Wine Bottle Sizes & How Many Glasses Of Wine Are In Each Bottle

If you’re into wine, you’ve probably seen your favorite brands come in a few different wine bottle sizes. This has been the case for centuries. While some wine bottle sizes are more common than others, many of the less traditional bottles are ideal for certain situations, like enjoying a glass of wine with your significant other on a quiet night or entertaining a crowd. Read on to learn all about wine bottle sizes, how many glasses are in each size, and when to break out each bottle size.

What Sizes Do Wine Bottles Come In?

The standard 750ml wine bottle size is by far the most common in today’s market. Over 90% of wine is bottled and shipped in standard bottles. This doesn’t mean standard bottles are your only option; smaller and larger wine bottle sizes exist, and they’re just as fun as the good old 750ml bottle. 

Of course, the size you choose will depend on how much wine you need for a specific event. With over a dozen available bottle sizes, these are the ones you'll want to get to know better.

Split or Piccolo Bottles

• 187.5 ml
• 1 glass of wine

You’ve undoubtedly seen these single-serving wine bottles in hotel mini-bars and airplanes. They’re designed to let you enjoy a glass of wine on the go. Many people collect split bottles, too, as they’re cute little versions of regular bottles.

Sparkling wine is the most common type of wine for these bottles, but you’ll also find other types. A split or piccolo bottle is equal to one handsomely filled wine glass.

Half or Demi Bottles

• 375 ml
• 2-3 glasses of wine

Half bottles are pretty-looking versions of your favorite wines. There is a wide selection of half-sized bottles, and they offer a different experience than standard bottles. Half or demi bottles are ideal for dinner for two, especially on weeknights when you want to drink only a glass or two.

This small format bottle has benefits, but two of these can be more expensive than a standard bottle. Dessert wine often comes in a demi.

Standard Bottles

• 750 ml
• 5 glasses of wine

The 750 ml bottle became the standard in the 1970s, as a result of European legislation standardizing the continent’s wine industry. Other countries soon followed suit.

Today, most cellars and wine refrigerators are built to accommodate this universal bottle size, so the chances of going back to other dimensions, such as the one-liter bottle, are slim. Standard bottles are ideal for dinner parties of up to five people, although you can always have a few extra bottles in the back.

One Liter Bottles

• 1000 ml
• 6-7 glasses of wine

One liter bottles used to be common a few decades ago, but now they are pretty rare. When the metric system was adopted in France in the late 1800s and in Great Britain a few decades later, adopting the one-liter bottle made sense.

However, some traditions are stronger than others, and the 750 ml bottle people had used for centuries prevailed. Occasionally, wineries might release one liter bottles to commemorate uncommon vintages and stand out in the wine aisles.

Magnum Bottles

• 1500 ml
• 10 glasses of wine

Magnum bottles are relatively common, especially for sparkling and age-worthy red wines. These bottles are equivalent to two standard bottles, so they’re suitable even for small get-togethers with a couple of friends.

Magnums are often more expensive than their equivalent in standard bottles, and that’s because the wine inside the bottle is less exposed to air and light; therefore, it ages better. Magnum bottles are ideal for medium- to long-term storage if you have a big enough storage space for these large bottles!

Less Common Wine Bottle Sizes

After the magnum, there are large-format bottle sizes like Jeroboam, Imperial, Salmanazar, and the mighty 15-liter Nebuchadnezzar. And although these sizes are rare, they’re experiences worth living.

The next time you host a party, consider opening one of these large-format bottles to add some flair to your event. And always have a split or half bottle of your favorite wine in the fridge for those moments when you want a glass of wine without committing to a standard bottle.

With Wine Bottles, Size Matters

There’s a wine bottle size for every occasion, whether you’re enjoying a glass alone or entertaining a large party. Bottle sizes also affect how your guests perceive the wine and even the wine’s shelf life.

Most wine comes in standard bottles, yes, and not all are available in other formats. However, when given the opportunity, open bottles of different sizes and see how they affect your drinking experience.