Does Size Matter?

(Bottle Size, That Is) 

In the world of wine, the only reasons one would be concerned about bottle size, are: 1) to possibly improve the chances a wine would age longer, 2) control how much wine is consumed at a time, or 3) to impress your friends. Taking the latter two out of the discussion, we are left with the age-old question of whether wines truly age better in larger format (magnums, double-magnums, imperials, etc.) bottles.

The answer is yes. Wine from big bottles lasts longer and tastes consistently better than when matured in normal size bottles.

The traditional 750 milliliter glass bottle makes up about 95% of all wines sold (if we exclude “wine-in-a-box” and other delightful “jug” wines) and this appears to have been a size of choice for well over a century. Larger bottles have been said to “age better,” but this assumes the wine is worth aging in the first place. One cannot make a mediocre or bad wine better simply by having it cellared in a larger bottle – it stays mediocre or bad.

For those rare wine finds worthy of aging; however, larger format bottles are the way to go. A larger bottle seems to maintain overall consistency of the wine and slows the aging process. It allows the flavors to fully develop, intermingle and become more homogeneous. This is of particular importance with Bordeauxs, Barolos, Burgundies, some Cabernet and Rhône-style wines, and even an occassional Chardonnay.

For those into show and glitz, it is kind of exciting to share the anticipation and pleasures of opening a big bottle, if nothing else, to see how in the world the cork is going to be pulled out!

BOTTLE SIZES