Any opinions on Ellen Crosby,wine mystery writer?

I am presently reading The Bordeaux Betrayal by Ellen Crosby. She writes a series of Wine Country Mysteries, the lastest of which is The Viognier Vendetta. This is my first introduction to her writing and I am still undecided. So far it is interesting in a light way. She does make mention of something I would disagree with. She states that a Jeroboam of Champagne holds 4 bottles and a Jeroboam of Bordeaux holds 6 bottles. Assuming that all bottles are 750 ml., are there REALLY two different sizes of Jeroboam bottles? I have never opened one and probably never will. Just curious.

Jim
I pretty sure I've seen that before, in either one of Broadbent's books or one of Hugh Johnson's pocket wine annuals. I'd strike it down to local history/tradition being established before globalisation sought to standardise.
The odd Magnum is enough for me as well!
regards
Ian

I've seen the books, never read, though I'm a mystery reader. But Jeroboam definitely refers to different sizes in different regions- 3L in Champagne and Burgundy (and Rhone?), 4.5L in Bordeaux.

Actually I have the new HDH catalog of the Fox Cellar part 2 that arrived yesterday. They list 3L Bordeaux and Cali as double Magnum, and 3L Burgundy as Jeroboam. They list both 4.5L and 5L Bordeaux/CalCab as Jeroboam. That's why I like listings by volume measure!

Coincidentally, the subject of sizes and names of bottles arose yesterday on my side of the forum as well.

Simply stated a double magnum is a double magnum by any name. No fear though, for even many supposedly sophisticated wine sites often confuse between the double magnum and the Jeroboam.

Standard size = 750 ml. = 1 bottle
Magnum = 1.5 liters = 2 bottles
Double Magnum = 3.0 liters = 4 bottles

On the Jeroboam, however, there is often confusion for only with Champagne does the bottle of this name hold 4 bottles or 3.0 liters, while in the rest of France the Jeroboam holds 6 regular bottles (4.5 liters)

A Champagne bottle holding 6 bottles (4.5 liters) is the Rehoboam.

Wine producers rarely get confused about this but wine merchants often use the names incorrectly.

Personally, I always wanted to name bottle sizes after Oscar Wilde, Curnonsky and Brillat-Savarin. Somehow, the international authorities involved in such things have somehow not seen fit to go along with my suggestions.

Best
Rogov

On the Jeroboam, however, there is often confusion for only with Champagne does the bottle of this name hold 4 bottles or 3.0 liters, while in the rest of France the Jeroboam holds 6 regular bottles (4.5 liters)

Burgundy jeroboams hold 3.0L, at least according to Marc Dupin at Jadot, Christies, HDH, etc

Dale, Hi....

Ye be quite right that many Burgundy producers refer to 3 liter bottles as Jeroboams. The usage of the term has even become common. For better or worse, at least in keeping with tradition, those bottles should more correctly be referred to as double magnums. Both French law and EU regulations are rather lax on the interchangeable use of the terminology to be used with such bottles.

Best
Rogov

But my understanding was the longstanding tradition was to call them jeroboams, which is where the problem arises.
In any case the simplest is just to use an actual measurement- forget Champagne and Burgundy, in Bordeaux alone Jeroboam has been used for both 4.5L and 5L bottles.
And then there are the people who refer to a 375 ml (half) as a split (which is actually a 187 ml).
Numbers rule.