There are times where size really does matter. And when it comes to wine, more is just so much more. However, the grandeur of a magnum wine bottle at a table is not only a luxurious aesthetic – not to mention a great comfort that you won’t soon run low on wine – it has multiple practical benefits. With a history dating back to the ancient Romans, large format vessels have a lower oxygen to wine ratio. This allows the wine to maintain its freshness and fruit flavours, taking longer to age than standard bottles. In this way you can enjoy your favourite wines at their peak, offering remarkable value for collectors. What’s more, the added bottle thickness also acts as protection against light and temperature variation.
Above all, larger format bottles are a cause for celebration and a symbol to mark notable passages of time. The Champenoise are famous for wheeling out Jeroboams (4 bottles) on special occasions, while those in Bordeaux bring out the big guns like the Methuselahs or Imperials (8 bottles) when aiming to impress. In South Africa, magnums have come back into vogue. At Belthazar, we have a particularly soft spot for large bottles. After all, a Balthazar bottle contains 12 litres of wine (16 bottles). One of the three wise men, Belshazzar of Babylon was known for his lavish feasts. Today, his name is synonymous with everything hedonic, apt for such a generous and exceptionally large bottle of wine.
Join us at Belthazar for the true big bottle experience. After all, we understand the generous gift of wine.
