Fun Wine Knowledge

Fun knowledge... Interesting facts... Great wine conversation!

The Church was the "protector" of wine
Half bottles = bad investment?
Wine bottle sizes and names
Bordeaux was better known for white wine
Is Dom Pérignon the blind creator of Champagne

The Church kept wine-making alive during the Dark Ages

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Church was critical in the revitalization, production, and promotion of wine. Among chaotic daily life, wine was the good element, associated with holyness (body of christ) and comfort.

By Middle Ages, the Church had developed and owned Europe's greatest vineyards (except Bordeaux). The Bendictines casting their influence over Alsace, Germany and Austria; and the Cistercians running Cote d'Or and Burgundy.

Wine investors do not like half bottles

If you compare a half bottle with a standard bottle, you will find the amount of air space (between the wine and the cork) is similar but the volume contained differs (375ml vs 750ml). As half bottle contains 50% less wine but similar air space, the wine is exposed to twice as much oxygen.

For better aging, investors want to minimize the wine's exposure to oxygen, thus prefer standard bottle. Learn more on wine storage.

Wine bottle sizes and names

We are used to calling 750ml as full bottle, but do you know that there are "fuller" bottles out there?

Bottle Size	750ml Equivalent	Name for Still Wine Bottle	Name for Sparkling Wine Bottle
375 ml	1/2	Half-Bottle / Split / Tenth	Half-Bottle / Split / Tenth
750 ml	1	Bottle / Fifth	Bottle / Fifth
1.5 L	2
Magnum	Magnum
3 L	4
Double Magnum	Jeroboam
4.5 L	6	Jeroboam	Rheoboam
6 L	8
Imperiale	Methuselah
9 L	12	N/A	Salmanazar
12 L	16	N/A	Balthazar
15 L	20	N/A	Nebuchadnezzar
18 L	24	N/A	Melchior
25.5 L	34	N/A	Sovereign

Bordeaux was better known for white wines

We think of Bordeaux as the region for great, expensive red wines. Yet in the ancient days, Bordeaux was well known for its white wine. Over 80% of the land were dedicated to producing Sauternes, Barsac, Bordeaux Blanc, and Graves. In the 1970s, commercial and political factors (split of wine regions) resulted in the transition to red wines.

Today, ~85% of the land is dedicated to red wine production and few people would associate Bordeaux with white wines.

Dom Pérignon

Famous quote and misperception: Upon tasting the first champagne, Dom Pérignon exclaimed "Come quickly! I am drinking the stars!"

The misperception sourced from an advertisement in the 1800 by the producer of Dom Pérignon, creating the impression that the legendary Dom Pérignon invented Champagne. Documentary and evidence had proven that Champagne existed for decades before Dom Pérignons' era. Dom Pérignon, the Benedictine Abbey cellar master, further developed the process and enhance the sparkling wine. The Champagne Dom Pérignon was named after him.

Furthermore, historic documents indicated that Dom Pérignon could not be blind -- at least not when he was perfecting champagne. The art of champagne making was very scientific and observation based, requiring obervation, measurement, and recording.