When you’re dreaming about making your own wine, your first question is often “How many vines do I need?” There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, because yield depends on spacing, vine health, and the style of wine you’re making. But with a few rules of thumb and some simple calculations, you can size your vineyard to your ambitions.

Vine density: row spacing and vine spacing

Vine density is determined by the distance between rows and the distance between vines in a row. In Australia, common spacings are 2.5–3 m between rows and 1–1.5 m between vines. The number of vines per hectare (ha) is calculated as:

density (vines per ha) = 10,000 / (row spacing × vine spacing)

• At 3.0 m × 1.5 m spacing: 2,222 vines/ha
• At 2.5 m × 1.2 m spacing: 3,333 vines/ha
• 1 acre (0.4047 ha) at 3.0 × 1.5 spacing: ~900 vines

You can adjust your spacing if you want more or fewer vines per hectare. Narrower rows mean more vines but also require narrower tractors or an ATV.

Yield per vine: bottles per vine

A rough rule is that one vine produces one bottle of wine. In practice, yield ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 bottles per vine depending on variety, climate, and management. The formula is:

bottles = vines × bottles per vine

If each vine yields 1 kg of grapes and you get 700 L per tonne (for white wine), 1 vine ≈ 0.7 L of wine, or about one bottle. High-vigour vineyards can yield 2 kg per vine, while dry-grown vines may yield less.

Worked examples:

• Quarter acre (0.1 ha) with 2,500 vines/ha: 250 vines × 1 bottle/vine = 250 bottles (about 20 cases).
• Half acre (0.2 ha): 500 vines = 500 bottles – enough for yourself and a small club.
• One acre (0.4 ha): 1,000 vines = 1,000 bottles; commercial logic starts making sense.
• Three acres (1.2 ha): 3,000 vines = 3,000 bottles (250 dozen) – a genuine boutique scale.

Remember, vines take three years to produce commercial yields. In year 1, you’ll get little or no fruit; by year 3 or 4 you will reach your planned yield.

Other considerations

• Training system and trellis: Single wire vs. VSP vs. sprawling bush vines will influence vine spacing.
• Purpose: A hobby vineyard for home use can be smaller because you don’t need economies of scale.
• Water and soil: Dry sites or poor soils will lower yields; irrigated vines on good soil can yield more.
• Variety: Some grapes (e.g., shiraz) yield more than others (e.g., pinot noir) in the same conditions.

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Planning the number of vines you need to make your own wine is part art, part science. Start by deciding how much wine you want to make, then work backwards using typical yields and spacing. Remember to allow for a few years before full production, and don’t forget to design your vineyard with the right equipment in mind.

Links for further reading

For more help getting your vineyard off the ground, read these related guides:

• How much does it cost to set up a small vineyard?
• How much land do I need for a vineyard?
• Do I need irrigation for grapevines in Australia?
• Back toStarting a Small Vineyard(high-level overview)