How Many Bottles Should I Expect in a Case?

Wine is sold in restaurants and bars by the glass and bottle. In stores and online, it’s sold by the bottle and the case.

But what does that mean? Well, it depends. 

A standard wine bottle  holds 750 ml, and unless specified otherwise, that’s what you should assume you’re getting. 

A case usually contains 12 standard 750 ml bottles, which adds up to 9 liters of vino. 

If you’re buying a case of magnums, you’ll end up with six bottles, for a total of 9 liters. 

But if you’re buying a case of splits, you’ll also end up with six bottles, for a total of 4.5 liters. 

Now let’s talk size:

The 187.5 ml split (aka piccolo), ¼ the size of a standard bottle

The 375 ml half (demi), ½ the size of a standard bottle

The 500 ml half-liter (Jennie),  ⅔  the size of a standard bottle

The 1-liter bottle,  1⅓  the size of a standard bottle

The 1.5-liter magnum,  twice the size of a standard bottle

The 3-liter Jeroboam (double magnum), four times the size of a standard bottle

The 4.5-liter  Rehoboam, six times the size of a standard bottle (the equivalent of half a case)

The 6-liter Methuselah (Imperial), eight times the size of a standard bottle

The Salmanazar, 12 times the size of a standard bottle (the equivalent of a case)

Many wineries don’t even make all of the above, but the size race continues with the 12-liter Balthazar (16 standard bottles) and 15-liter Nebuchadnezzar (20 bottles), all the way up to the 30-liter Melchizedek, or Midas (40 bottles). If you’re strong enough to lift a Midas, you’ve got enough wine to pour 200 glasses. 

No matter what the bottle size, if you purchase a case, you’ll likely get a discount of 10% or more. If buying online, the seller may throw in the shipping for free or well less than the per-bottle cost.