3 Reasons To Buy A Magnum
3 Reasons To Buy Large Format Bottles
Large format wine sizes are hard to come by, but always worth adding to your cellar in for so many reasons. Here’s why we’re always down for a big bottle:
Age With Grace
This one is pure science and we’re here for it. As wine ages, oxygen moves in and out of a cork. It is a natural product after all! If you think of a magnum versus a 750ml, think about surface area: you’ve got the same cork size, but less surface area transfer! That means that the bottles age at nearly half the speed of their standard size brethren.
Stay Safe, Buy Big.
Bigger bottles mean thicker glass as you’ll notice when you pick up your standard size next to one of our magnum bottles. Sea Bird Wines magnums are bottled in thicker, darker glass that allows even more protection and room for the bottle to age slowly and gracefully…just the way we like it.
Yes you could save up that wine and store if for the perfect investment. But you could also throw one fun party and bring out the big guys to show everyone a good time. These bottles are perfect for a mixed crowd, as the novelty is a perfect conversation starter and a great chance to lure in a new wine friend who might have passed up a sip otherwise. Wine is always better when shared!
We’ve bottled just a select few magnums of the powerful 2014 Poseidon Cabernet Sauvignon that are perfectly poised for sharing with a crowd or laying down in the depths of your cellar to mature into greatness.
Do you know your bottle sizes? Here’s a cheat sheet for the Big Boys ranking in order from Tiny to Mighty...
187.5ml – Piccolo (aka a Split)
375ml – Demi or Half bottle – perfect for when you just want “one-ish” glasses with dinner
750ml – Your ride-or-die standard size bottle.
1.5 L – Magnum, which holds two standard size bottles if you’re feeling into math
3.0 L – Double Magnum (you guessed it, that’s 4 standard size bottles or 20 glasses of wine)
4.5 L – Jeroboam, which is 6 bottles (this is also where we start getting into Biblical King Naming Territory)
6.0 L – Imperial – 8 bottles worth of wine, or a very good dinner party.
9.0 L – Salmanazar – 12 bottles or a full case of wine, however you want to look at it
12.0 L – Balthazar – 16 standard size bottles
15.0 L – Nebuchadnezzar – Fun Fact: this bottle was named after the King Of Babylon which assuredly was a very good host if he was serving up this beast containing 20 bottles of wine
Create The Perfect Fall Cheese Board
As summer fades and sweater weather arrives, we're bringing our fun indoors for some cozier Fall fun. As we roll into "entertaining season" it's always a good idea to keep a few essentials on hand to whip up a snack board when #wineoclock rolls around.
Here are a few tips that we live by for creating a simple but delicious cheese board to welcome guests with a glass of wine to stay awhile for a great time.
Popcorn For Grownups
Fresh warm popcorn is a perfect addition to a Fall cheese board as a base layer with a ton of ways to dress it up. Add toppings like truffle salt, a drizzle of fresh herbs and butter, or spice it up with paprika and garlic salt for a little kick.
Say Cheese
We love mild and creamier cheeses like a sheep's milk cheese that is a great middle ground for everyone to enjoy. It can be tempting to leave the whole hunk with a knife to cut, but cutting up some slices for your guests to grab easily is the way to go.
Add Charcuterie
A variety pack of charcuterie offers a perfect range of paring. Salami with peppercorns pairs with a little spice to a glass of Sangicomo Vineyard Pinot Noir. A slice of creamy prosciutto will balance out the lively acidity from a glass of Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Get a little flair for presentation by rolling slices and arranging them on your board for extra visual appeal (and easy snacking!).
Toast The Bread
It's an extra step that really elevates your board...and so worth it. Grab a fresh baguette or sourdough loaf from the store, smear it with butter and toast the slices for the perfect delivery of a cheese and meat combo.
Garnish with Greens
We eat with our eyes, and a little greenery is always a welcome sight on a platter. We love using microgreens easily found at your local grocery store to fill in any gaps on your platter.
Here are our top wine pairing suggestions to go along with your perfect Fall cheese board. Don't forget to stock up, because every bottle you enjoy, we donate our proceeds to support marine life habitat conservations to non-profits like 4ocean and International Bird Rescue. Sounds like a reason for another glass to us!
Enjoying some cheese with your wine? Tag us in your photos on Instagram #seabirdwines and enjoy Great Vines To Great Times with us all Fall long.