Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill passed by the Florida Legislature that allows the sale of large-format wine bottles as big as 15 liters in the Sunshine State. What does it mean for you? Probably not a lot.

Before the new law was approved, state rules banned the sale of wine in individual containers that were larger than one gallon. (Wine could be sold in reusable containers as large as 5.16 gallons.) Now wine can be sold in sizes ranging from 4.5 to 15 liters.

Most wine is bottled in 750-milliliter glass bottles, but 1.5-liter bottles, known as magnums, are also relatively common. Larger bottles do exist, however, and they each have their own name. A three-liter bottle is a double magnum, a 4.5-liter is a Jeroboam, a six-liter is an imperial, a 9-liter is a Salmanazar, a 12-liter is a Balthazar and a 15-liter is a Nebuchadnezzar. This last one is the equivalent of 20 bottles, nearly two cases of wine.

Using such oversized bottles borders on the ostentatious, but they do evoke a sense of awe and wonder. I once attended a wedding in Maine at which a large bottle of Champagne was being poured. Guests were given flute glasses and two tuxedoed waiters would circulate and pour the wine, one holding the bottle and the other steadying the neck so as not to spill any. Extremely impressive.

Beyond the aesthetics of the giant bottle, why purchase one? The surface to air ratio is so great that the life of the wine is usually much longer than in a smaller vessel.

The larger formats require custom bottles, since they would not fit on a bottling line, and these behemoths are usually found at wine auctions, weddings and other celebrations. It is not unusual for a parent to purchase one during the birth year of a child, with the goal of celebrating with the wine at the child’s future wedding. I have also found them used at business celebrations, where a dozen or more patrons can celebrate with the same special wine. Now you can do the same here in Florida.

Bob McGinn has spent his entire career in the wine industry—forming wine clubs, working in wine sales marketing and engaging in all facets of the winemaking process, including vine management, fermentation and yeast analysis. He has developed wine programs for companies such as Marriott, Sheraton and Smith & Wollensky, and consults with local restaurants. You can read more of McGinn’s work at gulfcoastwinejournal.com.