126 wine bottle cells — a Jeroboam is 5 litres in Bordeaux and 3 in Burgundy
The big bottles carry the names of biblical kings — and the same name means different volumes in different regions. The volumes themselves are multiples of the 750 ml standard, so they follow from arithmetic: a Magnum is two bottles, a Methuselah eight, a Nebuchadnezzar twenty.
150 ml
- Piccolo0.188 L · 1
- Demi (half)0.375 L · 2
- Jennie0.5 L · 3
- Standard0.75 L · 5
- Magnum1.5 L · 10
- Jeroboam (Burgundy)3 L · 20
- Rehoboam4.5 L · 30
- Jeroboam (Bordeaux)5 L · 33
- Methuselah6 L · 40
- Salmanazar9 L · 60
- Balthazar12 L · 80
- Nebuchadnezzar15 L · 100
- Melchior18 L · 120
- Primat27 L · 180
The volumes are multiples of one bottle
Counting the 750 ml standard as one, a Magnum is two, a Burgundy Jeroboam four, a Rehoboam six, a Methuselah eight, a Salmanazar twelve, a Balthazar sixteen and a Nebuchadnezzar twenty. Only the 5-litre Bordeaux Jeroboam refuses to divide evenly, at six and two thirds — it descends from a different tradition.
One name, two volumes
A Jeroboam holds three litres in Burgundy and Champagne but five in Bordeaux. To compound it, Bordeaux calls the three-litre bottle a Double Magnum, so one bottle answers to two names. That is why buying a large format means reading the litres, not the name.
Big bottles age more slowly
The cork’s surface stays the same however large the bottle grows, while the wine inside multiplies. Less air per unit of wine means a Magnum and larger mature more slowly than a standard bottle — which is why wines meant for long keeping are bought in big formats.
How much goes in a glass
A restaurant glass is usually 125 to 175 ml, a tasting pour 50 to 100. Poured at 150 ml, a 750 ml standard bottle gives exactly five glasses; at 175 ml it gives four with 50 ml left. Note that this is the pour, not the glass — the glass itself is far larger, so the aromas have room to gather.
The very large formats are another matter
A Nebuchadnezzar at 15 litres weighs over 25 kg when full — too much to pour single-handed, and it will not go in a fridge or a cellar rack. The glass count still comes out of the arithmetic, but in practice you decant it or hold it with two pairs of hands. Sizes like this are bought for the occasion more than for the drinking.
Find it by bottle and pour
Glasses
Piccolo187.5 ml
Demi (half)375 ml
Jennie500 ml
Standard750 ml
Magnum1500 ml
Jeroboam (Burgundy)3000 ml
Rehoboam4500 ml
Jeroboam (Bordeaux)5000 ml
Methuselah6000 ml
Salmanazar9000 ml
Balthazar12000 ml
Nebuchadnezzar15000 ml
Melchior18000 ml
Primat27000 ml
How to read this
- Glasses = bottle volume ÷ the pour per glass.
- The large formats are multiples of the 750 ml standard.
- A Jeroboam is five litres in Bordeaux, three in Burgundy.
- The head count assumes two glasses each.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How many glasses in a bottle?
A 750 ml standard poured at 150 ml gives five; at 175 ml it gives four with 50 ml left.
Q. How big is a Magnum?
1.5 litres — two standard bottles.
Q. How big is a Jeroboam?
It depends on the region: three litres in Burgundy and Champagne, five in Bordeaux.
Q. And a Nebuchadnezzar?
15 litres, twenty standard bottles. Full, it weighs over 25 kg — not a one-handed pour.
Q. Why do big bottles age more slowly?
The cork’s surface stays the same while the wine multiplies, so there is less air per unit of wine.