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Wine is insanely popular worldwide, and it’s because it can be shipped from every corner of the earth to the other side of the planet safely. The creation of resistant, standardised glass bottles changed the world of wine forever, and now a bottle of wine is more than a container but a symbol and synonym for good times.
Before wine bottles became the official vessel to store and transport wine, producers shipped their wine in clay vessels. Wood barrels eventually replaced the heavy and fragile earthenware, and, thanks to the Industrial Revolution, glass wine bottles appeared sometime in the 17th century.
With wine bottles came new challenges. How big should they be? The dilemma resulted in what we now consider the classic wine bottle sizes, and although the standard 750ml bottle is the most used, others exist, and knowing about them pays off.
Types of Wine Bottles Explained
Below, you’ll find every historical wine bottle size with an explanation, its volume, standard bottle equivalents and the number of glasses each holds.
Piccolo (Quarter - Pony - Snipe - Split)
This small one-glass bottle is often used in Champagne and has become a norm for airlines and mini-bars in resorts worldwide. Although cute, this wine bottle size is not efficient, as the bottle can cost more than the wine inside.
Volume: 18.75cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 1/4
Servings: 1
Chopine
This rare bottle is ancient, as it goes back to France before the French Revolution when a Chopine was a standard measuring unit equivalent to a pint. Some producers in Bordeaux still use it, and it’s the region’s version of the single-serve size.
Volume: 25cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 1/3
Servings: 1 1/4
Half (Demi)
This bottle size is easier to comprehend, as it’s merely half a standard bottle. Demi is the French term for half. And although a few table wines are bottled in this unusual container, it is more popular for sweet wines.
Volume: 37.5cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 1/2
Servings: 3
Clavelin
This unique bottle contains three-fourths of a standard bottle and is unique to the region of Jura in France. Producers use the squat bottle for their vin jaune and some straw wines. You won’t find clavelin bottles anywhere else, not even in other French regions.
Volume: 62cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 3/4
Servings: 5
Bottle (Standard)
The standard 750ml bottle size was regulated worldwide as early as the 1970s. Still, people have yet to discover why this size became the norm. Experts agree these bottles were first used in Bordeaux, France, where winemakers use 225lt barriques. Each barrique is equivalent to 300 75cl bottles.
Volume: 75cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 1
Servings: 6
Magnum
Two standard bottles make a magnum. This trendy bottle size is relatively common, as it is ideal for larger dinner parties. Interestingly, a magnum is often pricier than two standard bottles of the same wine because the wine ages slower in magnums than in standard bottles, so it is more age worthy.
Volume: 150cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 2
Servings: 12
Jéroboam (Double Magnum)
Named after the first king of the Northern Kingdom, according to the bible. The famous double magnum is widely seen at weddings and other large dinner parties, as they are not as complicated to serve or as heavy as larger formats while still offering enough wine for a crowd.
Volume: 300cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 4
Servings: 24
Réhoboam
Réhobam bottles are named after the first king of separate Judea, according to the bible. Although this bottle was used in Champagne and Burgundy, it is no longer produced, as European Law doesn’t allow bottle sizes that don’t contain an even number of litres. The Réhoboam holds 4.5 litres.
Volume: 450cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 6
Servings: 36
Impériale
The Imperial bottle is a Bordeaux exclusive, equivalent to eight standard bottles or four magnums. Impériale bottles contain the same amount of wine as the Methuselah, which is common in Champagne and Burgundy.
Volume: 600cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 8
Servings: 48
Methuselah
Named after the biblical patriarch and the longest-lived man who ever lived, supposedly dying at the age of 969. They use this bottle in Champagne and Burgundy, where it’s often meant to store the wineries’ longest-lived wines.
Volume: 600cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 8
Servings: 48
Salmanazar
Named after the biblical Assyrian king, the Salmanazar was exclusive to Champagne, but now producers use it worldwide, even in the new world. A Salmanazar bottle holds the same amount as a typical case of wine.
Volume: 900cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 12
Servings: 72
Balthazar
Named after one of the three wise men, the Balthasar is equivalent to 16 standard bottles of wine or nearly 100 servings. Balthasar bottles, along with Jéroboams, are amongst the most popular mid-ranged large-format bottles.
Volume: 1200cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 16
Servings: 96
Nebuchadnezzar
Named after the biblical King of Babylon, the Nebuchadnezzar is an uncommon size that holds 20 bottles or 15 litres of wine. These bottles are often used as display bottles in wineries and fine restaurants.
Volume: 1500cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 20
Servings: 120
Melchior
Named after one of the three wise men, Melchior bottles are convenient as they hold the same amount of wine as two standard cases. Melchior bottles are somewhat popular in Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy. The bottle weighs around 45 kilos!
Volume: 1800cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 24
Servings: 136
Solomon
Named after the biblical King of Israel, this large-format bottle is the most common of the largest bottles on this list, although it is still rare. Traditionally, only Champagne producers use Solomon bottles for special public occasions and celebrations.
Volume: 2000cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 26.6
Servings: 156
Sovereign
The first known Sovereign bottle came out of Maison Taittinger’s cellar in Champagne in 1988. It was released to launch a large cruise ship, the Sovereign of the Seas. This bottle is still used in the naval industry to commemorate the launch of new liners.
Volume: 2625cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 35
Servings: 196
Primat
Named for the Latin term primas, meaning “noble”, this is the largest commercial wine bottle, although few of them are produced worldwide every year. Primat bottles are more than large bottles; they are a statement and are used for their wow factor. To serve large-format bottles, you need a special crane to lift and tilt the bottle.
Volume: 2700cl
Equivalent standard bottles: 36
Servings: 210
Now You Know
Although some bottle sizes are now rarely used, others are more popular than ever. Magnums and double magnums are a fun way to add flair to your dinner parties, and larger bottles are perfect for when entertaining crowds.
Some wine bottles are exclusive for a region, and are typical in Champagne, Burgundy or Bordeaux, but when it comes to wine, expect the unexpected. Producers in the new world are constantly looking for ways of keeping their customers excited, and large formats are a fantastic way to do it. What’s the most prominent wine bottle you’ve seen?