‘Tis the season to celebrate, and show friends and family how much we care about them.  We encourage you to THINK BIG!

Large format bottles are the unsung heroes of the wine industry. Not only do they make an impression at the table, they age better than their standard counterparts, making for a wise and generous investment.

Many people save the larger bottles for very special occasions such as Christmas Dinner when all of the family is gathered around the table, or New Year’s Eve to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter.  If you’ve been to V. Sattui Winery’s Harvest Ball, you know we choose that night as a great occasion to open our large format bottles of older vintages and share with our party guests.

We find the presence of a large format bottle can make any occasion a special, and successful, one – a gathering of friends, the first time meeting the parents, a weekend out-of-town.  Our Vice President of Operations, John Winkelhaus, recently hosted a dinner party for 12 people where he opened a magnum of 2007 V. Sattui Morisoli Cabernet, and a magnum of our 2012 Crow Ridge Zinfandel.

“The wines tasted beautifully, since they age so well in the larger bottles,” says John.  “It was really a memorable evening of good friends and great wine served with a prime rib dinner, and later, a great cheese course.  Opening the large format bottles made our guests feel special and added a detail that made the night extra special.”

Our large format bottles also make great gifts, especially for BIG occasions.  One of V. Sattui’s longtime wine tenders, Marty Slavin, says he purchased a magnum to commemorate his son’s birth.  He also gives them to salute marquee occasions like weddings and retirements.

“I like to buy a large bottle with the vintage year of the special occasion for a gift,” says Marty.  “It’s a nice way to memorialize the moment, and be able to remember the event by enjoying a really great wine later.”

And because they age so well, you have plenty of time to decide which occasion is the right one. Simply make sure they are stored on their side, so the cork stays wet, at cellar temperature (55°F).  Our extensive portfolio of large format wines goes back decades. Our Magnum-sized offerings are the most diverse, though we do feature Double Magnums, Imperials and Nebuchadnezzars.

One magnum contains 1.5L of wine, which is the equivalent of two standard wine bottles. When is the last time you were in excellent company, enjoying one of those deep belly laughs, and loving the wine being shared, and a second or third bottle of wine needed to be opened? Those nights are perfect for large formats.

Be sure to keep an eye out for our new limited membership Magnum Club- which will launch in 2016!