Bottle shapes
Bottle shapes – why do they differ?
Although we are used to seeing a variety of different bottle shapes on today’s market many people are unfamiliar with their origins. Most bottle shapes are from France where strict laws dictate which shape can be used in which region.
For instance if someone in Bordeaux tried to pack their wine in a Burgundy shaped bottle they would not be allowed to use the term ‘AC Bordeaux’ on the label. There is of course no such legislation in the New World so producers can use whichever shape they choose for their wines. Here is a brief guide.
Bordeaux – high shoulders and straight sides. This is the same for both red and white (including dessert) wine. Because of the grape varieties associated with Bordeaux (red – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc / white – Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle) when other countries produce wines made from these grapes producers tend to use the Bordeaux shaped bottle to package their wines in. Also widely used in Italy and Spain.
Burgundy – longer sloped shoulders, shorter sides. Again local laws state that if a producer wants ‘AC Bourgogne’ on the label the bottle must be shaped like this. And again because of the grape varieties associated with Burgundy (red – Pinot Noir, Gamay / white – Aligoté, Chardonnay), producers round the world tend to favour this shape to bottle those grape varieties. Wines from The Rhone Valley are a similar shape but often not so wide at the base. Because of the grapes associated with the Rhone – Syrah, Grenache etc. – (you guessed it) producers in the New World favour the same kind of bottle for packaging wines made from these grapes.
Champagne – thick glass, similar shape to Burgundy, normally with a deep punt (that’s the indentation on the bottom). Practicality takes over here as the pressure inside the bottle is best kept under control by such a shape.
Alsace – slim and almost stretched with a long tapered neck and short sides towards the base. The correct name for these is ‘Flûtes d’Alsace – local wine laws again control the shape. In Germany Mosel bottles are almost identical but must be green. In the German Rhine Valley the shape is again almost the same but the glass must be brown. And in the German Nahe region the glass must be blue. All controlled by local wine law. This is why Riesling is normally bottled in these shapes in the New World, but add to that Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Pinot Blanc. In Alsace Pinot Noir is also grown – this too must be packaged in a ‘flûte’.
Fortified Wine (Madeira, Port, Sherry) – A longer neck than Bordeaux with bulging shoulders (supposedly to help catch the sediment in vintage port) and straight sides.
Other shapes include the round bottles people associate with 1970′s favourite Mateus Rosé. Curiously this is loosely based on a wine bottle from the region of Franconia in Germany, and the shape here is called ‘Bocksbeutel’ which is loosely translated as ‘goat’s scrotum’ (no joking here!). They are traditionally used for Franken wines that often are of very high quality (and expensive!). It’s also possible to find Italian and Spanish wines packaged in bottles with baskets built into the base – contrary to some people’s beliefs this is NOT a sign of quality (we assure you!).