Experts in antique drinkware have helped to confirm that wine glass capacity increased from 66ml in the 1700s to an average of 449ml now.
Research has looked at how the capacity of wineglasses has risen over centuries
Research has looked at how the capacity of wineglasses has risen over centuries, showing that the capacity of wine glasses has increased sevenfold in the last 300 years and most steeply in the last two decades, a study has found.
Researchers believe this growth in glass size may have encouraged the nation’s increasing wine consumption, which rose almost fourfold between 1960 and 1980, and almost doubled again between 1980 and 2004.
The new study, published in the BMJ, examines this possible link, with researchers acknowledging that cheaper prices, wider availability and greater marketing of wine were also likely to play a role.
The data about glass sizes over time was obtained by researchers who conducted online searches and spoke to experts in antique glassware, including museum curators, to obtain measurements of 411 glasses from 1700 to modern day.
They found that wine glass capacity increased from 66ml in the 1700s to 417ml in the 2000s, with the mean wine glass size in 2016/17 being 449ml.
In a separate experiment carried out in Cambridge last year, researchers found that selling wine in larger glasses – even when the amount in the glass remained the same – may encourage people to drink more. They found using larger glasses led to an almost 10% increase in sales.
Professor Theresa Marteau, director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit at Cambridge University, said: “Wine will no doubt be a feature of some merry Christmas nights, but when it comes to how much we drin...
