A Guide to Wine Bottle Sizes
Wine bottle sizes and names are surprisingly varied! The vast majority of wines come in the regular 75cl or 750 ml bottle size, but it’s well worth knowing all the different wine bottle sizes available.
We’ve compiled everything you need to know about the many wine bottle sizes, the names, and the quantities contained in each wine bottle size, from a standard 750 ml to magnums, jerobaums and more!
Standard wine bottle size
When most people say “wine bottle”, they’re thinking of a standard wine bottle size. But how big is a bottle of wine in that “standard” size of 75cl?
The standard bottle of wine comes with 750 ml of liquid. This comes out to roughly 6 glasses of wine per bottle (at 125ml per glass). You can find out more about how many individual glasses are in a bottle of wine here.
Why 750 ml? There is no well-established reason that 750-ml bottles are the “standard”. Some believe it has to do with the old measure of 1/5 of a gallon, or even that it may be the maximum size a glass-blower could blow in one go!
Whatever the reason, the size was standardised in the 1970s. There are some notable exceptions, such as Vin Jaune from Jura which is sold in 62cl bottles.
Magnum, Jeroboam, etc: What are the other different wine bottle sizes?
Perhaps you’ve heard about Magnums, Jerobaums, Salmanazars … etc! Yes, some of there names are funny, but maybe you’re wondering how much wine each of these different bottles contain? This table below breaks that down.
| Bottle | Volume | # of 750ml Bottles | # of 175ml Glasses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half/Demi Standard Magnum Jeroboam Rehoboam Samlanaza Balthazar Nebuchadnezzar Melchior | 375 ml (.375 l) 1.500 ml (1.5 l) 3.000 ml (3 l) 4.500 ml (4.5 l) 6.000 ml (6 l) 9.000 ml (9 l) 12.000 ml (12 l) 15.000 ml (15 l) 18.000 ml (18 l) | 0.5 1 2 4 6 8 12 16 20 24 | 2.1 4.3 8.6 17.1 25.7 34.3 51.4 68.6 85.7 107.1 |
Half/demi bottle size: how much wine is in a half bottle?
A half or demi bottle is exactly half of the standard wine bottle size. It contains 375 ml of liquid, which is enough for three standard small glasses of wine (125 ml each). This can be a very practical wine bottle size for those who wouldn’t drink a whole bottle in one sitting, or if you wanted more than one type of wine. If you’re looking for half bottles, here are two we’d recommend.
£7.99
Magnum bottle size: how much wine is in a Magnum?
If you’re looking for a large wine bottle, you’ll probably want to consider a Magnum at first. This is the double-sized bottle that’s perfect for serving a few guests at a time, or for hosting a small dinner party! It means that all the guests will be drinking the same wine, as there can be slight bottle variation between any two bottles.
How big is a Magnum? How much wine in a Magnum? A Magnum-sized bottle of wine contains 1,500 ml or 1.5 litres of wine.
How many bottles in a Magnum? You get 2 standard-sized bottles of wine per Magnum bottle, which means up to 12 glasses of wine.
Note: The name of some Champagne bottle sizes differ from wine bottles, so you may be wondering how many bottles are in a Magnum of Champagne? In this case, a Magnum of Champagne is the same as a Magnum of wine: 1.5 litres of liquid, or the equivalent of two bottles of Champagne.
Larger formats such as Magnums have a lower air-to-liquid ratio, which slows the ageing process. This means magnums are an ideal size for cellaring wines.
If you’re looking for a Magnum for your next celebration here are two we’d recommend.
£29.95
£31.00
Jeroboam bottle size: how much wine is in a Jeroboam?
For those who are hosting a large party with 10 to 30 guests, the Jeroboam is the ideal bottle size to choose. It also makes a great centrepiece or talking point – these are very imposing bottles! This size is also known as a “Double Magnum”.
How big is a Jeroboam? How much wine is in a Jeroboam? A Jeroboam-sized bottle of wine contains 3,000 ml or 3 litres of wine.
How many bottles in a Jeroboam? You get 4 standard-sized bottles of wine per Jeroboam bottle, which means up to 24 glasses of wine.
A Jeroboam bottle is large enough to serve a lot of guests at once. If you’re planning a larger party with more than 15 or 20 guests, buy a couple of Jeroboams and you’ll have enough to last all night long.
Rehoboam bottle size: how much wine is in a Rehoboam?
The next size up is a Rehoboam, and anything of this size or above is very rare and generally only bottled for special purposes, rather than general sale. How much wine is in a Rehoboam? A Rehoboam-sized bottle of wine contains 4,500 ml or 4.5 litres of wine.
How many bottles in a Rehoboam? You get 6 standard-sized bottles of wine per Rehoboam bottle, which means up to 36 glasses. This size of a Rehoboam bottle is able to handle a decent-sized dinner party (up to 20 guests) on its own.
Methuselah/Imperial bottle size: how much wine is in a Methuselah?
For wine-tasting events with 40 to 70 people, you’ll definitely want a wine bottle of this size.
How much wine is in a Methuselah/how big is a Methuselah? A Methuselah-sized bottle of wine contains 6,000 ml or 6 litres of wine.
How many bottles in a Methuselah? You get 8 standard-sized bottles of wine per Methuselah bottle or 48 glasses of wine.
A wine bottle of this size is what we use for large-scale wine tastings. It’s large enough to give all of your guests a taste of the wine without running out.
Salmanazar bottle size: how much wine is in a Salmanazar?
By the time you reach a wine bottle of this size, you’re no longer buying wine at retail. This passes into “bulk buying”, and you’ll need a friend or two to help you pour it!
How big is a Salmanazar? A Salmanazar-sized bottle of wine contains 9,000 ml or 9 litres of wine.
How many bottles in a Salmanazar? You get 12 standard-sized bottles of wine per Salmanazar bottle or 72 glasses of wine.
This bottle contains the amount of wine you’d get in a case of standard-sized bottles, and we find that it’s more than enough for any large-scale event!
Balthazar bottle size: how much wine is in a Balthazar?
Definitely a big bottle size!
How big is a Balthazar? A Balthazar-sized bottle of wine contains 12,000 ml or 12 litres of wine.
How many bottles in a Balthazar? You get 16 standard-sized bottles of wine per Balthazar bottle or 96 glasses of wine.
Nebuchadnezzar bottle size: how much wine is in a Nebuchadnezzar?
How big is a Nebuchadnezzar? A Nebuchadnezzar-sized bottle of wine contains 15,000 ml or 15 litres of wine.
How many bottles in a Nebuchadnezzar? You get 20 standard-sized bottles of wine per Nebuchadnezzar bottle or 120 glasses of wine.
Melchior bottle size: how much wine is in a Melchior?
This bad boy is so big you won’t even be able to lift it!
How big is a Melchior? A Melchior-sized bottle of wine contains 18,000 ml or 18 litres of wine.
How many bottles in a Melchior? You get 24 standard-sized bottles of wine per Melchior bottle or 144 glasses of wine.
With 18 litres of liquid PLUS the weight of the glass, this bottle weighs close to 20 kilograms!
Champagne bottle sizes: how much wine is in different Champagne bottle sizes?
There are two additional extra-large sizes for champagne bottles:
Primat bottles hold 27 litres, or the equivalent of 36 standard bottles.
Melchizedek bottles hold 30 litres, or the equivalent of 40 standard bottles of champagne.
Got any questions for our Vintage Roots experts or perhaps you’re looking for some unique bottles for your next event? Don’t hesitate to be in touch with us!