Different sizes of wine bottles

From demi and magnum to wine bottles that can hold up to three cases, we dissect the different sizes and calculate the number of glasses that can be poured from them.

From the cute little split to the herculean Nebuchadnezzar, wine is bottled in a dizzying assortment of wine bottles of different sizes. Not only does each have a different volume of wine, but they also have cool names derived from Biblical kings and other historical figures.

Wine in large-format bottles tends to age because they have less oxygen exposure. Of course, these colossal trophy bottles also offer grandeur and bring the "wow" factor to dinner parties. So whether you want to have a glass of Prosecco or throw a party for 200 of your closest friends, there is a bottle for every occasion.

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

Split or Piccolo

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

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

Half or Demi

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

Half of a standard 750-ml bottle, this size is a nice option for sharing a healthy glass of special with another person.

Half liter or Jennie

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

Although there is no official name that falls between a half- and full-sized bottle, this format is mainly used for Tokaj, Sauternes and various other types of sweet wines.

Standard

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

Familiar size. This standard bottle corresponds to about five 150 ml glasses of wine.

Liter

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

These deliver more value for money and have grown in popularity in recent years, especially with valuable European wines.

Magnum

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

A collector's choice for collecting red wines meant to age for a long time. Magnums also excel at parties.

Jerobeam or Double Magnum

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

If one magnum is still not enough, the Jeroboam brings double the volume. It is named after the first Biblical king of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Rehoboam (Jeroboam in Bordeaux)

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

Another reference to a Biblical king, Rehabeam, was the son of Solomon and the grandson of David (known from David and Goliath). These bottles are mainly used by large Champagne houses for larger quantities of sparkling wine.

Methuselah (Imperial in Bordeaux)

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

The name of this format may refer to the oldest man in the Bible. Most think of it simply as a feast in a bottle.

Salmanazar

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

This oversized format, named after an Assyrian king, houses an entire wine case in a single bottle.

Balthazar

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

Balthazar, one of the three wise men, had apparently been clever enough to present a gift of 16 bottles of wine in one cask.

Nebucadnezar

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

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

Melchior

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

With 24 standard bottles (or two cases) of wine and weighing nearly 50 pounds, you may need some help getting it to the cellar. Named after the oldest of the Biblical Magi.

Solomon

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

Named after the son of King David, it is rumored that Solomon would only enjoy his Cabernet from this behemoth.

Sovereign

Format: 26 liters, or 35 standard bottles or 175 glasses of wine

A newer format, Taittinger made this giant bottle in 1988 for the launch of what was then the largest cruise ship in the world, Sovereign of the Seas.

Primat or Goliath

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

Would a bottle that can hold three cases of wine be called anything other than Goliath, the giant defeated by young David?

Melchizedek or Midas

Size: 30 liters or 40 standard bottles or 200 glasses of wine

We can let these two historical kings, Melchizedek and Midas, fight whose name is most appropriate for the largest wine bottle on earth.