Culture · private view
Wine for a gallery opening: one white, small glasses, and no red near the art
A private view means 80 guests over two hours, standing among the works, holding a glass more than drinking one. A single well-chosen white wine makes more of an impression than an ordinary champagne, for less money. Allow 36 bottles of white, six cases, and only about thirty if you serve small glasses as most galleries do.
The calculation for your private view
Set for 80 guests over two hours, 75% taking a glass: at a private view, many come in, look, and leave without drinking. All dry white. The calculator counts 12 cl glasses; the next section says what to do if you pour smaller.
What a gallery does differently
Three gallery habits affect the calculation and the choice of wine.
The small glass
Galleries pour 8 to 10 cl: people hold their glass while looking, they don't empty it. At 10 cl, a bottle gives seven glasses instead of six.
The comings and goings
A private view does not have 80 people for two hours; it has thirty at a time, taking turns. Enter the number expected over the whole evening, not the room's capacity.
No red near the art
A glass of red spilt on a white wall, a pale wooden floor or a work on paper costs more than all the wine of the evening. White, possibly a rosé, nothing else.
In 10 cl glasses, the 60 drinkers at three glasses each need 26 bottles before rounding instead of 30: 30 in cases instead of 36. If your door opens onto the street and passers-by come in, keep 36. The number of glasses per bottle by glass size is on the glasses per bottle page.
Elegance per euro
This is the real subject of a private view. The budget is tight, the gallery or the artist is paying, and the wine says something about the place. Per glass served, a great white costs as much as an everyday champagne, and it gets noticed more:
| Choice | The bottle | The 10 cl glass | 36 bottles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decent dry white Bordeaux | €8 | €1.14 | €288 |
| Good-level white Bordeaux, Graves or Entre-deux-Mers | €14 | €2 | €504 |
| Great white Pessac-Léognan | €32 | €4.57 | €1,152 |
| Everyday champagne | €32 | €4.57 | €1,152 |
Prices incl. VAT per bottle, the calculator's ranges, seven 10 cl glasses per bottle counting the dregs. For the price of barely sixteen bottles of champagne, you serve a good-level white all evening. The whites available are on the Graves and Pessac-Léognan pages.
How many bottles for a private view of 80 people?
36 bottles of white, or six cases, for 60 drinkers over two hours: two 12 cl glasses in the first hour, one in the second, 30 bottles before rounding and an 8% margin. In 10 cl glasses, 30 bottles are enough. Under 45 guests, the total drops below 18 bottles and you don't need us: a local wine shop will do the job very well.
Which white wine to serve at a private view?
A dry white Bordeaux of sauvignon and sémillon, one to three years old, served at 8–10 °C: a Graves or an Entre-deux-Mers at the “good” level, a Pessac-Léognan if the exhibition deserves it. One wine for the whole evening: service is simpler and the choice comes across more clearly.
Do you need champagne at a private view?
Not for the whole evening: for the same price, a great white makes more of an impression. For the artist's speech, one case is enough: six bottles, seven flutes each, 42 flutes for close friends and collectors. Champagne supplied; crémant on request for a tighter budget.
How much does the wine for a private view cost?
For 80 guests: €288 for a decent white, or €3.60 per guest, €504 at the “good” level, €6.30, and €1,152 for a great white, €14.40. If the gallery invoices as a company, VAT on wine for a business reception is as a general rule deductible; your accountant has the final word.
Private view mistakes
- Serving red. One stain on a borrowed work or a freshly painted wall, and the year's wine budget goes on repairs.
- Filling glasses to the brim. A full glass gets spilt in the crowd and drunk faster. Pour 10 cl into a stemmed glass of at least 20 cl.
- Relying on the gallery fridge. A small office fridge takes half a dozen bottles, not thirty-six. A tub of water, ice and salt brings the white down to 8 °C in twenty minutes: the count of tubs and ice is on the chilling 50 bottles page.
- Plastic cups. In a place where everything is chosen, a plastic cup stands out. Hire glasses: 80 plus 5% for breakages, 84 glasses.
Opening a shop or offices rather than an exhibition? The opening page starts from sparkling. For your private view: ask for a quote, reply within 48 working hours.