07/09/07 Large Format Bottles

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Ever see those great big bottles of wine and wonder how much they hold and what they are called? On today's program we will be describing the differences in sizes of bottles of wine. A standard bottle of wine has 750 ml and serves 4 to 5 glasses of wine. The most widely available larger bottle is called a magnum and it holds twice the amount of a standard bottle. The magnum is not too heavy to pour easily and they are usually available through wine shops or direct from the winery. Larger format bottles will normally age at a slower rate thus a vintage will last longer in your cellar. Now following the magnum in size is the double magnum and you guessed it, it is twice the size of the magnum, coming in at 3 liters of wine. Now at this point a sparkling wine will jump to a 4 and a half liter bottle and it is referred to as a Jeroboam. Next we get into the really big bottles that take quite some finessing just to pour them. The oversized bottle that holds 6 liters of still wine is called an Imperial. This is the equivalent of eight standard bottles. If a bottle of this size is filled with sparkling wine it is called a Methuselah. There are not many of them around, but you can find bottles that hold a full case of wine. This oversized bottle is referred to as a Salamanazar, it will quench a big party and definitely more than one person to pour it. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.