What do bottle shapes have to do with wine?

Usually, wine bottle shapes reflect the area from where the wine grape hails. For instance, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay usually have wine bottle shapes reminiscent of those found in Burgundy, the area where those grape originated.

Why are champagne bottles shaped the way they are?

Unlike regular wine corks, which are straight, they have a mushroom shape because of the pressure in the bottle. The bottom part is compressed before being inserted into the neck of the bottle, where it expands and presses tightly against the glass.

Why are Riesling bottles shaped that way?

And the Alsace and Mosel bottle is a thin, tall bottle with very gently sloping shoulders, often used for wines such as Riesling. What all of these bottles have in common is that their shapes allow bottles to be stored horizontally, keeping the cork moist and the seal good.

What are Bordeaux bottles?

A Bordeaux bottle (Our W5) has pronounced shoulders at the bottom of the neck. Also referred to as “claret” style, this bottle is the most widely used wine bottle shape today. This style is used for reds, red blends and pinot grigio, and may or may not have a punted bottom.

What is a punt in a wine bottle?

A punt is the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle.

Why is there a dimple in a wine bottle?

The large indent in the base of wine bottles is known as a punt. It is intended to strengthen the bottle and not to give the impression that the bottle contains more liquid than it really does.

What are the different shapes of wine bottles?

There are, however, three distinct bottle shapes that most winemakers choose to bottle their wines. The Burgundy bottle, the Bordeaux bottle and the Alsace/Mosel bottle. Let’s look at these three bottle shapes to better understand why they are shaped the way they are and what impact the shape has on the wine.

Why is there an indentation on the bottom of wine bottles?

Why are Pinot bottles different?

The reason wine comes in different bottles is a tradition as old as wine is itself. That village name (Burgundy, Bordeaux, Chianti, Champagne) was the brand name of the wine, and the shape of the bottle was part of the branding that distinguished that wine from the many other wines in the world.

What is a Chianti bottle?

It was historically associated with a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called a fiasco (“flask”; pl. fiaschi). However, the fiasco is only used by a few makers of the wine as most Chianti is now bottled in more standard shaped wine bottles.

What are the different wine bottle shapes?