Appendix IV: Bottle Sizes
Recently (in 1995) on the The Mead Lover's Digest there was a question about the names of the various bottle sizes used for wines and champagnes.
Many people researched the answer, and I've collected the best of the research here.
By far, the most complete answer came from Michael L. Hall, but there were other contributions I've included, too.
| Name of Bottle | Applied to | Size (litres) | Size (bottles) | Size (other) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter Bottle | Champagne | 0.1875 | ¼ | |
| Piccolo | Champagne | 0.1875 | ¼ | |
| Half Bottle | All | 0.375 | ½ | |
| Split | Champagne | 0.375 | ½ | |
| Fillette | Bordeaux | 0.375 | ½ | |
| Pot | Beaujolais | 0.5 | ⅔ | |
| Imperial Pint | Champagne | 0.588 | 0.784 | 20 fl. oz. |
| Bottle | All | 0.75 | 1 | |
| Magnum | All | 1.5 | 2 | |
| Tappit Hen | Port | 2.27 | 3 | |
| Marie-Jeanne | Bordeaux | 2.25 | 3 | |
| Double Magnum | Wine | 3 | 4 | |
| Jeroboam | Champagne | 3 | 4 | |
| Jeroboam | Port | 3 | 4 | |
| Rehoboam | Champagne | 4.5 | 6 | |
| Jeroboam | Bordeaux | 4.5 | 6 | |
| Imperial | Wine | 6 | 8 | |
| Methuselah | Champagne | 6 | 8 | |
| Salmanazar | All | 9 | 12 | |
| Balthazar | All | 12 | 16 | |
| Nebuchadnezzar | All | 15 | 20 | |
| Sovereign | Champagne | 25 | 33⅓ | |
| Barrel | Wine | 119 | 31.5 gal | |
| Hogshead | Wine | 238 | 63 gal | |
| Pipe | Port Wine | 476 | 126 gal | |
| Tun | Wine | 953 | 1270 | 252 gal |
Sources used: * Jane MacQuitty's Pocket Guide to Champagne and Sparkling Wines, by Mitchell Beazley (England), ISBN 0-85533-619-6 * Random House Unabridged Dictionary, ISBN 0-67942-917-4 * The Wine Spectator * International Critical Tables, 1926, National Academy of Sciences, McGraw-Hill * Alexis Lichines' New Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits, Appendix C * The Mead Lover's Digest