Posted by Brent Modzelewski on May 23, 2020
Why are wine bottles 750ml?
Full of hot air
(Bottle Series 2/3)
Long before manufacturing lines and factories existed, wine bottles were created by hand by artisan glassblowers.
These artisans did not have sophisticated equipment, so bottles needed to be formed quickly before the molten glass cooled.
The Standard wine bottle size was derived based on a single breath from a glass blower.
A glass blower's Tidal Volume, meaning, the amount of air that is inhaled/exhaled by a normal breath is 750ml.
Thus, the Standard wine bottle was born.
Today's wine bottles are no longer hand blown, but the 750ml volume of the Standard wine bottle still holds true.
Not helpful that bottles are measured in milliliters, while glasses are measured in fluid ounces.
For those keeping trying to do the math at home, the 750ml wine bottle equates to just over 25oz.
A proper pour of wine is 5oz, so each bottle can serve 5 glasses of wine.
There are a few bottles smaller than the Standard bottle, such as the Demi (1/2 bottle), the Piccolo (1/4 bottle) and the Jennie (2/3 bottle).
Piccolo bottles are often referred to as a Split or Pony.
Larger bottles like the 1.5L Magnum (double bottle) are very common.
Less common are 3L to 30L bottles.
Some bottle sizes have multiple names, or even overlapping names between the Bordeaux names versus Champagne names.
Fortunately, you don't need to memorize these crazy names, because you won't see these sizes on your everyday wine list.
* Most follow the Bordeaux naming convention. The bottle names are primarily named after biblical kings starting at the Jeroboam size bottle.
** The Primat/Goliath and Melchizedek/Midas are extremely rare and are only for Champagne and other sparkling wines.
| Volume | Equivalent | Name* | Alternate Name |
| 187.5 ml | 1/4 bottle | Piccolo | Split, Pony |
| 375 ml | 1/2 bottle | Demi | Half Bottle |
| 500 ml | 2/3 bottle | Jennie | (for Sauternes and Tokaji) |
| 750 ml | 1 bottle | Standard | |
| 1.5 liter | 2 bottles | Magnum | |
| 3.0 liter | 4 bottles | Double Magnum | Jeroboam in Champagne |
| 4.5 liter | 6 bottles | Jeroboam | Rehoboam in Champagne |
| 6.0 liter | 8 bottles | Imperial | Methuselah in Champagne |
| 9.0 liter | 12 bottles | Salmanazar | Mordechai |
| 12.0 liter | 16 bottles | Balthazar | |
| 15.0 liter | 20 bottles | Nebuchadnezzar | |
| 18.0 liter | 24 bottles | Solomon | Melchoir |
| 27.0 liter | 36 bottles | Primat** | Goliath** |
| 30.0 liter | 40 bottles | Melchizedek** | Midas** |
* Most follow the Bordeaux naming convention. The bottle names are primarily named after biblical kings starting at the Jeroboam size bottle.
** The Primat/Goliath and Melchizedek/Midas are extremely rare and are only for Champagne and other sparkling wines.
Wine Nerd Fact Information
Champagne and other sparkling wines go through a secondary in bottle fermentation.
Riddling is part of the Champagne bottle fermentation process, and consists of gradually tilting the bottles from a horizontal position to a neck down vertical position to bring the sediment into the neck.
Which, will be removed prior to installation of cork and cage.
Due to the increased bottle pressure during bottle fermentation and the need to riddle the bottles, winemakers prefer to use a Standard 750ml bottle for the sparkling wine process.
Once the Champagne or sparkling wine process has completed, it is transferred to larger format bottles.
The result is that sparkling wine loses some bubbles and character during the transferring process.
To get the most from a sparkling wine or Champagne, stick with the Standard 750ml bottle.
On the flip side, non-sparkling wines age better in Magnum and larger sizes, due to the reduced oxygen-to-wine volume ratio in the bottle.
Go ahead and age that 12L Balthazar wine, but don't forget you still need to lie it down to protect the cork.
Biblical naming references:
- Jeroboam was the First King of the Kingdom
- Rehoboam was the First King of Separate Judea
- Methuselah was the Oldest Man
- Salmanazar was the Assyrian King
- Balthazar was one of Three Wise Men
- Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon
- Solomon was the King of Israel
- Melchizedek was the King of Salem
Wine2Oh Recommended Wine
The Pinotage varietal is a hybrid of the Pinot Noir and the Cinsaut grapes.
Neethlingshof
The Owl Post Pinotage
This is full-bodied wine bursting with intense flavor and will pair nicely with a steak or game. Good value for about $25.
Disclaimers: We are not affiliated, sponsored or funded for this blog post. It is purely for the love of wine.
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