Wine Bottle Sizes


The table below shows the most commonly used bottle sizes and their names, many of which are named after biblical kings.

Confusingly, however, there is some variation in the volume that a particular size denotes depending upon the wine region; although most regions except Bordeaux follow the Burgundy / Champagne nomenclature.

As a general rule of thumb, larger bottle formats age slower than their smaller cousins.

Bottle Name

Bordeaux

 Burgundy/Champagne

 

Volume

Equivalent
bottles

Volume

Equivalent
bottles

Piccolo/Quarter/Snipe 20/18.75cl  ¼  20/18.75cl  ¼
Chopine 25cl    25cl  
Half/Demi 37.5cl  ½  37.5cl  ½
50cl Bottle 50cl    50cl  
Clavelin 62cl    62cl  
Standard Bottle 75cl  1  75cl  1
Magnum 150cl  2  150cl  2
Marie-Jeanne* 225cl  3  225cl  3
Double Magnum 300cl  4  N/A  N/A
Jéroboam 450cl  6  300cl  4
Réhoboam N/A  N/A  450cl  6
Impériale  600cl  8    
Methusaleh N/A  N/A 600cl 8
Salmanazar 900cl  12 900cl 12
Balthazar 1,200cl  16  1,200cl 16
Nebuchadnezzar 1,500cl   20  1,500cl  20
Melchior 1,800cl   24  1,800cl  24
Solomon 2,000cl  26.6  2,000cl 26.6
Sovereign 2,550cl  34  2,550cl 34
Primat 2,700cl  36  2,700cl 36
Melchizedek 3,000cl  40  3,000cl 40

* May also be refered to as a Tregnum or Tappit Hen, especially in the port wine trade.


Related Links

Bottle Size Guide
Lay & Wheeler's Wine Guides