Wine & Spirits vocabulary: Quick and Easy Chart of size and volume (and name) conversion from the US System to the Metric System

In the US, where the metric system isn't fully used, integrated or even understood, despite the number of citizens and immigrants using it everyday, it is sometimes difficult to spontaneously convert sizes and other measurements, especially when faced with a situation where both persons say the same thing but in fact have no idea what the other one is saying.

When I first arrived in the US, in 2002, very often at the store, customers asked me for “pints” or “quarts” or a "gallon", and I need to admit that it took me a bit of time to get acquainted with the different sizes and names. When you've grown up all your life using it, it is easy, yet even some American that I know still have no clue. I was even asking my wife to help me to comprehend that new system, which was quite intriguing for a European guy like me.

Since then, I learn how to spontaneously convert things in my head, but it took me a few years to get to that point. Therefore, and because I think that I’m not the only person facing that problem, here is a quick and easy chart, to help you every time you need to.

This short chart is by no mean exhaustive and I'm sure that I could have add plenty of other things... but, hey, that's an helpful start!

Wine & Spirits: Quick and Easy Chart of size and volume (and name) conversion from the US System to the Metric System

US & UK Unit system		Metric System
Length	Helpful conversion	Length
1 inch		2.54 centimeters
1 foot	12 inches	30.4801 centimeters
1 yard	3 feet	91.44 centimeters
1 mile	5,280 feet	1.609344 kilometers
3.937008 inches		10 centimeters
39.370079 inches	3.28084 feet	1 meter
328.08399 feet	109.36133 yards	100 meters
1093.613298 yards	0.621371 miles	1 kilometers
Area		Area
1 square feet		0.092903 square meters
100 square feet		0.92903 square meters
100 square yards		83.612736 square meters
1 ares		100 square meters
1 acres	4046.856422 square meters	0.404686 hectares
10.76391 square feet	1.19599 square yards	1 square meters
107.639104 square feet	11.9599 square yards	10 square meters
1076.391042 square feet	119.599005 square yards	100 square meters
107639.104167 square feet	2.471054 acres	1 hectares
	24.710538 acres	10 hectares
US Liquid Btle name	US Liquid Btle volume	Metric Bottle volume
A Nip (given name in store)	0.033814 ounce	50 ml (or a shot)
A Half Pint (given name in store, not official name because of volume = 236.5ml)	0.422675 pint or 6.762805 ounces	200 ml
A Pint (given name in store, not official name because of volume = 473ml)	0.792516 pint or 12.680259 ounces	375 ml (half a bottle)
A Fifth (given name in store, not official name because of the volume = 757ml)	25.360517 ounces or 0.198 gallon	750 ml (regular bottle)
Quart (given name in store, not official name because of volume = 946ml)	0.264172 gallon	1 Liter (1L)
	0.396258 gallon	1.5L (magnum or 2 bottles)
Half a Gallon (given name in store, not official name because of volume = 1.892L)	0.462301 gallon	1.75L
	0.792516 gallon	3L (Double Magnum or 4 bottles)
	0.792516 gallon	3L (Jeroboam Champagne or 4 bottles)
1 gallon (given name in store, not official name because of volume = 3.785L)	1.056688 gallon	4L
	1.188774 gallon	4.5L (Jeroboam Bordeaux or 6 bottles)
	1.188774 gallon	4.5L (Rehoboam Champagne or 6 bottles)
	1.32086 gallon	5L
	1.585032 gallon	6L (Imperial or 8 bottles)
	2.377548 gallons	9L (Salmanazar or 12 bottles)
	3.170065 gallons	12L (Balthazar or 16 bottles)
	3.962581 gallons	15L (Nabuchodonosor or 20 bottles)
	26.417205 gallons	1 hectoliter (or 100L)
	56.796991 gallons	1 Beaujolais Barrel (215L)
	59.438712 gallons	1 Bordeaux Oak Barrel also called "Bordelaise" (225L)
	60.231228 gallons	1 Burgundy Oak Barrel also called "Pièce" (228L)
	60.759572 gallons	1 Maine et Loire Barrel (230L)
	63.401293 gallons	1 Sarthe Barrel (240-250L)
	79.251616 gallons	1 French Hogshead Oak Barrel (300L)
	237.754847 gallons	1 Tonneau (Big Oak vat) (900L or 4 Bordeaux Barrels or 9 hectoliters)
1 (liquid) US pint (pt)	Official US Pint size (16 ounces)	473.1765 ml
1 (liquid) US quart (qt)	Official US Quart size (32 ounces)	946.3529 ml
1 (liquid) US gallon (gal)	Official US Gallon size (128 ounces or 4 quarts)	3.785412 L
1 (liquid) barrel (US)	31.5 gal or 1⁄2 hogshead	19.2405 L
1 oil barrel (US)	42 gal or 2⁄3 hogshead	158.9873 L
1 hogshead (US)	63 gal or 8.421875 cu ft	238.4810 L
	www.LeDomduVin.com

Created by LeDom du Vin with a little help from http://www.digitaldutch.com/unitconverter/

Enjoy! and let's hope that it will help you.

LeDom du Vin