Sizing it up

Estimate 6 to 7 glasses per litre or approximately 10 to 12 glasses per magnum of wine. “Opening a magnum saves time, so the host can focus more on entertaining,” says Serguei Kourokhtine.

MAGNUM

The equivalent of two standard-size bottles of wine. The name comes from the Latin word magnus, meaning “great in size.”

DOUBLE MAGNUM

A bottle of this size is sometimes also called a Jeroboam in Champagne (but not in Bordeaux: see right).

JEROBOAM

In Bordeaux, it’s 5 L. For Champagne, it’s called a Rehoboam. Like most large sizes, both are named for ancient kings.

METHUSELAH

This size is sometimes called an Imperial when it contains still wine. Named for a long-lived king, it’s synonymous with old age.

SALMANAZAR

There’s a full 12-bottle case of wine in one of these bottles, named for a series of Assyrian kings.

BALTHAZAR

It’s reportedly named for one of the three wise men or magi (as is a Melchior, containing 18 L, or 24 bottles).