Each month
at our AWS Pittsburgh tastings, we hold a raffle for a large format bottle of
wine. ($2 per ticket / $5 for six tickets / $20 for an arm’s length of tickets) I’ve been asked why we do this. Part
of the magic of great wine is sharing it with friends and family at a meal or a
tasting. Big bottles not only have the command presence, but almost obligate their
owners to open them for a large group. The old image of rusty jugs of cheap vin de table (i.e. Blue Nun specials) at
fraternity parties generally don’t come to mind these days. Big bottles are an image statement.
Without getting overly technical, we know that wine ages
through oxidation. There is a fairly small amount of oxygen trapped inside
every wine bottle. The space between the
wine and the cork is called ullage, and older bottles can often show a shoulder
fill which is greater ullage. This is often a result of oxidation, which occurs
naturally over time.
A big wine bottle has less oxygen relative to the volume of
wine, which means that the wine oxidizes more slowly. Think of the ratio of air
to liquid in big bottles. Slower oxidation tends to lead to a longer aging and
slower and better maturation. This, in turn, effects aromas, and the overall
stability of the wine, yielding wine that can age longer, given proper storage
conditions (where the bottle in left in the dark with stable cool temperature and
sufficient humidity to protect the integrity of the cork).
So, large bottles will age better and longer, and tend to be
more robust – more resistant to temperature irregularities (that can occur from
power outages, moving bottles to a different location, etc.).
Does Size
Matter?
Some people say that it doesn’t, so why is a standard wine bottle 750ml? The
quick answer is that the US formalized the size of wine bottles with plurality
in major European nations to 750 ml, or 25.4 ounces, in 1972 for the 1973
vintage. This created a balance between American fluid ounce measurements and
metric to standardize glass production globally. 750ml is almost one fifth of a
gallon, a very typical American measurement.
Legend has it that, in the 16th and 17th century when glass bottles for
wine were gaining popularity as a container for beverages, glass blowers made
all bottles by hand. A typical glass blower’s lung capacity was about 750ml
using one breath to create a bottle. Therefore, the average size of wine
bottles stems from the average lung capacity of European glass blowers 400 to 500
years ago.
Wine Bottle
Sizes
The names of different wine bottle sizes might sound a
little odd since many are named after biblical kings. So, it's no wonder why the
different sizes can be a bit confusing. How many
different wine bottle sizes are there? Usually, there are 14 and
sometimes even a few more.
Split Bottles: A split bottle is a quarter of a standard 750 ml bottle of
wine, or 187.5 ml. Though you can find a few more expensive bottles of wine
sold in splits, this size is mostly used for Champagne and sparkling wine. These
small bottles measure about 2 1/2 inches wide and are around 7 1/2 inches tall.
750 ml or Standard
Bottles: This is the average wine bottle and measures about three
inches at the bottom and ranges from 11 1/2 inches to 12 inches tall.
Magnum: A
magnum holds a liter and a half of wine and is the equivalent of two standard
bottles. Magnum bottles often have slightly different shapes based on the wine
to be bottled, such as Champagne, Bordeaux or Burgundy. The dimensions of the
magnum bottle vary slightly depending on the type of bottle but, most
are going to be about 14 inches tall and a little under 4 inches wide at the
base.
Double Magnum: Double
magnums hold three liters of sparkling wine, Champagne and wine. This is 4
standard bottles.
Jeroboam: A
Jeroboam holds 4 1/2 liters of sparkling wine, Champagne and wine. This is 6
standard bottles. The dimensions of a Jeroboam average about 19 1/2 inches tall
and 5 inches wide.
Rehoboam: This
bottle has the same dimensions of a Jeroboam (4 1/2 liters of wine, or 6
standard bottles) and is primarily used for Champagne.
Methuselah: The
next biggest bottle of wine is a Methuselah. This bottle holds 6 liters or
about 8 standard bottles of wine. A Methuselah bottle stands around 22 inches
tall.
Mordechai or Salamanzar: This
9 liter (around 12 standard bottles) bottle is just over two feet tall.
Balthazar: A
Balthazar bottle holds 12 liters of wine or 16 standard bottles and measures in
at about 28 inches tall.
Nebuchadnezzar: Holding
20 standard bottles of wine, or about 16 liters, a Nebuchadnezzar averages
around 31 inches tall.
Melchior: If
you're looking to buy a Melchoir bottle, then you may have to search a bit for
this 18 liter (24 standard bottles) monster.
Solomon: A
Solomon bottle holds 20 liters, the equivalent of about 27 standard bottles of
wine.
Goliath or Primat: Almost the largest bottle of wine, the Goliath contains 27
liters or 36 bottles of wine in one bottle.
Melchizedek: Finally, there’s the biggest of them all, the Melchizedek.
Some say this bottle truly exists, while others say that it's pure myth. In
theory, a Melchidezek holds 30 liters of wine or 40 standard bottles.
Downside
to Big Bottles?
So, is there a downside to collecting big bottles? There are a few to consider: Pricing, handling and storage, risk and sale.
In terms of pricing, large-format wine bottles don’t offer
price savings. Big bottles generally command a premium in the marketplace
because of their collectability.
Pouring directly from a large wine bottle is probably a bad
idea. Besides having to heft a heavy bottle, the wine can come out under enough
pressure to knock a glass out of your hand. Large bottles should be poured into
decanters, and may require purchasing a pouring instrument.
Opening big wine bottles can be a pain. The corks of
large-format wine bottles have a larger diameter than standard bottles, but
they’re usually normal in length. Be certain you have a firm grip in the cork
with the corkscrew and start pulling very gently, making sure the cork is
moving and sliding free from the glass instead of bulging next to the corkscrew
insertion point. Once the cork is moving, you should have no trouble. Some large bottles may require using 2 cork
screws.
Where do you chill your Balthazar of champagne? Empty the
fridge and slide it in? Lay it in the bathtub?
Finding the dimensions for the largest bottles of wine is
nearly impossible because many of these wine bottle sizes are rarely made and
rarely sold at your local Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores. After you get past
a double magnum, the larger sizes aren't sold very often anywhere. Think about
it. You would have to be Goliath to serve the wine
out of a 36 liter bottle of wine like a Goliath?
Dont forget to check the blog often
for more wine news, tips, and tasting notices!
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