2’s and 3’s of most wines so I can see how they evolve over a few years with a six pack of wines I really like or want to age longer. Six pack and case purchase of some daily drinkers.
Usually 2’s, based upon a rule fellow board member Mike Grammer imparted to me when I first got into this – you always want 2 bottles of any wine you buy because if you like it then you’ve got another one on hand and if you don’t you can exchange it. I’ll get a onesie if that is all I can get my hands on and I really want the wine.
With a truly exceptional sweet wine, I have on occasion gotten 4 or even six bottles but I will never go over that limit.
As I’ve gotten older, perversely, I want to try different things, so I tend to buy in smaller quantities especially for estates I don’t know. But I tend to ignore entire vintages – whether fair or unfair – if its not getting people excited. So I’ll buy more in vintages that look ageworthy, albeit across more producers.
Usually 3, sometimes 2 or 4 depending on price to keep in the 3 pack range. The last case I bought in years has been the 3 cases of the Patti Green Berserker Cuvee and before that Dacalier de la Terre. Sometimes a case of OR PG for my wife.
Used to buy cases of huet. And some Bordeaux. Not so much anymore
Also used to buy cases of daily drinkers for the summer, when I have lots of guests and go through tons of wine. Seemed convenient just to grab cases. Then I realized that that was the perfect opportunity to taste lots of different wines since, if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t be stuck with the rest of the bottle.
Too much out there to be buying by the case. I can buy a case from one producer or 3 bottles from 4 producers.
Mostly 1-3 bots purchased with an emphasis on pairs. Case maybe once a year, if that and usually Fred and Judy Scherrer OMV or Halcon.
I buy cases of stuff my wife drinks… usually cheaper in per btl cost, but stacks up a huge amount of space, and i can point to it and say “hey that’s all you sweetie”… 
Mostly 2s or 4s, sometimes 6s and rarely cases. I like variety and can depend on others’ notes to determine how long to cellar and when they are drinking well.
I just buy 2-4 bottles of a wine I really like. Not only does it save cash, but it prevents me from falling into the trap of having too many bottles that’ll take me a long time to finish.
For example, I knew a guy who gloated about his 1,500 bottle wine cellar. From the looks of it, it was all pretty good stuff, but very few were amazing. I know another guy who has about 150-200, but his wine is insanely great. Quality over quantity, as we joked half-jokingly.
It’s fun to look through some of the big cellars on CT that are publicly visible. Some of the 10k bottle cellars are like I would expect - 12 bottles here, 24 bottles there, and mostly fairly high end. Some are just a huge collection of small numbers. Some people buy from a bunch of lists, and may try to get a little of everything.
I used to buy six of most things, especially Bordeaux. Now I tend to buy three or four. I’m buying more Burgundy so there are more choices. I still occasionally buy a case or even 18 bottles of something. Usually those are wines that I like young and old.
At least a six pack.
Unless it is only being sold as less (a few Burgundies)
It all depends.
If I were to look back at the only the past couple of years then it is usually 3-6 bottles. Occasionally only 2 bottles of really high end stuff (e.g. 2012 Rousseau Chambertin).
But if there is a good deal, good producer etc etc then I might plunge buy a case (e.g. 2008 and 2010 G Conterno Cascina Francia, 2010 Elio Grasso CM and GC, 2004 Giacosa Falletto (backfill) 2007 Giacosa Rocche Falletto Red label).
Aside from wanting the occasional case discount, the idea of buying a case has always seemed arbitrary to me. Why 12 bottles? If standard cases contained 9 bottles, would anyone still buy the extra 3?
Exactly how I feel. It’s also a matter of economics for most wines I can’t afford to buy more then 3
Often six of wines I like. Very very rarely twelve. Two-three of wines I want to try or of Burgundies (only because in most cases you don’t get more). But recently I started to think I should make buys of six also very rare.
I still think a dozen is ideal for wine that benefit from ageing and have a long life cycle.
For a classed claret that would mean maybe opening one young (but maybe not) another after around 12 years, then one or so per year for the next decade. Obviously dependent on development.
I’d buy more cases, but most of the mailers I buy from don’t have allocations that large!!!
I almost never buy a case of a single wine. Most wines that I purchase for the cellar are quantities of 2-6 bottles. I don’t like singles if I’m aging the wine (although I have a few expensive ones), and more than 6 seems excessive. There’s too much other wine out there that I want, with limited space and funds.
Cases are great until they arrive and you need to store them. Echoing Doug above, 2-6 is the right number for me.