ten units — and a bottle of a big, warm-climate red is meaningfully more than a bottle of Prosecco.
Most people drink by the glass, and UK pubs and restaurants pour three standard sizes. At 13% ABV:
| Glass | Units at 12% ABV | Units at 13% ABV | Units at 14% ABV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (125ml) | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.8 |
| Medium (175ml) | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Large (250ml) | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
Two things worth noticing. A large 250ml glass is a third of a bottle, so three of them empty it. And there is no such thing as a “one unit” glass of wine at modern strengths — even the small 125ml pour is over one and a half units.
You never need a table if you remember one line. A UK unit is 10ml of pure alcohol, so:
Units = (ABV × volume in ml) ÷ 1,000
A 175ml glass of 13% wine is (13 × 175) ÷ 1,000 = 2.3 units. A 750ml bottle of 13.5% is (13.5 × 750) ÷ 1,000 = 10.1 units. The same sum works for beer, spirits and everything else — it is the definition, not an approximation.
A shortcut for wine specifically: units in a bottle ≈ ABV × 0.75. A 14% wine is 14 × 0.75 = 10.5 units. Once you've done it twice you'll do it in your head at the shelf.
The UK Chief Medical Officers' low-risk drinking guidelines advise that both men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week. The guidance adds that if you do drink as much as 14 units, it is better to spread it over three or more days rather than concentrating it, and that having several drink-free days is a good way to cut down.
Set against the numbers above, 14 units is roughly:
This is guidance about lower risk, not a target to reach, and it is written for adults of legal drinking age. If you have any concerns about your drinking, the NHS and Drinkaware both publish free, confidential advice — that is the right place to look, not a wine site.
Not every bottle is 750ml, and fortified wines change the maths considerably.
Strength has crept up over the decades in many regions, so a red that would once have been 12.5% may now be 14.5%. Checking the ABV on the label is the only reliable way to know what is in front of you — and it is one of the more useful things to read there, alongside everything else our guide to reading a wine label decodes.
Alcohol is the main driver of both units and calories in wine, which is why the two track each other closely: a stronger wine is both more units and more calories per glass. If it is the calorie side you're after, our wine calories calculator works it out by wine type and glass size.
Lower-strength wines are a genuinely easy lever if you want the same glass for fewer units. Many German Rieslings sit well below 11%, Prosecco is usually around 11%, and Moscato d'Asti is lower still — all while tasting like a full drink rather than a compromise. Sweetness and strength are separate dials, which our wine sweetness chart untangles.
FAQ
About 9 to 11 units, depending on strength. A 13% ABV bottle contains 9.8 units and a 14% bottle contains 10.5, so roughly ten units is a fair rule of thumb for a standard bottle.
A large 250ml glass of 13% wine is about 3.3 units — a third of a bottle. A medium 175ml glass is about 2.3 units and a small 125ml glass about 1.6 units at the same strength.
Multiply the ABV percentage by the volume in millilitres and divide by 1,000. So a 175ml glass of 13% wine is (13 × 175) ÷ 1,000 = 2.3 units. For a standard bottle, a quick shortcut is ABV × 0.75.
The UK Chief Medical Officers advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week, and a bottle of 13% wine is about 9.8 units — so one bottle a week sits below that guideline. The advice also suggests spreading drinking over three or more days and having drink-free days.
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