Just as slow roasting duck produces tender and flavorful meat, wine is most apt to reach it's full flavor potential when aged slowly. When wine is stored in a large bottle, the ratio of oxygen-to-wine is much lower, allowing it to mature slowly over a period of time, and making it ideal for collecting.
Bottle size names are widely similar but Burgundy terminology (listed below) is most commonly used, As for champagne - extravagantly sized bottles are reserved mostly for show, although we find aged Champagne a very esteemed pleasure.
