Wines for a romantic dinner for two

A romantic dinner at home usually starts with the menu, rarely with the quantities. For two people, though, the question comes up as soon as you shop: how much wine does a tête-à-tête call for, and in what bottle size? The guidelines below hold in any season, for any meal for two.

What a Standard Bottle Gives Two People

A standard bottle, the usual size for most still wines and for Champagne, holds 750 ml. Poured as 5-ounce glasses (about 150 ml), the standard US serving, it gives about five glasses, roughly two and a half each. For other bottle sizes, see our guide to glasses per bottle.

Over a whole dinner, that is enough, and nothing says you have to finish the bottle that night. Smaller pours and a meal that takes its time make it last. Whatever is left, recorked and kept cold, will do for another meal: our tips for saving an opened bottle explain how.

If you like to keep a spare bottle on hand, leave it closed: it will wait safely for another occasion, while an opened bottle keeps for a much shorter time.

Start With the Main Course Wine

The main course is the longest part of the meal, so its wine is the one to choose first, and it decides which bottle size you need.

Choose it for the dish rather than the occasion: a romantic dinner calls for no particular color or style. Grilled fish and a slow-cooked stew don't call for the same bottle, and the menu changes with the seasons.

Once that wine is settled, the rest of the meal is easier to plan. If neither the aperitif nor dessert calls for another wine, a 750 ml bottle is the simplest choice for two. If one of them does, consider half bottles instead.

Half Bottles: Switching Wines Without Pouring More

A half bottle usually holds 375 ml, half a standard bottle. Two half bottles add up to the same amount as one 750 ml bottle, so you can enjoy two wines over dinner without serving more wine overall.

The main course wine then comes in a half bottle, and so does the second one, poured with the aperitif or dessert. Two half bottles also let you try two wines, from two regions or in two colors, without opening two full bottles. Being smaller, a half bottle chills faster too.

Not every wine is sold in this size, so check each bottle's volume before planning the meal. When your main course wine only comes in a 750 ml bottle, go with it: whatever goes unpoured waits for another meal.

Dinner for Two: Common Wine Questions

Is a half bottle enough for a dinner for two?

For a dinner for two, a 375 ml half bottle pours about two and a half 5-ounce glasses, a little over one glass each. It works for a light meal or for one part of the dinner, such as the aperitif.

What bottle size works when one of you drinks little?

For a dinner for two where one of you drinks little, pick the bottle size before the wine: a half bottle may cover the whole meal. A 750 ml bottle can be recorked for another day. Keep cold water on the table too.

Which wine suits a marriage proposal?

For a marriage proposal, a bottle of bubbly, Champagne or crémant, suits the toast that follows the answer. Chill it ahead of time and keep two glasses out of sight, so all you have to do is open it. For two, a half bottle is enough to toast.

Where can you buy wine for a romantic dinner direct from the winemaker?

You can buy wine for a romantic dinner direct from the winemaker on Avenue des Vins. Every wine's page gives the name of its producer.

See also: A name, a wine - Gift boxes - Special wedding selection