Large Format Wine Bottles: Sizes, Names and How to Serve Them!

Redman Wine Bottles

Large format wine bottles are any bottle larger than a standard 750ml. The most common is the magnum (1.5L), the equivalent of two standard bottles. The largest sizes regularly produced reach the Nebuchadnezzar (15L) or 20 bottles of wine. Because they age more slowly and look spectacular on the table, large format bottles are a favourite for celebrations, gifts and long term cellaring.

If you’ve ever had the good fortune of enjoying a glass of wine poured from a large format bottle, you’ll know how impressive it can be. These larger wine bottles make perfect gifts for the tricky-to-buy-for friends and workmates. Large format bottles are also a clever way to fill every glass around a big family celebration (and to ensure your own glass is full while you’re at it!).

What are the different wine bottle sizes?

The standard size of a wine bottle is 750ml. You also see half bottles (375ml) doing the rounds on plane trips and in hotel minibars and magnums make regular appearances in bottle shops. When you jump up to the opposite end of the scale, the giant bottles become a little harder to spot. They’re more expensive to produce and few retailers stock them, but when you next pay a visit to a cellar door, ask whether any of their wines are bottled in large formats – you may be surprised to find your favourite drop in a 6L bottle!

Here’s a look at how some of the main large format wine bottles scale up from the standard bottle:

Bottle	Volume	Standard Bottles	Approx glasses (150ml)
Standard	750 ml	1	5
Magnum	1.5L	2	10
Double Magnum	3L	4	20
Jeroboam	4.5L	6	30
Imperial	6L	8	40
Methuselah	6L	8	40
Salmanazar	9L	12	60
Balthazar	12L	16	80
Nebuchadnezzar	15L	20	100

Bottle names vary by region. In Champagne a 3L bottle is called a Jeroboam and a 4.5L bottle a Rehoboam, while in Bordeaux the 4.5L bottle is the Jeroboam and the 6L bottle is an imperial.

And that’s not all of them!

Why are large wine bottles named after biblical kings?

Many of these names honour biblical kings or historical figures. Balthazar was one of the Three Wise Kings to present baby Jesus with gifts in the nativity scene in The Bible. Salmanazar was an Assyrian King; Nebuchadnezzar was a King of Babylon. This naming convention suggests a sense of royalty and status to these wonderfully large wine bottles.

What’s the difference between an Imperial and a Methuselah?

An Imperial holds the same volume of wine as a Methuselah. Both are 6L bottles, but the Imperial is shaped like a standard bottle of table wine and is used for reds or white wine; while the Methuselah is usually reserved for sparkling wine, mainly Champagne, and the bottle is shaped with a sloped shoulder, similar to a Burgundy bottle.

Does wine age better in large format bottles?

Apart from the wow factor of the size of these bottles, the other advantage is that the wines stored inside these large bottles age slower and potentially develop more complexity and nuances than wines in smaller bottles. Why? There’s a lower ratio of air to wine than in smaller bottles, decreasing the risk of flaws developing.

How do you open and serve a large format bottle?

Open it with care! Use a double leaver corkscrew and open it like a normal bottle. We find the trick is to decant a large format bottle into a larger container and then into carafes or jugs for easy pouring. When serving wine from the Imperial bottle, another option is to keep eight screwcapped bottles of wine once you’ve finished drinking their contents, clean them then pour the Imperial wine into these bottles. Then you can enjoy them over the short term – they probably won’t last longer than several days – and in moderation.

When it comes to ageing, the recommended time frame is wide, from five to 30+ years but it really depends at what age you like to drink your wine. At Redman, we’ve cracked open several 20-year-old Imperial bottles recently and they drank superbly. Make sure you store your large format bottles horizontally to keep the cork moist, in a cool (preferably cooler than 20C) dark place, where the bottle will age in a constant temperature.

Large Format Wines from Redman

Redman has offered large format wines for decades. We love hearing stories about the milestones where these wines have been opened, whether it’s a magnum retrieved from the cellar, a corporate gift or an imperial opened for a milestone occasion.

So at this time of year, giving the gift of full glasses and big bottles is made easier with our magnums and imperials. Don’t miss your chance to purchase one of these limited release wines before stock runs out.