Bottle count doesn’t discriminate by size. 22 in.
And this ruling comes from someone who buys and drinks many half bottles.
So much for my goal to drop the YTD back to double digits. +8 for December. So +114 for 2025. Major fail. Thus, let me join so many others in saying “forget 2025, let’s focus on 2026!”
While I’m disappointed with the “how many” I purchased in 2025, I’m generally very happy with “what” I purchased and I am optimistic that I filled some key gaps that will significantly lessen temptation in 2026, allowing me to hopefully do what Sarah describes, and think about what’s downstairs already every time I am tempted with an offer, and mostly resist.
As of today I’m dead even for 2026, so let’s start there and bring on some reduction - I plan to be -2 by the time my head hits the pillow tonight!
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I want an appeal. If the point of cellar reduction is the recognition that one is at or nearing to much to consume in a lifetime, then quantity, not container matters. Similarly, magnums should count as two. Imagine a fairly modest cellar of 500 bottles, but every bottle was a Melchior. Reducing that cellar by one bottle a month would be a real achievement.
My Transylvanian consultant has returned with results of his countenance and I have achieved my first successful year, perhaps ever
85 purchased
99 consumed
Down 14 for the year!
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Ohhh, I like this, then the 6 magnums that I disappeared count as 12 out.
What sayeth Dr. Accountant?
I count as Maureen does, by number of bottles, of any size. So mags and halves each count as one, just as 750s do, for cellar reduction purposes.
But it really doesn’t matter if you count volume or vessels, as long as you’re consistent. You can’t count mags as two when consuming, but only count them as one when buying; likewise you can’t count mags as two when consuming unless you also count halves as .5 when consuming.
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Appeal ok. On appeal, initial ruling confirmed.
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Don’t judges generally give reasons for their rulings? Or is this a shadow docket ruling?
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I do hope you will not be found to be in contempt of court!
happy new year
Not always.
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Rulings without reasons are just commands. I rule in favor of Robert. The relevant issue is quantity, not container. A cellar of 500 splits doesn’t equal a cellar of 500 Melchiors.
The plan from beginning was to reduce the number of bottles, not the number of ounces. Start your own thread if you want to measure ounces.
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But no one has a cellar of splits or melchiors. I think it’s safe to say, based on various threads which have discussed these things, that the vast majority of bottles are 750s, and that other formats are rounding errors. And if people do have a larger number of other formats, it’s probably because those are what they open most often, so their equivalent of 750s.
I vote for a bottle is a bottle.
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I stand with Maureen and Sarah!
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At last: a pointless and inflexible argument that doesn’t involve Burgundy. There is hope for the world. 
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The first post in this thread requests data re reduction in holdings. Your Honor did not stipulate .750 bottles. Were a landlord to own 500 plots of land totaling 400,000 acres, all plots of varying sizes, and reduce his holdings by 98 plots, would his holdings for the sake of legal and conversational accuracy not be denoted in number of remaining acres?
Yup, over 99% of my bottles are 750ml. Thus distinction between 375ml / 750ml & 1500ml is statistically meaningless.
Ok let’s use your analogy!
I have 2600 plots of land and 99.2% of them are exactly same size.
2025: lowest year on record in purchases, by about 10X.
Consumption > Purchase, but also lower by about 3-5X vs. all prior years.
A very successful year.
I have realized that, given my newest rate of consumption, I have like multiple lifetimes of wine in the cellar.
I’m not sure why I am buying any wine…
What I have learned: your rate of consumption may change in unpredictable ways.
-mark
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I find it mighty inconvenient to go by any other measure than by bottle but as this is a self “competition” I strongly encourage anyone who favors doing this exercise by volume, weight average alcohol level or any other creative extremely time consuming measure to do so!
However with commitment and dedication to carry on over time consistently. No one offs, would be even more meaningless.
On personal note, I have neglected my reporting and will get on cracking with a full year updated. The struggle of just getting on with the basics…
While most people have mostly 750s, a few, who have spouses or partners who do not drink, have significant numbers of 375s. And many have some numbers of mags and 375s. This all started after all over an argument over a significant number of halves.
The obvious solution here is not to listen to either Maureen or me and to count them the way you want to count them. That is unless, like me, you like argument for its own sake. In that case, do carry on.