Sparkling wines and bottles From the Magnum to the Nebuchadnezzar Each wine has its ideal bottle, but champagne has eight, not counting the ones in sizes less than the normal 75 cl. The basic one is the 'champagnotta' or champagne bottle, usually in thicker, more solid glass to protect it against the pressure exerted by the wine. Then there are larger bottles which are often seen at sporting events on uncorked on special occasions. They are large and have strange names. In increasing size: Magnum (contains the equivalent of 2 75 cl bottles) Jéroboam (4 bottles), Rehoboam (6 bottles), Methuselah (8 bottles), Salmanazar (12 bottles), Balthazar (16 bottles) and Nebuchadnezzar (20 bottles). A charming thing for special occasions, but also a way to enjoy champagne or sparkling wine at its best: the larger the bottle the slower the ageing, thereby preserving the bouquet and the bubbles better. Apart from sparkling wine the other bottles in common use are: the bordeaux (dark glass for red wines which need to age, in green glass for young reds and clear glass for white wines); burgundy (usually in dark glass for red wines) and the German (for white wines).