A friend asked me how were decided the names of the bottles of wine: history, size or age ? I am glad that it doesn’t depend of the age because a bottle of Mathusalem should have 969 years old, referring to the oldest biblical character…But the explainations are not so simple !

Everything starts with the traditional bottle of 75cl, as I already explained the origin here. Then, we arrive to the Magnum: 1,5 litre. It’s the only term which has an official recognition among the others and which we know the origin. Nothing to do with Tom Selleck ;-), the truth is less flowery that his shirt: it’s a derived word of the latin “magnum bonum” meaning “good thing” appeared in 1788 in England, who will slide to the name of the bottle of wine, in Scotland. Less flowery, I was warmed you…

Next, the Jeroboam, equivalent to 4 bottles of 75cl, it means 3 litres. In the Bible, he is a king of Israël. Then, how do from king of Israël become synonymous of 3 liters of wine ? Apparently, the Bordelais Pierre Mitchell would be the inventor as soon as 1725 in his famous glasswork, some others think that it’s a joke from Sir Walter Scott calling this bottle as a “mighty man of valour” who “made Israel to sin”. From that should born the idea to call the bottle with biblical names…Afterwards, it’s not really shocking when we know who is the most important consumer in the world. If you don’t know yet, it’s here !

In this way, in 1895 appeared the term Rehoboam, king of Juda and enemy of Jeroboam in the Bible, and containing 6 bottles or 4,5 litres (apparently there was a little preference for this king…). Follow-up of the famous Mathusalem with 9 bottles, either 6 litres. By the way, the designation might created about the numbers 9 and 6 because I remind you that he lived 969 years…to medidate. On a side note, his son died only to 777 years old, 5 years before his father who had him at…187 years old ! Great shape !

After the Salmanazar, containing 9 litres (12 bottles), person responsible of the Israel tribes deportation (weird tribute !?!) come the unavoidable wise men ! Balthazar is synonym of 12 litres and Melchior of 18 litres. As for Gaspard, he had been end the bottle on the road, before to offer to Jesus, that’s why he didn’t come…But I understand better the Marriage at Cana now, Jesus falled down in the wine in his birth !

But between these, there are the 15 litres with a Nabuchodonosor, legendary king of Babylon and creator of one of the 7 Wonders of the World: the hanging gardens ! Finally, the list ends by the sovereign (26,2 litres), the primat (27 litres) and the champion is a king of Salem, Melchizedec with 30 LITRES, 1m10 high, 53kg and a potential of 300 flutes !

In summary, except magnum and jeroboam which are seriously used, the others haven’t much value and look like fanciful creativity of people followers of the Bible…or after a boozy meal ! It would come from the same guy who invented  “eye of partridge” that it won’t suprise me !