Wine Bottle Sizes, Names and Dimensions

Wine bottle size chart

Names below follow Champagne usage, which is the most widely used system. Glasses are counted at a 5 oz (148 ml) pour, the US standard serving.

A few houses have made even larger bottles, such as the 27 L Primat and the 30 L Melchizedek, but they are rare showpieces. A 12-bottle case holds 9 L, the same as one Salmanazar.

Champagne vs Bordeaux bottle names

The same name can mean different volumes. The difference matters for the Jeroboam and when you read auction listings.

Large formats are prized for aging because the wine-to-air ratio in the neck is smaller, so the wine develops more slowly. Champagne is normally fermented in the bottle only up to magnum or Jeroboam size; larger Champagne bottles are usually filled by transferring finished wine.

Wine bottle dimensions by shape

Volume is fixed by law, but height and width are not. Glassworks make each shape in a range of weights and profiles, so treat these as typical figures.

Magnum 4 × 14 inAlsace flute 3 × 13.5 inChampagne 3.5 × 12 inBordeaux 3 × 12 in

The punt, the dimple in the base, adds height without adding volume, which is why a heavy premium bottle can look larger than a standard one holding the same 750 ml.

Legal bottle sizes in the US and EU

• United States: the TTB's standards of fill (27 CFR 4.72) list the sizes wine may be sold in, from 50 ml to 3 L, including 187, 375, 500 and 750 ml and 1, 1.5 and 3 L. Amendments in 2020 added several sizes, including 355 ml, the size of a standard can.
• European Union: Directive 2007/45/EC fixes still wine in the 100 to 1,500 ml range to 100, 187, 250, 375, 500, 750, 1,000 and 1,500 ml, and sparkling wine to 125, 200, 375, 750 and 1,500 ml. Traditional exceptions include the 620 ml clavelin of Jura's vin jaune and 500 ml bottles of Tokaji.
• Bag-in-box: 3 L boxes hold the equivalent of four bottles. Once opened, they keep for several weeks because the bag collapses as wine is drawn off.

Fitting bottles in racks, fridges and boxes

Wine fridges and racks are rated in "bottles", and the rating almost always means Bordeaux bottles. Wider shapes reduce real capacity.

1. Measure the widest bottle you own. Champagne and Burgundy bottles are about 0.5 in (1 cm) wider than Bordeaux. A rack cell or fridge slot narrower than about 3.5 in (9 cm) will not take them.
2. Check the height for upright storage. A standard bottle needs a shelf at least 12.5 in (32 cm) tall, and a Riesling flute or magnum about 14.5 in (37 cm). Refrigerator door bins are often shorter than that; see the refrigerator size guide.
3. Plan for fewer bottles in a fridge. A wine cooler rated for 30 bottles often holds noticeably fewer if most are Burgundy or Champagne, because they do not nest on the shelves as tightly.
4. Lay corked bottles on their side for long storage so the cork stays moist. Screw-cap bottles can stand.

For shipping, a standard 12-bottle case is about 13 × 10 × 12 in (33 × 25 × 30 cm) and weighs about 30 to 45 lb (14 to 20 kg) full, depending on the glass. Shipping boxes with molded pulp or foam inserts are larger; the shipping box size guide covers carrier limits.

Glasses per bottle and party planning

For a toast with sparkling wine, one 750 ml bottle gives about 6 to 8 flutes at 3 to 4 oz each. Allow one bottle for every two guests for a dinner or an evening event of about three hours. For setting the table, see the tablecloth size guide and napkin sizes.

Frequently asked questions