We know that what is inside the bottle is what really matters. Yet, I remain most fascinated by how the product is presented to us. We’ve looked at front labels and back labels, but what of the glass bottle itself.
In case you forgot what a wine bottle looks like (aka an excuse to doodle):
Size matters
Did you know that the largest bottle of wine designs was made by Wang Chen Wines in China? It holds 1,850 litres and stands 4.5 metres high. Size is one thing – made more entertaining and memorable with the aid of questionable mnemonics.
The 750ml standard size came about in 1866 as a means of facilitating commerce between France and England. I’ve tried to wrap my head around the imperial gallon (roughly 4.5 litres), then used by England, but haven’t had much luck dividing things equally without reserving a generous quantity for spillage. It is far easier to think about a barrique holding 225 litres, which equals 300 x 750ml bottles (ergo cases of 6 or 12).
A manic search for sample-sized bottles during the pandemic led me to discover the existence of cylinders – a 100 ml test tubed shaped bottle that I learned is increasingly used for individual servings of Sauternes and sometimes the rare Essencia from Tokaj. Another addition to my bottle size repertoire is the adorable Chopine that holds 250ml – a very useful size, but mostly seen in France.
Bent into shape
Shapes are a whole new (or old) world, often linked to their respective regions of production. Alongside ubiquitous Burgundy, Bordeaux/Claret and Flute/Hock, words such as ‘Neptune’ (Picpoul de Pinet), ‘Clavelin’ (620ml Vin Jaune from the Jura) and ‘Bocksbeutel’ (Franken in Germany) have been added to the list of silhouettes floating in my head.
It’s not often that I come face to face with a COS or Los Bermejos (oh, if wishing made it so) bottle – there is no need for my brain to store these shapes. However, there’s the visually stimulated and terrible-at-blind-tasting side of me that knows that I will store the information for future cheatin…er…deductive reference.
So herewith a quick summary of the bottle shapes that currently reside in my head:
The usual suspects
Bordeaux: Probably the most common bottle shape with its straight sides, sharp broad shoulders and straight neck, it was once a 500ml volume before EU standardisation. Used in most wine producing countries worldwide, it’s most associated with the Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Sémillon, and Sauternes. I’d heard that the square shoulders help catch the sediment that drops out as the wines age, but this seems to remain unconfirmed. Quite recently I’d learned that the clear glass used for Bordeaux Blanc improves the colour of the white wines.
Burgundy: Dating back to the early 19th century, this shape is synonymous with Burgundian grapes such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir which notably don’t collect heavy sediment with age, hence the sloping shoulders, shorter neck, and wider body and base with fewer straight edges. Fun fact: the lighter yellow-green colour is called feuille morte which translates to "dead leaf" or "autumn leaves".
Flute/Hock/Germanic: Iconic and notoriously hard to Jenga on the wine rack. To me, these bottles are the epitome of elegance with their slim and tall figure. A shape that’s said to have considered that German wines were more likely to be transported via river as opposed to rough seas. A friend recently pointed out that the punts are always shallow or non-existent - that had never really sunk in before. And upon careful observation, the bottles vary in size with different neck lengths.
They are widely used for most Germanic and Alsatian varieties, including Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, and even red Spätburgunder. Fun fact: Saar and Mosel bottles tend to be green whereas Rhine bottles are mostly brown.
Burgundy’s friends
Albeisa: Born in the 1700s, then re-created and regulated in 1973, the Albeisa from Langhe region in Piemonte, Italy is similar to the Burgundy shape. The bottle is embossed in four places on the shoulder and its use is protected by the Associazione dei Produttori dell’Albese.
Rhône: Similar to Burgundy but taller, with a wider neck, and often embossed. Think Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedré, Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne.
La Ligérienne: Also similar to the Burgundian bottle, but thinner, and with the name of the appellation (e.g. Muscadet or Anjou) engraved.
The bubbles
Champagne (Flaçon and Krug): These seem to be the only bottles where the form has a specific function. They are larger, thicker and heavier for good reason – to withstand the 90 psi of pressure inside – with large punts that add strength. Christopher Merret was the first to document deliberately adding sugar to create a secondary fermentation – and around this same time, the English developed the shape and weight of the bottle. The Champagne and sparkling wine industry are heavily focussed on marketing; hence the many custom bottle shapes. From Laurent-Perrier’s use of flaçon-inspired rounded bottles with deeper punts to aid riddling; to Cristal’s instantly recognisable clear bottles wrapped in gold cellophane; and Krug’s narrower bottles.
You’ve likely seen these too
Clavelin: The only bottle allowed to be used for Vin Jaune from Jura, France. It’s a short, squat, heavy 620ml bottle - one of very few exceptions to EU legislation for standard bottle sizes. Vin Jaune wines require 6 years of ageing sous voile, without racking or topping up. Their romantic marketing spin is that 620ml is what remains of the litre after this mandatory ageing period. Speaking of Jura, the curved shoulders, long neck and embossing of the non-Vin Jaune wines are also very easy to identify.
Bocksbeutel: Though we’d all much rather have a giggle at the ‘goat’s scrotum’ translation, according to The Oxford Companion to Wine, the name is most likely a reference to the type of bag used to carry prayer books (Booksbüdel). Originating in Würzburger in Germany in the 18th century, the distinctive bottle is most associated with Franken Silvaner, but is also used for other EU wines such as Greek Agiorgitiko and Portuguese rosé, as well as for French Armagnac.
Chianti/Fiasco: Can you believe that I’ve never actually owned one of these? It’s a travesty that I’ve yet to find one of these slightly kitsch and highly distinctive round bottles covered by a straw bucket. The basket offers a flat base and added protection during transportation. These bottles were first mentioned in Boccaccio’s Decameron written in around 1350, although there’s no known date for when the straw was added. Sadly, their use has decreased and I’ll need to work fast to acquire one before they disappear.
Verdicchio: This is another shape with which I’ve not come into physical contact…and I've yet to taste a red Verdicchio. But the unusual amphora shape is memorable. One wonders if the departure from this and the Fiasco bottle shape is connected to being affiliated with the once poor quality of these wines.
Sweet and fortified
Tokaji: It’s inevitably the clear glass, long straight necked 500ml sweet Aszü bottles that spring to mind, but the recent design of dry standard sized Tokaj bottles that take inspiration from their sweet friends are equally unique. The famous Aszü wines were first mentioned in 1571 (in a property deal), but it was only in the beginning of the 19th century when wine bottles became an important tool of the trade in Tokaj, Hungary. Fun fact: Oz Clarke’s The History of Wine in 100 Bottles talks about how the sweet wines’ fame may not be solely linked to its deliciousness, but partly because 16th century alchemy-crazed rumours that the wines contained real gold.
Port: These are also some of the oldest wines we could expect to enjoy – it’s very possible to be offered a special tasting of a 100+ year old bottle. And this gives us a real life opportunity to ponder the progression from short necked squat bottles designed to be refilled from casks, to the 18th century flat round bellies with long necks (aka onion shape), and the 19th century bottle with its taller narrower body and short bulbous neck that we’re more familiar with. Darker bottles protect the wines, deeper punts collect sediment, along with the bulge in the neck that serves the same purpose – preventing sediment from slipping into the glass.
The Port bottle shape is commonly seen in a range of fortified wines including Port, Madeira, Vermouth and Marsala. Though one could argue that it’s less about the shape, and more about the colourway (black bottle and white lettering) that distinguishes many Madeira wines. And Marsala bottles tend to be higher and thinner and are dark brown and black, whereas Port bottles can be green.
The shape of things to come
Côtes de Provence: Provence rosés deserve a category unto themselves. Ever evolving and hungry for their moment in the consumer spotlight – one could argue that they, along with Champagne, Provence are the leaders in placing particular emphasis on the importance of packaging. Elizabeth Gabay MW has a fabulous article on the topic HERE. What I didn’t realise was that Côtes de Provence still has a regional bottle that is used by some producers for both rosé and red wines. Often called a corset; it’s clear to see why.
There are too many more to mention, as anyone with a will and budget can customise a bottle. I name-dropped Bodega Los Bermejos, whose distinctive shapes inspired by old olive oil bottles appeared on my radar after a deep dive into the Canary Islands.
Procrastination about memorising examinable facts about Sicily led to the introduction to COS, who’ve taken inspiration from an ancient vase found during the renovation of their winery in Vittoria.
And we’ve all admired the absolute drama of Nicolas Feuillatte’s Palmes d’Or champagne bottle – inspired by an opera singer and the black pearls she’d wear and deliciously tactile.
What can a consumer gleam from perusing a wine bottle?
- The colour of the glass could indicate whether the contents are intended for ageing (darker = better protection from light damage).
- The size of the bottle will affect the rate of maturation in the bottle – the larger the bottle the slower the maturation due to thermal inertia (thicker glass and more wine gives greater temperature stability) and gas exchange (750ml and magnums have the same neck size, hence a similar amount of air exchange takes place through the cork but dispersed through differing volumes of wine).
- Some wine bottles are not interested in fitting comfortably in the wine shelf/rack/fridge.
- Flipping the bottle on its head shows the decadence of the punt size (the deeper the punt, the more glass required… And if you have somm skills, it aids in its grip) and reveals some production details regarding volume, fill line, and mould number… But this isn’t particularly interesting to the consumer.
- An already open bottle with its closure removed tells you all you need to know about the type of closure used (screw cap vs cork – but more interesting when looking at sparkling bottles where the shape of the lip can indicate whether the second fermentation took place under crown cap or cork).
But other than size and colour, what do all these shapes mean to the consumer? Absolutely nothing. I’ve had Burgundy varieties in flutes, Riesling in Bordeaux bottles, cider in sparkling bottles, and wine packaged in cider bottles. I’m fascinated that, as referenced by the Oxford Wine Companion, some Rioja producers opt to use Bordeaux bottles for their age-worthy Tempranillo wines, while Garnacha led blends are placed in Burgundy bottles.
However, I do think that consumers should consider custom design and the weight of bottles. We live in a world that is far more aware than ever…and sustainability occupies much of our discussion and, more importantly, choice.
The Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) introduced lighter bottles more than a decade ago (for standard NV wines), estimating that they’d reduce their annual CO2 emissions by 8000 metric tons. If they, who best understand that their form plays a safety function, are aware that their bottle production, packing and shipping constitute 33% of their region’s carbon emissions, then surely it is inexcusable that custom-made and/or heavier bottles with their higher carbon footprint exist. Regional bottles, often embossed with appellation, make sense as multiple producers use the bottles. But as for those heavy bottles whose purpose lies purely in aesthetics and the perception that weightier bottles hold greater worth – so unnecessary.