Proposal Uncorked to Sell Half-Liter Bottles of Wine

If half a bottle of wine isn’t enough and a full bottle is too much, soon you can get something in between. Beginning next February, wine may be sold in a 500-milliliter bottle, a third less than the standard size.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said a proposal to permit the half-liter bottle will be published in the federal register Tuesday, opening the way to its use in interstate commerce.

The agency approved a petition submitted in March by George Vierra, president of Merlion Winery in Napa. He argued that the size gives diners an alternative to the 25 1/2-ounce--or 750-milliliter--bottle that has been standard in the industry for two decades and the 375-milliliter or so-called half bottle. Vierra said the 500-milliliter bottle, which holds about 17 ounces, promotes moderation in consumption.

It will be the first change in wine size regulations since 1981, when the 50-milliliter bottle was approved.