What Exactly Are Mini Wine Bottles?
If you’re not familiar with anything other than the standard 750 ml wine bottle, you probably think the only place you can get a tiny bottle is on an airplane. Not true. Many grocers, wine stores and liquor stores carry mini wine bottles. Mini bottles of wine are 187 ml, the most common size mini bottle. This small wine bottle or champagne bottle is called a split. A split is 187 ml. The official name is a Piccolo, if you’re a purist. This size is also known as a “quarter bottle”, “pony”, or “snipe”. The exception seems to be Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider mini bottle which is 260 ml. Mini wine bottles are usually between seven to eight inches in height.
Why Did We Post This Guide?
We’re all about fun parties and party favors. We love the culmination of little details that make a party a success. Mini wine labels on 187 ml bottles are one of the most adorable and appreciated favors to hit the party scene in recent years. We get many calls asking us what size mini wine label to use. So to that end, we present to you the definitive guide to mini wine labels.
Who Is This Guide For?
This guide is for brides, party planners, event coordinators, wine lovers, or anyone else who needs to make mini wine labels for 187 ml to 260 ml bottles of wine, sparkling wine, sparkling cider or champagne splits.
How to Use this Guide When Ordering Mini Wine Labels.
The photos and descriptions of each of the nine bottles we feature cover a variety of bottle shapes and sizes. This will in turn, equip you with the information you need to decide what size and shape mini wine label to order for the bottles you buy. We give you some tips on what to look for when deciding what size label you need and we’ll cover the size label we recommend for each bottle in our example. Here is a photo of the bottles we purchased BEFORE we labeled them with mini wine labels.
From left to right the bottles are:
- Freixenet Carta Nevada Brut
- Gallo Family Vinyeards Moscato
- Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato
- Cavit Pinot Grigio
- Cava Codorniu Sparkling Wine
- LaMarca Prosecco Sparkling Wine
- Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider
- Gallo Twin Valley Merlot
- Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut
Here is what the bottles look like AFTER with custom mini wine labels on them.
The mini wine labels sizes used for the bottles in the photo are listed in order from left to right:
- Freixenet Carta Nevada Brut – two inch circle sticker Gold Glitter
- Gallo Family Vinyeards Moscato – 3 inch high by 2 inch wide Nautical
- Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato – 2 inch high by 3 inch wide customer submitted design
- Cavit Pinot Grigio – 3 inch high by 3 inch wide Wedding Chevron
- Cava Codorniu Sparkling Wine – 2 inch high by 3 inch wide Party Hard
- LaMarca Prosecco Sparkling Wine – 2 inch high by 3 inch wide Ornaments
- Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider -2 inch high by 3 inch wide Diamonds
- Gallo Twin Valley Merlot – 3 inch wide by 3 inch high Kraft Paper Heart
- Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut – 2 inch high by 3 inch wide Black & White
Tips For Labeling Mini Wine Bottles
1. Soak Off the Existing Labels
Most of the bottles we used in this post had labels that were easily removed after they were soaked in cool water. The Martinelli’s bottles like the one in the photo below left behind some glue residue that had to be scraped off with a plastic scraper.
2. Check the Bottle for Ridges
Look closely at the photo of the Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider above. See the ridge on the bottle above and below the label? Measure the area between any ridges and be aware that those bumps can cause a fold in the label if your label is too large and encompasses it. The label you order should fit inside the flat area between the two ridges.
3. Allow for Bottle Curvature
If the bottle shape has a curve to it like the LaMarca Prosecco and the Freixenet (see below) it can be tricky to label if the label is too tall. The label will wrinkle if it wraps above the curve. The Freixenet bottles are beautiful but are a special case because the bottle has a very narrow area to label due to the curve and some tiny raised dots along the bottom of the bottles. (See the bottle on the left above.) We solved that by using a circle sticker. Sometimes a circle sticker will work when a square or rectangle shape won’t do.
4. Refer to Our Label Size Guide for Help
Print out our sticker and label size guide found here. (Make sure your printer settings are on ‘actual size’). Then cut out the label examples and use them as a guide against your bottles. That way you’ll be certain that when you create your custom mini wine label it will be in the right size. Or simply measure the bottle with a cloth measuring tape.
5. Where to Buy Mini Wine Bottles
Mini wine bottles are sold almost everywhere wine, beer and liquor are sold. Bottles are sold individually, in six packs or cases. The pricing varies depending on the source. We had to order the 187 ml Freixenet Carta Nevada from the local specialty grocers. If you search the web you’ll find a wine store near you. Stores like Total Wine and BevMo are good sources. Check first with your local grocer’s wine steward. Many times they can order for you so you can save on shipping vs. ordering online.
If you need further help please feel free to email us at [email protected] or live chat with us weekdays between the hours of 8 am and 4 pm Pacific time.
