Key to Wine and Champagne Bottle Sizes

  
In Bottle Sizes...Bigger is Better
There are 13 different bottle sizes. The larger sized bottles are produced in less quantity than the standard size bottle, and are always worth more than just double the price of the regular size bottle. Champagne is most popular and common in using larger bottles. The magnum is a double sized bottle (1.5 liters) and is one of the best selling sized bottles for Champagne. Many California Cabernet Sauvignons, Red Bordeaux, and Red Burgundies are produced collected in these larger formats.

It is generally accepted that wine will age better - longer, more gracefully and uniformly in a large format bottle - hence their popularity with collectors. There is also great novelty and fun in opening and serving a large bottle. Often for special occasions, one will have all the quests sign the label of a large bottle as the labels are proportionately larger with the large bottles. See Rick's large format bottles, labels and large bottle feature in Wine Spectator Magazine.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1961 Imperial - Signed (Right)


Big Bottle Display at Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou -
St Julien Beychevelle, Bordeaux
The 13 Standard Bordeaux/California Bottle Sizes

 

SPLIT
Made only for Sparkling Wine.

187 ml.

1/4 of a standard bottle

HALF-BOTTLE

375 ml.

1/2 of a standard bottle

BOTTLE

750 ml.

1 standard bottle

MAGNUM1.5 litersEqual to 2 standard bottles.
DOUBLE MAGNUM3 litersEqual to 4 standard bottles.
JEROBOAM - This is what Champagne and Burgundy call their 3 liter bottles. Equal to 4 standard bottles.
REHOBOAMAbout 4.5 liters.Equal to 6 standard bottles.
JEROBOAM5 litersEqual to about 6 3/4 standard bottles.
IMPERIAL6 litersEqual to 8 standard bottles.
METHUSALEM - This is what they call an "Imperial" in Champagne and Burgundy.
SALMANAZER
This one is a case of wine in one bottle.

9 liters

12 standard bottles.

BALTHAZAR

12 liters.

Equal to 16 standard bottles.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR

12 to 16 liters

Depending on the country of origin this will be from 16 to 20 standard bottles. 

SOVERIGN

50 liters

67 standard bottles.

 
Display of range of bottles offered at Moet Chandon Champagne House in Epernay, Champagne, France
 
Horizontal Selection of 1981 Bordeaux and California large format bottles from Rick's Cellar
Not shown: 1981 Chateau Palmer, Lynch Bages, Ducru Beaucaillou, Cos' d_Estournel, Chateau Beaucatel and Silver Oak large format bottles.
 
Standard Champagne Bottle Sizes
Bottle NameBottle EquivalencyCapacity
Split
1/4 bottle
18.7 cl
Half
1/2 bottle
37.5 cl
Bottle
1 bottle
750 ml
Magnum
2 bottles
1.5 l
Jeroboam
4 bottles
3 l

Rehoboam

6 bottles

4.5 l
Methuselah
8 bottles
6 l
12 bottles
9 l
Balthazar
16 bottles
12 l
Nabuchadnezzar
20 bottles
15 l
 

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