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by Riette Rust
Gigantic wine bottles are undoubtedly impressive, most likely because of their scarcity, their effect on the development of the wine and also their ability to quench several thirsts at a time. These wine bottles are scarce because they are expensive. Retailers are unlikely to stock bottles bigger than a magnum or jeroboam. Moreover, cellars do not bottle them as a matter of course, usually for special occasions only, such as a cellar's anniversary. However, in South Africa the use of magnums is popular among estate owners. The effect of bottle size on the development of wine is a topic that warrants a lot of speculation, says Dave Hughes, wine expert. Some people believe good wine develops more slowly, more evenly and more completely in bigger bottles. "This usually only happens if the wine is stored under ideal conditions," he says. When it comes to smaller bottles, one school of thought believes the bigger surface of the wine in relation to the volume causes more wine to be exposed to oxygen, therefore oxidising more rapidly. The fact that all wine bottles have more or less the same bottle opening and cork size also plays a role. There are even wine experts who believe that wine in a small bottle will be more developed after a year, despite the same maturation period, than wine from the same vintage in a bottle twice the size. Obviously wine in smaller bottles will be more exposed to temperature fluctuations, both as a result of the thinner glass and the smaller volume it contains. The exact origin of giant wine bottles is not known, Dave says. It seems as though the first was made for a champagne exhibition in Paris in 1900. A French media agent is said to have conceived of this idea to promote the consumption of French champagne. No information is available about whoever gave some of these huge bottles their Biblical names. It is only known that they have been called thus for many years. There is much uncertainty about the motivation for these names. André Simon, founder of the Wine and Food Society, believes they were chosen in honour of the greatness (a literal interpretation of the figurative meaning!) of the mighty kings of Israel. By definition, a king is a male ruler over a monarchy or kingdom, which appropriately conveys the stature of these bottles.
Wine is sold in the following basic size containers: Dinky or Split This contains just 187,5 ml of wine (one glass) and is the smallest bottle. The dinky, also called a Split, is often served to single diners in restaurants. 250 ml, which is slightly larger than the dinky and contains more or less two glasses of wine. Half bottle This contains 375 ml wine, i.e. about three glasses. Dumpy The dumpy contains 500 ml of wine, approximately four glasses. The bottle may look like an ordinary wine bottle except for being smaller of course, or it may look like a dumpy. Standard size This 750 ml bottle is the most common container and may contain about five glasses of wine. Even though it may look so, a sparkling wine bottle is not bigger, the glass is simply thicker to resist the pressure. The One Litre This bottle is popular in South Africa. It contains 1 000 ml of wine, which is the equivalent of about seven glasses. It is the ideal format for entertaining. Magnum This contains 1,5 litres (two bottles) of wine. Interestingly enough, in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, Tenth Edition (Oxford University Press, 1999) the words magnum opus refer to "an artist's great and important work". This is certainly applicable to most magnums. Marie-Jeanne, tregnum or tappithen This is a container for three bottles of wine. The French name is used in Bordeaux especially, since the 2,25 litre bottle is often used for red Bordeaux wines. Double magnum This contains three litres (four bottles) of wine and is therefore precisely twice as large as the magnum. Jerobeam There are two sizes, one of which contains three litres (four bottles) of wine and is used for sparkling wine. The other contains 4,5 litres (six bottles) and is used for still wine; especially in Bordeaux for Cabernet Sauvignon. But who was Jerobeam? Jerobeam was eventually crowned king of the northern tribes in Israel. According to the Bible (1 Kings 11:26) these tribes, over whom Salomon reigned, had been promised to Jerobeam. For this reason King Salomon wanted to kill him and Jerobeam fled to Egypt instead. After Salomon's death, Rehabeam, Salomon's son and successor, refused to accept the constitutional conditions that were to be upheld during his reign. Jerobeam was recalled to Israel by the northern tribes. There was a war between Jerobeam and Rehabeam (Biblical spelling). The northern tribes of Isreal severed all ties with the house of David and crowned Jerobeam as their king. Rehobeam This contains 4,5 litres (six bottles) of wine and is often used in Burgundy and Champagne. Rehobeam is described in the Webster dictionary as a very large bowl, bottle container. The name means "the family tribe has been enlarged". Rehabeam was the son of Salomon. He became king of Juda (the southern realm) in 933 BC. Jerobeam's subsequent idolatry was unacceptable to the faithful and some fled to Rehabeam's southern realm. Methusalem or Imperial This contains six litres (eight bottles) of wine. Methusalach (Biblical spelling) is described in the Old Testament (Gen 5:27) as a person who lived 969 years. When French champagne is bottled in a Methusalem, the wine is expected to age for a very long time. This size bottle is sometimes called an Imperial, in Britain especially. According to the Oxford Dictionary the word means of or relating to an empire or an emperor and also characteristic of an emperor; majestic or magnificent. Just like the large wine bottle. The Imperial is used in Bordeaux for Cabernet Sauvignon. Salmanazar This contains nine litres (12 bottles or a case) of wine. The Salmanazar was named after Salmaneser 1 to whom reference is made in 2 Kings 17:3. He was an Assyrian king who ruled around 1250 BC. This king also helped to extend the Assyrian borders to contain the mighty neighbours, amongst whom the Babylonians and the Hittites. It is interesting that "Salma" also indicates volume in Italy and Sicily. Balthazar This contains 12 litres (16 bottles) of wine and is often used in Burgundy and Champagne. From 553-539 BC Belsasar (Biblical spelling) was co-ruler with his father, Nabonydus, over the Babylonian Empire. Belsasar teased the God of Israel at a state banquet by using some of the gold and silver chalices from the temple of Jerusalem for drinking wine. Moreover, he did so in the company of his chief officials, women and concubines! The book Bybel in Praktyk (Christelike Uitgewersmaatskappy, Vereeniging 1993) says "this contempt is in fact blasphemy in that he (the king) used these hallowed objects to serve idols". One wonders whether this reference to wine in the Bible does not lie at the origin of all the Biblical names for gigantic wine bottles. The name Belsasar should not be confused with that of Beltsasar, the new name of the prophet Daniel. Nebucadnezar This is the largest wine container and usually contains 15 litres (20 bottles) of wine. The Nebucadnezar may also contain between 12 and 16 litres (14 to 20 bottles). The exact amount depends on the producer, inter alia. The Nebucadnezar is found particularly in Burgundy and Champagne. Microsoft's Encarta Encyclopedia describes Nebucadnezar 11 as the most important king of the Neo-Babylonian empire. He ruled from 605 to 562 BC and built Babylon into the main military power in the Middle East. According to the Bible, this king of Babel completely rebuilt the city of Babylon. Nebucadnezar is also known as the builder of one of the Seven Wonders of the World; the hanging gardens of Babylon. According to the website giantbottles.com a 1,5 m tall sherry bottle was made in Staffordshire, England, in 1958. It contained more than six and a half Nebucadnezars and was called an Adelaide. The wine, without the bottle, weighed 220 pounds!
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Gigantic wine bottles have become a sought-after item and are increasingly presented on special occasions. Their popularity among collectors is not surprising. Ever wondered about the origins of their names, such as Methusalem and Nebukadnezar?
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