How many litres in a bottle of wine

What’s the meaning behind the names used for wine bottle sizes?

Curiously, the historic convention for naming wine bottle sizes is after biblical kings!

As with many parts of the aesthetics of wine, nomenclature for wine bottles reconnects us to the structures of wine culture. Wine has long been a living part of our history and everyday lives, So it’s a clever connection to our past that bottle sizes are named after heroes from our oldest written documents.

To be fair, no one really knows how this convention started for sure. We could do some “research” and see if the answer can be found at the bottom of a six liter (aka “imperial”) bottle. I bet you we’d discover something.

Below is a list of wine bottle sizes and their names.

How many litres in a bottle of wine

Bottle Sizes Chart

187.5 ml Piccolo or Split: Typically used for a single serving of Champagne.

How many litres in a bottle of wine

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375 ml Demi or Half: Holds one-half of the standard 750 ml size.

750 ml Standard: Common bottle size for most distributed wine.

1.5 L Magnum: Equivalent to two standard 750 ml bottles.

3.0 L Double Magnum: Equivalent to two Magnums or four standard 750 ml bottles.

4.5 L Jeroboam: Equivalent to six standard 750 ml bottles. (In sparkling wines a Jeroboam is 3 liters)

4.5 L Rehoboam: A sparkling wine bottle with six standard 750 ml bottles.

6.0 L Imperial: (aka Methuselah) Equivalent to eight standard 750 ml bottles or two Double Magnums.

9.0 L Salmanazar: Equivalent to twelve standard 750 ml bottles or a full case of wine!

12.0 L Balthazar: Equivalent to sixteen standard 750 ml bottles or two Imperials.

15.0 L Nebuchadnezzar: Equivalent to twenty standard 750 ml bottles.

18.0 L Solomon: (aka Melchoir) Equivalent to twenty four standard 750 ml bottles.

How many litres in a bottle of wine

Facts about wine bottle sizes

  • Box wine is commonly 3 liters or a double magnum size.
  • A Rehoboam in terms of Champagne bottles is only 4.5 litres or 6 bottles.
  • A Methuselah is the same size as an Imperial (6 litres) but the name is usually used for sparkling wines in a Burgundy-shaped bottle

So, the big question about wine bottle sizes is how many servings are in a bottle? Well, given that a standard wine bottle is sized at 750 ml, that means it has 5 servings per bottle.


How many litres in a bottle of wine

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From the adorable little split to the herculean Nebuchadnezzar, wine is bottled in a dizzying assortment of differently sized vessels. Not only does each hold a different volume of wine, but they also have cool names derived from biblical kings and other historical figures.

Large-format bottles tend to age more gracefully, as they have less oxygen exposure. Of course, these colossal trophy bottles also deliver grandeur and bring the “wow” factor to dinner parties. So whether you want a single pour of Prosecco or to host a party for 200 of your closest friends, there’s a bottle for every occasion.

Check out our cheat sheet for wine bottle sizes, the stories behind their names, and how many glasses of wine are in each bottle.

Split or Piccolo

Size: 187.5 ml, holds ¼ standard bottle or 1 glass of wine

The ideal single-serve bottle, used almost exclusively for sparkling wines.

Half or Demi

Size: 375 ml, holds ½ standard bottle or 2.5 glasses of wine

Half of a standard 750-ml bottle, this size is a lovely option to share a healthy glass of something special with another person.

Half-liter or Jennie

Size: 500 ml, holds ⅔ standard bottle or 3 glasses of wine

While there’s no official name, falling between a half- and full-sized bottle, this format is primarily used for Tokaj, Sauternes and several other types of sweet wines.

Standard

Size: 750 ml, holds 1 standard bottle or 5 glasses of wine

Old faithful. This standard bottle equates to approximately five 5-ounce glasses of wine.

Liter

Size: 1 L, holds 1⅓ standard bottles or 7 glasses of wine

These deliver more bang for your buck and have grown in popularity in recent years, particularly with value European wines.

Magnum

Size: 1.5 L, holds 2 standard bottles or 10 glasses of wine

A collector’s choice for cellaring ageworthy reds, magnums also excel at making a visual splash at parties.

Jeroboam or Double Magnum

Size: 3 L, holds 4 standard bottles or 20 glasses of wine

When one magnum just won’t do, the Jeroboam brings twice the volume. It’s named for the first biblical king of the northern kingdom of Israel .

Rehoboam (Jeroboam in Bordeaux)

Size: 4.5 L, holds 6 standard bottles or 30 glasses of wine

Another reference to a biblical king, Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and grandson of David (of David and Goliath fame). These bottles are used primarily by big Champagne houses for larger quantities of sparkling wine.

Methuselah or Imperial (Bordeaux)

Size: 6 L, holds  8 standard bottles or 40 glasses of wine

The name of this format can refer to either an Imperial gallon or the oldest man in the Bible. Most just consider it a party in a bottle.

Salmanazar

Size: 9 L, or 12 standard bottles or 60 glasses of wine

Named after an Assyrian king, this oversized format houses a full case of wine in a single bottle.

Balthazar 

Size: 12 L, or 16 standard bottles or 80 glasses of wine

Balthazar, one of the Three Wise Men, would obviously have been smart enough to present a gift of 16 bottles of wine in one vessel.

Nebuchadnezzar

Size: 15 L, holds 20 standard bottles or 100 glasses of wine

Named for the longest-ruling king of Babylon, the Nebuchadnezzar would also be the bottle of choice for Neo and Morpheus.

Melchior

Size: 18 L, holds 24 standard bottles or 120 glasses of wine

Holding 24 standard bottles (or two cases) of wine and tipping the scales at almost 100 pounds, you might need some help carrying this down to the cellar. Named for the oldest of the biblical Magi.

Solomon

Size: 20 L, holds 26 standard bottles or 130 glasses of wine

Named after the son of King David, rumor has it that Solomon would only enjoy his Cabernet out of this 26-bottle behemoth.

Sovereign

Size: 26 L, or 35 standard bottles or 175 glasses of wine

A newer entry, Taittinger crafted this gigantic bottle in 1988 for the launch of what was then the world’s largest cruise liner, Sovereign of the Seas.

Primat or Goliath

Size: 27 L, or 36 standard bottles or 180 glasses of wine

Could a bottle that can hold three cases of wine be called anything else but Goliath, the giant defeated by young David?

Melchizedek or Midas

Size: 30 L, or 40 standard bottles or 200 glasses of wine

We can let these two historical kings, Melchizedek and Midas, battle it out for bragging rights on whose name is best suited for the largest wine bottle on earth.

Your Visual Cheat Sheet to Bottle Sizes

How many litres in a bottle of wine
Photo by Julia Lea / Getty

Is a bottle of wine 1 liter?

Standard: 750 mL, or 5 glasses of wine. 5. Liter: 1 L, or 7 glasses of wine.

How many liters is 2 bottles of wine?

750 ml Standard: Common bottle size for most distributed wine. 1.5 L Magnum: Equivalent to two standard 750 ml bottles. 3.0 L Double Magnum: Equivalent to two Magnums or four standard 750 ml bottles.

Is 1.5 liters equal to 2 bottles of wine?

A standard bottle of wine (750 ml) holds five 5 oz. glasses of wine. Generally, this will serve between 2-4 people. A Magnum bottle also known as 1.5L is equal to two standard bottles of wine, and will serve 4-5 people.

Is 750 ml a bottle of wine?

While a typical wine bottle contains 750 ml or 25.4 ounces of wine, there are plenty of reasons to go off-format.