The names of different wine bottle sizes might sound a bit strange, with most of the larger sizes named after Biblical kings. So, it's no wonder why the different wine bottle sizes can be a bit confusing. Chances are, you'll never come across some of the largest format bottles because they're rare, but they are out there.
List of Different Wine Bottle Sizes
There are at least 16 different wine bottle sizes, beginning with the smallest, the Piccolo, and ending with the largest, which is the Maximus. While many bottle measurements are easily found and measured for height, it's difficult to get bottle sizing for the specialty bottles starting at the Melchior size.
1. Quarter Bottles, Split, or Piccolo
This bottle of wine holds 187.5 ml. It is quarter of a standard 750 ml bottle.
2. Demi or Half Bottle
A demi or half bottle of wine holds 375 ml.
3. Standard Wine Bottles
This is your average wine bottle, and it contains 750 ml
4. Magnum
A magnum holds 1.5 liters of wine. Magnum bottles often have slightly different shapes based on the type of wine to be bottled, such as Champagne, Bordeaux, or Burgundy.
5. Jeroboam or Double Magnum
A Jeroboam bottle that holds sparkling wine is 3 liters or four standard bottles. A Jeroboam for non-sparkling wines holds 4.5 liters.
6. Rehoboam
This sparkling wine bottle has the same volume as a non-sparkling Jeroboam: 4.5 liters of wine
7. Imperial or Methuselah
The next biggest bottle of wine is an Imperial or Methuselah. This bottle holds 6 liters.
8. Salamanzar
This bottle is 9 liters.
9. Balthazar
A Balthazar bottle holds 12 liters.
10. Nebuchadnezzar
The Nebuchadnnezzar bottle holds 16 liters of wine.
11. Melchior
If you are trying to buy a Melchior bottle, then you may have to really search for this size. It holds 18 liters
12. Solomon
A Solomon-sized bottle yields 20 liters.
13. Sovereign
The sovereign-sized bottle contains approximately 25 liters.
14. Primat or Goliath
This bottle contains 27 liters of wine.
15. Melchizedek or Midas
One of the biggest of them all, is the Melchizedek or Midas bottle. A Melchidezek bottle holds a staggering 30 liters of wine.
16. Maximus
Finally, the largest bottle ever, the Maximus, held 130 liters of wine.
Finding the dimensions for the largest bottles of wine is nearly impossible simply because many of these wine bottle sizes are rarely made and just as rarely sold. After you get past a double magnum, the larger sized aren't sold very often and are used for rare special occasions such as launching a new ship. Additionally, it would be difficult to pick up and serve the wine out of a 36-liter bottle. The large sized bottles are difficult to store and to maintain proper temperature control. Knowing bottle size is important as well as understanding the ideal for wine and Champagne of all sizes.
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