Why Do We Use Certain Types Of Bottles For Different Wines?

Wine is a very sensitive beverage which getsand the shape of the bottles in which they are
easily affected by temperature, lights, vibrations,stored usually denote the type of wine and many
and oxygen among others. Ordinarily speaking,times the place from where it is produced. This
one can use any type of bottle to bottle his/herarticle will attempt to describe a few of the most
wine as long as it can be sealed well (some insetpopular wine bottles below:
a thin layer of nitrogen before sealing it to
prevent any chance of oxygen reaching the wine1. Bordeaux - this bottle is usually tall with a small
and oxidizing it) and at the same time protect theneck, light green in color. You will find this type of
wine from direct sunlight.wine bottle in Italy, Spain, and in parts of the
Easy identification of wine type and place ofNorthern Europe for bottling Bordeaux wines.
manufacture2. Burgundy - this type of bottle has slopping
All wine bottles are made of glass. Wines, such asshoulders making it elegant and longish. The bottle
Champagne are fermented in the same bottleis green too and also has a large dimple at the
they are sold in, while most other types arebottom. This bottle is mostly used for
bottled after the fermentations process hasChardonnay and Pinot Noir.
totally stopped. Most of the times the wine is3. Rhone - this bottle is much thinner than the
bottled in a certain type of bottle for two mainburgundy one, but similar in shape otherwise.
reasons - (i) to identify the area from where it4. Champagne - this bottle has very gentle sloping
comes (manufacturers, vineyard, country, etc), (ii)shoulders, is taller than any other bottle, thicker
type of wine.and has a deep dimple at the bottom. This
In the early days wine was stored in woodenparticular shape is to protect the wine within,
kegs. After a while it became fashionable to havewhich ferments after being put in the bottle, and
wine in large amphorae. Then, with the advent ofalso prevents the bottle from breakage.
the popularity of wine and its transport5. Rhine - this bottle usually comes in brown color,
throughout the world, it became commonlythough they have green bottles too.
stored in glass bottles. These bottles are usuallyThere is actually no real rules. The types of
thick, dimpled at the bottom and dark in color.bottles have been adopted as a tradition rather
Thick because it should break during travel/than any other reason. There are places where
transport; dimpled at the bottom so it can havethe bottles of wine have been thus for hundreds
better stability and easier for stacking whileof years. The main concern for wine bottles,
transporting; lastly dark in color to prevent theremain to protect the wine. Hence, most of the
access of direct sunlight which can destroy thebottles are thick, dark and longish. All these three
wine within the glass.attributes help in keeping the wine as healthy as
Today, the wine bottles are normally of 750 mlcan be till it is drank.