Updated August 2026.
A standard case of still wine in the US is 12 bottles of 750 mL, which is 9 liters, or about 304 US fluid ounces. That is trade custom, not a federal law that every cardboard box must be a twelve. Some wines ship as six-packs, magnum sixes, or mixed splits. Count the bottles on the invoice.
Twelve × 750 mL = 9,000 mL. At 12% ABV, that case holds about 60 US standard drinks if you pour 5-ounce glasses.
Wine case conversions
| Pack | Bottles | Each | Total volume | US fl oz | 5 oz glasses (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard case | 12 | 750 mL | 9.0 L | 304 | 61 |
| Half-case / six-pack | 6 | 750 mL | 4.5 L | 152 | 30 |
| Magnum case (common) | 6 | 1.5 L | 9.0 L | 304 | 61 |
| Half-bottle case | 24 | 375 mL | 9.0 L | 304 | 61 |
| Split / piccolo case | 24 | 187 mL | 4.5 L | 152 | 30 |
| Imperial / 6 L (single) | 1 | 6 L | 6.0 L | 203 | 41 |
| Bag-in-box 3 L | 1 box | 3 L | 3.0 L | 101 | 20 |
| Bag-in-box 5 L | 1 box | 5 L | 5.0 L | 169 | 34 |
750 mL = 25.36 US fl oz, so twelve bottles = 304.3 oz. Five-ounce glasses: 304 ÷ 5 ≈ 61. NIAAA’s standard drink is 5 ounces of 12% wine; a 14% cabernet in the same glass is 1.17 drinks. The case count does not change. The ethanol does. See beer vs wine alcohol and alcohol in champagne.
Why “12” stuck
US wholesalers, importers, and most grocery pallets still price still wine by the 12 × 750 mL case. TTB’s wine standards of fill (27 CFR 4.72) authorize 750 mL and many other sizes; they do not order retailers to pack twelve. Europe often invoices by the six-bottle case. Club-pack “12 bottles” of mixed SKUs is a marketing bundle, not a bonded case.
Champagne and other sparkling wines also commonly ship 12 × 750 mL, with magnums in sixes. A 9-liter Champagne case is the same volume as still wine. Fortified wine (port, sherry) uses the same bottle counts with higher ABV — 17% is the NIAAA fortified-wine band.
What is not a case
A 24-can case of beer is a different product and a different ounce total (288 oz if they are 12-ounce cans). Do not convert a wine case to “a case of beer” by bottle count. Weight varies with glass thickness; this page is volume. For beer-case weight see how much a case of beer weighs.
Weight, splits, and restaurant cases
Twelve 750 mL glass bottles plus the carton commonly weigh 30–40 pounds. That is not a TTB figure; it is why backroom staff hate 4-case stacks. Splits for sparkling often ship 24 × 187 mL (still 4.5 L, not 9). Restaurant “cases” of on-tap box wine are 3 L bags, three to a box if the distributor packed them that way — ask. Mixed red/white 12-packs are still 12 bottles. For how those glasses drink, see how much wine to get drunk.
Weight, tax, and mixed packs
Glass weight varies. A 12 × 750 mL case often lands around 30–40 pounds shipping weight, but that is not a TTB figure and not this page’s job. Excise and sales tax are assessed on the wine, not on the word “case.” Club “build a case of 12” mixes SKUs; each bottle still contributes 25.4 ounces. A 3-liter box is four 750 mL bottles by volume, not a case.
If a restaurant sells wine by the glass from a 750 mL, five honest 5-ounce pours empty it. The sixth glass is either a short pour all night or a magnum. For how long an unopened bottle keeps, how long wine lasts unopened is a different FAQ.
Sources
- 750 mL × 12 = 9 L. 1 US fl oz = 29.5735 mL.
- NIAAA: 5 fl oz of 12% wine = one standard drink.
- TTB 27 CFR 4.72, wine standards of fill (750 mL authorized; case pack is commercial, not a fill rule).