5 reasons why magnums are the new black
Directions
35.56cm in height
11.43cm wide
8-12 glasses
Not your average bottle…
Did you know the word ‘magnum’ is Latin for ‘large’? Neither did WD. More importantly. Have you ever actually purchased a magnum of wine? Possibly you find the sheer size of a magnum intimidating and never considered how it could bring life to your next coveted event. Truth be told, when offered perspective, a magnum is not so intimidating. In fact, it’s closer to your friendly 750ml bottle than you may think - it’s two of them - 1.5L!
Worried about a magnum stealing the show?
It’s not hard to conceive why a glass of Penfolds Grange poured from a magnum at your cousin Audrey’s wedding may steal the show. It’s sure to leave guests with treasured memories of cousin Audrey’s nuptials and Penfolds grandiose bottle of Grange! Stealing the show may be an exaggeration, but there’s no doubt they add a sense of grandness to any event.
A brief history before we get into the good stuff…
Magnums were birthed (sometime in the 1700s) out of winemakers’ curiosity to provide their beloved wine with a place to rest and reach its most delectable expression. Many bottle sizes were invented in this time ranging from your standard 750ml bottle right up to a Nebuchadnezzar, which is a whopping 15L or 20 bottles of wine. Not sure who has the muscle to pour that one?!
OK, but what makes them so good? Five reasons why magnums are the new black:
- The perfect format for ageing wine
The air-to-volume ratio (ullage) of a larger bottle reduces the amount of oxygen between the cork and the wine as they hold twice the amount of wine and the same amount of air. Hence slowing the aging process. Additionally, the larger bottle is created from thicker glass which creates thermal conductivity, making the wines less susceptible to temperature fluctuations.
- A surprisingly good choice for weeknights
Due to a magnum’s ability to keep your delicious wine fresher longer, it’s a winner for nights when you only want a glass with dinner. Insert the cork, pop it in the fridge, and consume it over a few days.
- Dinner parties and magnums go hand in hand
A standard bottle is 750mls and typically equals 5 glasses. There are 10-ish glasses in a 1.5L magnum, making it the ideal bottle to serve a dinner party or ten for apéritifs with canapés. Enough said.
- Adds to the art of investment cellaring
Magnums are more adept at ageing wine than your standard bottle, making them a no-brainer for wine investment ensuring your investment matures with less risk and more age-ability.
- Higher quality drop
The word among those in wine circles is… winemakers conserve only their highest-quality wine for bottling in magnums. Why? Magnums are more expensive to produce, and winemakers tend to only fill them with wine they believe is of exceptional quality. Wines they want to ensure have the best possible chance of reaching perfection as they come of age.
As if you need another reason… an empty magnum bottle makes for a great talking point as a lamp or vase. Tacky or trendy - we’ll leave that up to you…