All you need to know about Champagne Sizes (and other interesting facts)
Ever wondered why a Champagne Bottle looks the way it does? It isn’t just because the major Champagne Houses deemed it attractive, but rather out of necessity. It uses thicker glass and typically has a deep punt (the indentation underneath) to help withstand the pressure inside the bottle. The pressure which is typically 2-3 times that of an average car tyre!
Champagne sizes
As well as the standard 750ml bottle size, Champagne (and other wine) comes in various different sizes, from the miniscule, to the enormous. A list of these sizes is below - How many do you recognise?:
- Quarter Bottle 0.2 litres
- Half Bottle 0.375 litres
- Bottle 0.75 litres
- Magnum (2 bottles) 1.5 litres
- Jereboam (4 bottles) 3 litres
- Rehoboam (6 bottles) 4.5 litres
- Methuselah (8 bottles) 6 litres
- Salmanazar (12 bottles) 9 litres
- Balthazar (16 bottles) 12 litres
- Nebuchadnezzar (20 bottles) 15 litres
- Melchior (24 bottles) 18 litres
- Solomon (28 bottles) 21 litres
- Melchizedek (40 bottles) 30 litres
The bottle sizes are named are famous Biblical Kings. There are various theories as to why this is the case, but no definitive answers. In the very least you could say, a large bottle is more fitting for a king than a small. That’s what I’m going to stick with anyway!
“Sabrage” anyone?
Continuing on the thee of royalty, did you know that ‘Sabrage’ is the actually name for opening a bottle of wine with a sword? Seriously. We’d advise you not to try this at home, unless you are an expert.
What is Dosage?
Dosage. You've probably heard the term bandied around a bit, but what does it actually mean? To explain, dosage is a term used to describe sugar or a mixture of wine and sugar, that is added to Champagne to balance it's acidity (make it more pleasant to enjoy!).
Pink Champagne
Pink, or Rose Champagne as it is technically known, is a blend of Champagne, with around 15% still red wine. Interestingly, Champagne is made from 3 main grapes - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The latter of these two grapes are red, however their flesh has no pigment. Hence the reason that Champagne isn't produced as red.
The remaining skin of the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier Grapes are then often used to produce still red wines. When a small amount is added to the Champagne, it gives it that delicious pink colour and aroma we know as Rose Champagne!
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Browse your favourites, from Pink Champagne, to Magnums of Champagne! You’re sure to find what you’re looking for.