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

Wine State Reviews: Iowa Wine Industry

Iowa has more to offer than visiting politicians, straw polls, soy beans, pork, eggs and corn. Iowa wine production has been off to a slower start than most of its Midwestern neighboring states, but Iowan people have now shifted into high gear to try and catch up. In the 1950s, I grew up in Minnesota as a youngster and often visited Iowa, where having corn “knee high by the fourth of July” was the primary agricultural goal. However, a new goal of improving Iowa wine production is now becoming more evident.

In 1999, the state had a grand total of 2 licensed wineries, but now can boast that there are more than 85. In the twelve years since 1999, Iowa can boast about what many call an “explosive expansion” in wine related industries. The first commercial vineyard planted in the state was in 1857. When Prohibition became a reality in the United States and following many unplanned events in the late 1800s, the Iowa grape growing industry pretty much disappeared until its recent growth spurt. Iowa was recently ranked 14^th nationally in the number of wineries and 22^nd in production.

Iowa wineries are in what I would call a time of trial and error when it comes to grape growing. Many times new vineyards are initially planted with several grape varieties just to see which ones will grow and which will not. Some of the grape types currently cultivated are: Bluebell, Catawba, Chardonel, Concord, La Crosse, Niagara, Steuben and Vidal Blanc. Several other varieties are also grown, but most commercial wine growing focuses on French hybrids and grapes native to America. Agricultural Extension Services at Iowa and Minnesota Colleges continue to provide expert advice to current and potential grape growers to improve the odds of success.

There are no recognized official wine growing regions in Iowa. The three primary grape growing areas that I recognize are located near the cities of Dubuque (Dubuque and Jackson Counties), Des Moines-Ames (Story, Polk, Dallas, Madison, Warren, Boone, Jasper and Marion Counties) and Council Bluffs (Fremont, Mills and Pottawattamie Counties). Other counties that have notable grape growing operations are Carroll, Jefferson and Van Buren Counties. Many of these operations are small family run collaborations where grapes are often harvested by hand. Total Iowan area in grape production is about 1200 acres spread out on over 400 vineyards.

While the Iowa grape industry is considered in its infancy, a 2007 economic study showed it did account for an economic impact to the state of $235 million dollars with over 10 percent of that total attributed to tourism. Wine touring trails are starting to develop that will further enhance the tourism aspect of this industry. Many wineries make addition income by renting their tasting rooms for use in parties or wedding receptions.

If you are ever in Iowa, take the time to visit some of these family wineries and vineyards. You may be surprised to find a wine you will really like, but I do know you will meet some wonderful, hardworking people in the process. Remember, buy the wine you like, store and serve it at its optimal temperature and enjoy it completely.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Idealwinecoolers.com

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