Let’s talk about the size of wine bottles.
Wine bottles in a single-serving size are both convenient and cute, but if they can go to a tiny 187.5mL piccolo (the smallest bottle’s official name), why not go large? Like 15-litres large. And we’re here for the bigger, maybe better, but definitely impressive.
The first of the recognisably large variety is the magnum. Holding the equivalent of two wine bottles, this is an excellent size for a full dinner table or party. Whether you’re tempted by the grandeur, or simply keen on this crowd-pleasing size, there are so many reasons to reach for one. Then there’s the double magnum (also known as a Jeroboam) and no prize for guessing how big that is – three litres (twice the size of a magnum). Then there’s a minor 4.5 litres of Jeroboam. Confusingly, this is the same name, but here it’s meant for still wine as opposed to Champagne. This is all great, but now it’s time to get colossal.
The next in line is the Methuselah (or Imperial, which is reserved for still wine). Holding a hefty six litres, things then start to increase in multiples of three litres. No big deal. It jumps to nine litres with the Salmanazar, then 12 with the Balthazar, 15 with the Nebuchadnezzar, and then we hit the equivalent of a whopping 26 bottles of wine in the Solomon. No small feat, this bottle stands at around 85cm. To avoid getting lost in even more wacky names, the largest one we’ll leave you with is the Melchizedek, which is nothing less than an enormous 30 litres, or 40 standard bottles. It’s the perfect choice to share with 100 of your closest friends – and 100 of theirs, too.
Piccolo: 187.5ml / ¼ standard bottle
Half-bottle: 375ml / ½ standard bottle
Standard: 750ml / 1 bottle of wine
Magnum: 1.5L / 2 bottles of wine
Double magnum: 3L / 4 bottles of wine
Jeroboam: 4.5L / 6 bottles of wine
Methuselah / Imperial: 6L / 8 bottles of wine
Salmanazar: 9L / 12 bottles of wine
Balthazar: 12L / 16 bottles of wine
Nebuchadnezzar: 15L / 20 bottles of wine
Solomon: 18L / 24 bottles
If you’re thinking these names sound ancient, you’d be right. Most are biblical kings and historical figures, hence the capital letters. Nebuchadnezzar was a King of Babylon, Balthazar was one of the Three Wise Kings in the nativity scene, and Methuselah, according to legend, lived for more than 900 years. With no apparent chronological order or much available detail, it’s hard to pin down a reasoning, apart from connecting the obvious ‘majesty’ that comes from these rare and massive bottles.
One theory suggests that the old English word ‘jorum’, meaning a large drinking vessel, eventually fell into its proper use when the large three-litre bottle was invented. Sounding quite similar to Jeroboam, and still in church-centric times, it was a natural assimilation. And the trend continued. Or so they say.
