Have you ever wondered how many grapes are in a bottle of wine?
Well, it all depends on the type of wine you’re drinking, but typically it’s around 600-800. However, some bottles contain up to 1200 grapes.
Harvesting grapes for a bottle of wine
Protecting a vineyard from birds, bees, deer, and other pests that enjoy poking into and picking off grapes takes a lot of work. But if you’re able to get around ten good clusters, you’d be able to make at least one bottle of wine (although the wine-making process is pretty laborious for such a small payoff).
As grapes are harvested in the fall, imperfect clusters get tossed to the side. And many high-end vineyards will pick off each grape and try to inspect them individually to ensure they’re in good shape and free of pests that might change the taste of a wine (such as ladybugs).
The number of grapes in a bottle of wine may vary
You can’t make good wine out of just any old grapes. For example, concord grapes often get sold to big corporations such as Welch’s for grape juice (the non-fermented kind).
Wine grapes need extra help and aren’t sold at grocery stores. But if you want to get a sense of how many grapes are in a bottle of wine, think of it this way – most bags of grapes at the grocery store have about 3 – 4 clusters inside. So it would take at least three bags to make just one bottle of wine.
So, if three bags of grapes costs you a few dollars, you know that wine you’re getting at the under $10 price point is probably not all that special (though it can still be tasty!).
Vineyard vines
A vineyard can produce anywhere from 2 to 10 tons of grapes per acre, depending on the farming methods they employ. For example, organic vineyards will produce close to 2 tons per acre.
According to VinePair (cited below): “The output level of a vineyard is where price and quality get determined. A vineyard that produces less grapes per acre results in grapes that are usually fuller in flavor and more concentrated, whereas a vineyard with a large output generally creates grapes whose juice is watery, which means it ultimately will take more grapes to create a flavorful wine.”
When we’re talking about grapes per bottle, we’re looking at around 700+ bottles per acre (or around half a million grapes).
So if you’re buying wine from a small estate, chances are they are producing far less wine and are typically charging more. Of course, if the vineyard had a famous brand name attached, you’re also paying for that. – WTF fun facts
Source: “How Many Grapes Are Inside Your Bottle Of Wine?” — VinePair