Are you a wine enthusiast who is curious about the different types of wine bottles and their shapes? If so, you’ve come to the right place! While there are thousands of grape varieties and dozens of wine glass styles to suit different types of wine, there are only a few standard wine bottle shapes and sizes.
Let's dive in and explore the different wine bottle sizes and shapes, and find out whether they matter.
There are twelve different wine bottle sizes, ranging from a tiny 18.7 cl (187 ml) Piccolo or Split to a whopping 18 litres. However, EU legislation currently sets a cap at 10 litres for still wine and 9 litres for sparkling wine.
Bottles up to 3 litres are simply named after their sizes, while larger bottles derive their names from biblical figures. The origin of this convention is still unknown.
In short, different bottle sizes don’t mean better wine quality, although smaller bottles are believed to hasten the ageing process.
Different types of wine bottles are the result of various traditional glassblowing methods across regions, rather than winemakers’ attempts at enhancing the quality of wine. As with sizes, the shape of wine bottles is more or less standardised across the world. Most wines you find on the shop shelves will be packaged into five standard shapes. They are named after the wine regions where they were originally developed and used to store the flagship wine of these regions.
Why Do Wine Bottles Have a Concave Bottom?
You may have wondered about the purpose of the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle. This depression is known as a punt or a kick-up. Punts don’t contribute to the quality of wine, but they often come in handy during wine production and service.
Punts for Champagne and sparkling wines are deeper because they strengthen the glass that needs to withstand high pressure. A deep punt also makes it easier for a bottle to be lifted by suction during sparkling winemaking. With a deep punt, you can also support the bottle more easily with your thumb when pouring.
A punt adds to the cost of a bottle. It is cheaper to produce a bottle without the punt, as it requires less glass. However, a punt is no indicator of the quality of the wine, but rather the winemaker’s visual preference.
Conclusion
Now that you know about the different shapes and sizes of wine bottles, you can use this knowledge to impress your friends or choose the perfect bottle for your next occasion. Remember, while the shape and size of a wine bottle can be aesthetically pleasing, they don’t necessarily indicate the quality of the wine. It's always best to choose a wine based on your personal taste preference and the occasion at hand. So go ahead and enjoy your favorite bottle of wine, no matter what shape or size it comes in!
Also known as a Germanic bottle, this bottle is taller and thinner than other types, with gently sloping shoulders. The main grape contained in Alsace bottles is Riesling. Bottles holding French Riesling are often brown, while the ones used for German Riesling are more often green.
This is probably the most common bottle you will come across. The body of a Bordeaux bottle has a cylindric shape, with straight sides and high shoulders (the link between the body of a bottle and a bottleneck). The most popular style of wine in Bordeaux are Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot blends, but you will find most wines sold in this type of bottle.
The Burgundy bottle is most often used for Chardonnay and quite often Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. It has a longer neck than the Bordeaux bottle and distinctive sloping shoulders, making it resemble a cone. This shape is perfect for capturing the aromas of delicate wines and also makes the bottle easier to handle.
The bottles used for Champagne and other sparkling wines like Cava or Prosecco might resemble a Burgundy bottle, but they are heavier and thicker. This is because they have to withstand the high pressure resulting from the production of sparkling wines. Therefore, the glass needs to be thicker and stronger.
The main bottle in which you will find Port, Sherry, Madeira, and other fortified wines. This bottle resembles a Bordeaux bottle, but with a key difference. The neck of a Port bottle has a bulb to trap excess sediment during pouring.
You may have wondered about the purpose of the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle. This depression is known as a punt or a kick-up. Punts don’t contribute to the quality of the wine but they often come in handy during wine production and service.
Punts for Champagne and sparkling wines are deeper because they strengthen the glass that needs to withstand high pressure. A deep punt also makes it easier for a bottle to be lifted by suction during sparkling winemaking. With a deep punt, you can also support the bottle more easily with your thumb when pouring.
A punt adds to the cost of a bottle. It is cheaper to produce a bottle without the punt, as it requires less glass. However, a punt is no indicator of the quality of the wine, but rather the winemaker's visual preference.
Next time you’re at your local wine retailer, see which shapes and styles you can identify.
