Wine Types: Wine Bottle Sizes & Shapes

A client called me the other day inquiring about a wine cooler that could store Magnum bottles of wine. I knew a Magnum bottle of wine held about twice what a standard 750 ml bottle held, but I did not know what the specific bottle dimensions were. I needed a quick lesson on wine bottle sizes in order to respond to customer questions. What I found out is wine bottle shapes and sizes can vary by region, state, country and even wine type. Also, I came to realize that they are so many different bottle sizes that a single article about all of them would be impossible. Subsequently, I decided to concentrate my research on a few of the basic standard size wine bottles.

WINE BOTTLE SIZES

Most wine will come in a standard 750 ml. bottle and in fact this size bottle is the basis for naming many of the other bottle sizes. Wine cooler and chillers are typically sized to handle the standard 750 ml. bottle. Some of the standard sized wine bottles that you are most likely to come across are: Split (1/4 bottle, 0.1875 liters ), Half (1/2 bottle, 0.375 liters), Bottle (full bottle; 0.750 liters), Magnum (2 bottles, 1.5 liters), Double Magnum (4 bottles; 3.0 liters), Jeroboam ( 6 bottles, 4 ½ liters), Methuselah (8 bottles, 6.0 liters), Salmanazar (12 bottles; 12.0 liters), Balthazar (16 bottles; 12.0 liter), and Nebuchadnezzar (20 bottles; 15.0 l.). It is interesting to note that many of the larger sized wine bottles were named after Biblical Kings and other figures. The United States waited until 1979 to adopt the metric measurements for bottles of wine and use the 750 ml. standard bottle.

The Split size bottle stands about 7 ½ inches tall with a bottom diameter of about 2 ½ inches. These wine bottles are often used for desert and sparkling wines and are small enough to drink in one serving as they lose their fizz rapidly after opening. The most widely sold standard 750 ml. bottle stands about 11 ½ to 12 inches high and is typically 3 ½ inches in diameter at the base. Magnum bottles stand about 14 inches tall and are around 4 inches in diameter. Jeroboam bottles stand 19 ½ inches tall with a base diameter of about 5 inches. The higher capacity bottles such as the Methuselah (22 inches tall) range upward in size to the Nebuchadnezzar that is 31 inches tall. Imagine picking up a bottle that is over 31 inches tall and pouring its wine into your delicate glass stemware.

WINE BOTTLE SHAPES

Wine bottle shapes are as varied as their sizes. Most wine producers opt for bottle shapes that are most appropriate for their wine. For example, Chianti and some other Italian wines come in a round-bottomed bottle encased in a straw basket. Champagne and other sparkling wines come in bottles that are thicker walled because of the excess internal pressures. Wine producers often choose a wine bottle shape strictly for marketing purposes. For that reason, a German Company uses a bottle shaped as a “house cat’” for a Riesling wine it produces.

WINE BOTTLE COLORS

There are several traditional colors that you will find being used in wine bottles. Dark green bottles are typically used for red wines (Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone). Mosel, Rhine and Alsace wines often use a lighter green or amber colored bottle. Clear bottles seem to be the most popular for white wines in many countries. Champagne is typically bottled in a dark to medium green color. Some wine producers also use colors relating to their individual marketing strategies.

FUTURE WINE PACKAGING

The future of wine packaging is wide open. Many producers are opting for cost reducing screw type caps instead of corks. Because the weight of the bottle approximates about 40 percent of the total bottled wine weight, plastic bottles and tetra packs are being explored as a lighter alternative that is cheaper to handle and ship. Packaging wine in lighter containers and exporting wine in bulk quantities then bottling it in smaller bottles closer to the point of consumption are all strategies being explored to improve wine sales and reduce shipping costs. Perhaps, the cost of a good imported French wine will become more affordable in the future.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice President, Ideal Wine Coolers

Wineries & Tours: Montpellier France Vineyard

In mid-July, my wife and I travelled to France to visit the Mastalerz family living in Montpellier in southern France. We were able to see some wonderful examples of the history of the area. One day we took the time to visit one of the local vineyards near Montpellier. We arrived at the Les Coteaux De St Christol Winery in the early afternoon and were treated to some great southern French hospitality. In preparation for the trip, I did some web research on the wine industry and grape growing regions of France.

French Wine Producing Regions

Three of the best known wine growing regions in France include Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne. The Burgundy area produces various wines from the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varieties. The Bordeaux area features the “noble” vine, the Cabernet Sauvignon. The best sparkling wines in the world are produced in the Champagne region. Other wine growing regions in France include Loire Valley, Savole, Rhone Valley, Alsace and the Midi and Provence Regions near Montpellier, France. These other regions produce a wide variety of different full-bodied reds, whites, aperitif and dessert wines and popular roses.

Les Coteaux De St Christol Winery

As we drove into the entrance to Les Coteaux, it was obvious that most of the acreage of the farm was cultivated in grapes. Most of the vines we saw were mature and laden with grapes moving towards harvest. Harvest of these grapes would not occur until late August or early September. Most of the vineyards in the same area also had acres and acres of grape vines stretching as far as the eye could see. One farm had started some new vines that had been lost in a wild fire in 2010. It was clear from looking at the landscape why France is the leading wine producer in the world. I was surprise to find out that Luxembourg actually drinks more wine per-capita than France.

As we approached the winery, warehouse and retail shops, I was impressed with the simplicity and neatness of the lay out. Grapes were harvested here, processed into various types of wines, boxed wine was warehoused and shipped from here and retail sales were also conducted. The store had a neat but comprehensive display of all the wines that Les Coteaux De St Christol Winery offered.

We shopped and selected some of the ones we wanted to taste before buying. A cheerful young lady assisted us by carefully pouring into fresh glasses the portion of wine needed to make a decision about its taste. A black vat was located nearby for us to pour off the unwanted taste tests. Of course, when we found one we liked, we drank the whole sample. The best part of visiting a winery like this for me was the rural French hospitality that was coupled with a simple wine tasting experience that I soon won’t forget. We ended up buying several bottles and I am happy to say they made it back to the States without breaking.

Wine Touring

Touring the wine regions in France provided me many fond memories. The vineyards we visited were beautiful to behold and included a back drop of historical structures that date back hundreds and hundreds of years. If you get a chance to tour a French vineyard, you will enjoy the wine tasting, the country style hospitality and at the same time soak up the historical significance of this area of Europe. For example, several vineyards in the area where we were staying were bisected by an old Roman aqueduct built around 92 A.D.

I failed to mention that the winery we visited had recently won an award for some of its offerings. I intend to follow up with more details on our trip to France. In the meantime, buy the wine you like best, store and serve it at its optimum temperature and enjoy immensely.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers

Wineries & Tours: France’s Wine Country

My wife and I were invited to France by the Mastalerz family living in Montpellier in southern France. We soon realized that this would be a trip of a life time. We also decided to visit Paris and some vineyards during our travels. In preparation for the trip, I did some web research on the wine industry and grape growing regions of France.

FRENCH WINE GROWING HISTORY

Cultivation of wine in France has been an enduring enterprise since thousands of years before Christ. Romans occupying the area around 90 AD produced a surplus of wine that forced Emperor Domitian to order half of the vineyards uprooted. Viticulture in France during the Middle Ages (400 to 1200 AD) was primarily kept alive by various monasteries located in the country. During the period of English rule (middle 1100 to middle 1400 AD) of the Bordeaux region of France, much of the wine produced there was shipped to England. Wine growing in Europe and France was set back in the mid to late 1800s because of disease and insect problems. In the 1930s, France led a movement to ensure the authenticity of wine related to where it was produced. Today, France is still producing some of the best wines in the world.

FRENCH WINE PRODUCTION

France is the leading wine producer in the world. Rankings based on 2002 wine production totals, put France number one followed by Italy, Spain, United States and Australia, respectively. In 2002, France produced 5,199,930 metric tons, which was nearly 17 percent more than Italy. Other countries that are top ten producers of wine in ranking order are Argentina, China, Germany, South Africa and Portugal. However, France is not the per-capita wine consumption leader, but is second to Luxembourg. The other top three consumers of wine are Italy, Portugal and Croatia. The United States doesn’t even make the top thirty per-capita consumers.

FRENCH WINE GROWING REGIONS

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