Right Bottle Sizes...Bigger (or Smaller) is Better
There is great novelty and fun in
opening and serving wine or Champagne from a large bottle. For parties, business dinners, special occasions, private dining, any gathering of a group, there is a bottle size to fit the occasion.
As mentioned in my last post, "Large format bottles serve festive celebration dinner", we're big fans of serving large format bottles for special occasions. As noted, our collection of large format bottles commemorating the birth years of each of our kids was the basis for our large bottle feature in Wine Spectator Magazine. Those bottles were a big hit and great fun as well as a tribute at our kid's weddings.
For a large gathering, besides the utility of not having to open so many bottles, a large bottle also affords another unique opportunity - its also fun to have all the quests sign the label of a large bottle as the labels are proportionately larger with the large bottles.
From my blog posting from a recent wine tasting (see Half Bottle Mania offers twice the tasting options), I chose half bottles that allowed for a more extensive tasting. While the fun of big bottles is evident, its not as widely known or practiced that opening half size bottles offers twice the number of tasting experience options in the same setting.
Opening small format bottles that evening allowed us to taste seven different wines instead of perhaps three had we opened regular or standard size bottles. You've no doubt see such small format bottles where they are used for single servings such as for individual consumption on airplanes or in hotel mini-bars.
Just this week, there was a news feature about Moët & Chandon unveiling a vending machine offering single serving wine bottles for swank shoppers at tony upscale department stores in London.
Bottle Shapes
For starters, there are different shape bottles for different wine types. The most common shape bottles are those associated with red wines from Bordeaux or California. These 'Bordeaux' bottles have straight sides and
tall shoulders (shown left).
Notably, many of the popular California wines from Napa and Sonoma are of the Bordeaux varietals, that being, made from grapes generally grown in Bordeaux and comprising Bordeaux wines - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. White wines using the same bottle shape are Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon.
Wines grown from grapes most common and popular in the Burgundy wine region of France are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Those wines are associated with bottles with gently sloping shoulders (shown right), often sturdy, heavy
bottles, with a slightly fatter girth than the Bordeaux style wine bottles.
For the most popular wine bottle shape, that associated with Bordeaux and Napa/Sonoma varietals, 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 or proportionately the price of the regular size bottle.
Many California Cabernet Sauvignons, Red Bordeaux, and Red Burgundies are produced and subsequently 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 another reason for their popularity with collectors.
I recall seeing several Nebuchadnezzars (12 to 16 liter bottles) and a couple Sovereigns (50 liter bottles) in one California wine producer's cellar for his personal collection as well as to serve their library (shown left).
Champagne has its own distinctive popular shape and also comes in its own range of sizes. The design of the Champagne bottle also has gently sloping shoulders. Because of the pressure inside a sparkling (bubbly) wine bottle (as much as 90 psi or three times the pressure in a car tire), they have thicker glass and have a deep 'punt' or indentation on the underside. Champagne is the most popular and most common in using small and larger bottles. The magnum is a double sized bottle (1.5 liters) and is one of the best selling sized bottles for Champagne. We've all seen the winner of a Formula One race spraying the crowd from a large format, Jeroboam (4 liter bottle) of Champagne. Or more likely, one has see the locker room scene of the World Series or NBA champions, spraying the room from magnums of Champagne.
So, for your next special occasion where you'll be serving wine, that being a gathering of one, or four or more, think to right-size the bottle to the occasion, seek out a large (or small) bottle for the utility, novelty and for fun.
 |
| Rick with Salmanazar served at daughter Erin's wedding |
As mentioned in my last post, "Large format bottles serve festive celebration dinner", we're big fans of serving large format bottles for special occasions. As noted, our collection of large format bottles commemorating the birth years of each of our kids was the basis for our large bottle feature in Wine Spectator Magazine. Those bottles were a big hit and great fun as well as a tribute at our kid's weddings.
For a large gathering, besides the utility of not having to open so many bottles, a large bottle also affords another unique opportunity - its also fun to have all the quests sign the label of a large bottle as the labels are proportionately larger with the large bottles.
 |
| Michelle & Sean - 6L Napa Cab for their rehearsal dinner |
From my blog posting from a recent wine tasting (see Half Bottle Mania offers twice the tasting options), I chose half bottles that allowed for a more extensive tasting. While the fun of big bottles is evident, its not as widely known or practiced that opening half size bottles offers twice the number of tasting experience options in the same setting.
Opening small format bottles that evening allowed us to taste seven different wines instead of perhaps three had we opened regular or standard size bottles. You've no doubt see such small format bottles where they are used for single servings such as for individual consumption on airplanes or in hotel mini-bars.
Just this week, there was a news feature about Moët & Chandon unveiling a vending machine offering single serving wine bottles for swank shoppers at tony upscale department stores in London.
Bottle Shapes
Notably, many of the popular California wines from Napa and Sonoma are of the Bordeaux varietals, that being, made from grapes generally grown in Bordeaux and comprising Bordeaux wines - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. White wines using the same bottle shape are Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon.
For the most popular wine bottle shape, that associated with Bordeaux and Napa/Sonoma varietals, 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 or proportionately the price of the regular size bottle. Many California Cabernet Sauvignons, Red Bordeaux, and Red Burgundies are produced and subsequently 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 another reason for their popularity with collectors.
I recall seeing several Nebuchadnezzars (12 to 16 liter bottles) and a couple Sovereigns (50 liter bottles) in one California wine producer's cellar for his personal collection as well as to serve their library (shown left).
 |
| Horizontal
Selection of 1981 Bordeaux and
California large format bottles from Rick's Cellar that were served at daugher Erin's wedding. Not shown: 1981 Chateau Palmer, Lynch Bages, Ducru Beaucaillou, Cos' d_Estournel, Chateau Beaucatel and Silver Oak large format bottles. |
| 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
|
| MAGNUM | 1.5 liters | Equal to 2 standard bottles. |
| DOUBLE MAGNUM | 3 liters | Equal to 4 standard bottles. |
| JEROBOAM - This is what Champagne and Burgundy call their 3 liter bottles. Equal to 4 standard bottles. | ||
| REHOBOAM | About 4.5 liters. | Equal to 6 standard bottles. |
| JEROBOAM | 5 liters | Equal to about 6 3/4 standard bottles. |
| IMPERIAL | 6 liters | Equal 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.
|
Champagne has its own distinctive popular shape and also comes in its own range of sizes. The design of the Champagne bottle also has gently sloping shoulders. Because of the pressure inside a sparkling (bubbly) wine bottle (as much as 90 psi or three times the pressure in a car tire), they have thicker glass and have a deep 'punt' or indentation on the underside. Champagne is the most popular and most common in using small and larger bottles. The magnum is a double sized bottle (1.5 liters) and is one of the best selling sized bottles for Champagne. We've all seen the winner of a Formula One race spraying the crowd from a large format, Jeroboam (4 liter bottle) of Champagne. Or more likely, one has see the locker room scene of the World Series or NBA champions, spraying the room from magnums of Champagne.
 |
Display of range of bottles offered at Moet Chandon Champagne House in Epernay, Champagne, France |
Standard Champagne Bottle Sizes
|
| Bottle Name | Bottle Equivalency | Capacity |
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
|
So, for your next special occasion where you'll be serving wine, that being a gathering of one, or four or more, think to right-size the bottle to the occasion, seek out a large (or small) bottle for the utility, novelty and for fun.
