Cheat Sheet to Wine Bottle Sizes

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Cheat Sheet to Wine Bottle Sizes

Sometimes, having the perfect bottle for the occasion isn’t just about the wine inside. There’s the most common “Standard” size (750 ml), but a big party calls for a bigger bottle, while a small bottle is ideal for a weekday dinner. Each bottle size, or “format” as they’re sometimes called, has its own name. And, as you’d expect for an industry as old and traditional as wine, the names are unique…to say the least!

Here’s a quick list of the names for each wine bottle size, including liter amounts, number of glasses and pronunciation guides. (Please note, for the number of pours per glass, we use the industry standard of 4 oz. below, so please adjust if you will be pouring more or less per guest.)

The Names of Each Wine Bottle Size

Split (or “Piccolo”) 187.5 ml 
This mini-bottle size holds enough for one glass of wine.

Half Bottle (or “Demi”) 375 ml 
This small bottle is half the size of the standard bottle of wine. Providing about three glasses of wine, it’s perfect for a dinner for two.

Half-Liter Bottle (or “Jennie”) 500 ml 
This small bottle is half the size of the rarer 1-liter format. It’s common for sweet wines, which are typically poured in smaller amounts and last longer than dry wines.

Standard 750 ml 
As the name suggests, this is the most common bottle size and comes in many different shapes (broad-shouldered Bordeaux bottles, squat Burgundy bottles, etc.).  It holds six glasses of wine, perfect for parties of two to four.

Liter 1 liter  
The name might be obvious, but it’s quite rare in the U.S. The bottle gives you eight glasses of wine and is a great choice for a small dinner party (three to five people).

Magnum 1.5 liters 
This big bottle is twice the size of the standard 750 ml bottle. Holding 12 glasses of wine, the big bottle allows everyone at the table to have a glass of the same wine. A favorite selection for dinner parties with five to eight people.

Double Magnum (or “Jeroboam”) 3 liters 
Now, things are getting serious. This heavy, outsized bottle is four standard bottles in one. Pouring 24 glasses of wine, the Jeroboam (pronounced “jehr-uh-bow-uhm”) is an impressive centerpiece for a party or holiday dinner (10 to 15 people).

Rehoboam 4 liters 
This format holds an impressive 32 glasses of wine. Reserve this one for large gatherings (20 to 25 people).

Imperial (or “Methuselah”) 6 liters 
As the name suggests, this bottle size is fit for a royal gathering, holding the same amount as eight standard bottles and 48 glasses of wine.

Salmanazar 9 liters 
Named after a king in the Bible (and pronounced “sal-muh-nayz-er”), this massive bottle is 12 standard bottles in one, providing 72 glasses of wine.

Balthazar 12 liters  
Another biblical king, Balthazar (pronounced “bal-thuh-zar”) is 16 standard bottles in one. That gives you 96 glasses of wine for a very special, very big gathering.

Nebuchadnezzar 15 liters 
The third in this series of biblical kings, the Nebuchadnezzar (pronounced “neh-buh-kuhd-neh-zer”) holds the same amount as 20 standard bottles. Providing 120 glasses of wine, it’s a show-stopping bottle for a significant event.

Melchior 18 liters 
The fourth in the series of biblical kings, a bottle of Melchior (pronounced “Mel-kee-or”) is 24 standard bottles in one, holding 144 glasses of wine.

Solomon 20 liters 
The fifth (and final) biblical king of the bottle formats, the Solomon provides about 160 glasses of wine.

Sovereign 26 liters 
This kingly size holds about 208 glasses of wine!

Goliath (or “Primat”) 27 liters 
A giant of giants, a Goliath is the same amount as 36 standard bottles, holding 216 glasses of wine.

Midas (or “Melchizedek”) 30 liters 
The king, this supremely larger-than-life bottle is 40 standard bottles in one. That’s 240 glasses of wine!

Does a Jeroboam hold 3 liters or 4.5 liters or 5 liters of wine?

As you can see from the list above, some bottle sizes have different names depending on the region they’re from. Because of this, the size of a “Jeroboam” varies. In most regions (Burgundy and Champagne, for example, a Jeroboam is the same as a double magnum (3 liters). However, in Bordeaux, they call a 3-liter bottle a double magnum. In the past, the Bordelaise referred to 4.5 liters as a Jeroboam. To confuse the matter further, they now use the term for 5-liter bottles.

Why choose a big bottle?

The bottle sizes start to get impractical and unwieldy when you get around to the Imperial format, which weighs about 25 pounds and, as you can imagine, is difficult to transport and even harder to pour. So, why choose a big bottle?

For one, bigger bottles of wine are better for safe aging. They have a smaller ratio of air to wine, so the limited oxidation that happens through the cork over time occurs even slower. This allows the wine to develop its mature, complex flavors over a longer period of time without becoming too oxidized. The second reason is simply the novelty of such a big bottle. Why not match the grandeur of a big event if a grand bottle size is available?

Just make sure you have enough guests, so it doesn’t go to waste!

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Discover our range of convenient half bottles and magnums.

Cheat Sheet to Wine Bottle Sizes

From half to standard size bottles, and magnums to Midas, here's everything you need to know about every wine bottle size

The Names of Each Wine Bottle Size

Does a Jeroboam hold 3 liters or 4.5 liters or 5 liters of wine?

Why choose a big bottle?

Shop Half Bottles and Magnums

REANNA , WINE ADVISOR TEAM DIRECTOR