About wine bottles

Have you ever notices that not all wine bottles are the same? I mean, obviously sparkling wine bottles are different. But so are the still bottles. In this post we explore why wine bottles are the size, shapes and colours they are.

Wine bottle colours

The main colours used for wine bottles are brown, green and transparent. One of the main reasons that all wine does not come in a clear glass bottle is to provide protection from UV light. Light taint can be very undesirable in a wine and cause it to become pretty funky in a surprisingly short time. There are some grape varieties which are much more prone to this effect than others. Placed in a clear bottle the flavours might deteriorate in as little as one hour.

On the other hand, there are some wines which it is clearly advantageous to showcase the wine’s colour. A good example of this is rosé wine. It is very difficult to tell if you are drinking a blush if its colour is filtered by placing it in a blue bottle. Another place that clear bottles are often seen is for certain types of sweet wine. Sauternes and ice wine are good examples.

Generally a dark green glass will be used for a red wine, especially if it going to be aged. This colour is a good choice as it has significant filtering effects on UV light. White wines may be sold in dark green or lighter green glass bottles. As a general rule, white wines are likely to need less aging, so the concerns around light taint are a little less. Brown bottles provide the highest levels of UV protection and so are generally used for more serious wines. However, colour choice is as much about aesthetics as it is protection of the wine.

Wine bottle sizes

Most still wine is sold in 750ml bottles. Out of one of these, you can get 6 small (125ml), 5 medium (175ml) or 3 large (250ml) glasses. Most sparkling wines are sold in this size bottle as well. However, wine bottles can range from 187.5ml right up to an astonishing 15L in capacity. For still wine these bottle sizes are named as follows:

• 187.5ml – Known as a Split – Equivalent to a quarter of a bottle.
• 375ml – Known as a Demi – Equivalent to half of a bottle.
• 750ml – Known as a Standard – Equivalent to 1 bottle.
• 1.5L – Known as a Magnum – Equivalent to 2 bottles.
• 3L – Known as Jeroboam – Equivalent to 4 bottles.
• 4.5L – Known as a Rehoboam – Equivalent to 6 bottles or half a case.
• 6L – Known as an Imperial – Equivalent to 8 bottles.
• 9L – Known as a Salmanazar – Equivalent to 12 bottles or a case.
• 12L – Known as a Balthazar – Equivalent to 16 bottles.
• 15L – Known as a Nebuchadnezzar – Equivalent to 20 bottles.
• 18L – Known as a Solomon – Equivalent to 24 bottles or 2 cases.
• 26.25L – Known as a Sovereign – Equivalent to 35 bottles.
• 27L – Known as a Goliath – Equivalent to 36 bottles or 3 cases.
• 30L – Known as a Melchizedek – Equivalent to 40 bottles.

A larger bottle also has some benefits for aging a wine. This will support the development of more aromas and flavours and less oxidation, preserving the wine longer.

Besides these sizes, you may also have seen half litre bottles. These are mostly used for sweet wines from places such as Tokaj. It is fair to say that most sweet wines come with higher price tags, and are consumed in lower volumes. This means that there is sense in selling these wine in smaller volumes.

Of course, bottle size is often about marketing rather than anything else. The mini 187.5ml bottles available in supermarkets, or on airplanes allow for a single glass. Generally, at least in the UK, they sell for more than half the price of the full size bottle equivalent. That’s a lot of glass being paid for, and not much wine.

Bottle shapes

The different shapes of bottles have more to do with the history of production than anything else.

Most people will recognise the standard Champagne bottle on the far left of the image above. The Champagne bottle has a ‘punt’ at its base. The ‘punt’ helps to strengthen the bottle, and is a feature of glass blowing. It is made from thick glass and so is heavier. This helps it withstand the pressure of the carbon dioxide inside.

Next to that is the traditional Bordeaux style bottle. It is high shouldered, with straight sides and a somewhat curved top towards the neck. It was thought that having a steeper slope towards the neck helped catch sediment when pouring the wine.

The third wine bottle above and to the left is the typical Burgundy style of bottle. The shoulders on this bottle are more gradually sloped toward the neck. Apparently this wine bottle existed prior to the Bordeaux style and was somewhat easier to create.

To the right is the Alsace bottle. This bottle is the one used by many German winemakers. It is no coincidence that Alsace and Germany are both noted for Riesling grapes. The design comes from practical considerations. These wines were often transported by boat and it was preferable to conserve space by having narrower shoulders bottles.

While the majority of still wines are bottled in one of the three main styles (Bordeaux, Burgundy or Alsace), there are exceptions. Shown above and left is the ‘Liberty’ shaped bottle. This is something I’ve seen becoming increasingly common for heavy reds from both Italy and California. To the right, the distinctive Tokaj wine bottle shape. Unusually this one is used for both still and sparkling wines, and is made in both 500ml and 750ml versions.

So next time you reach for a bottle (pun intended!), you’ll know a bit more about why they are the way they are. Do you have a favourite shape? Is is because of the wine in it, or the aesthetics of the bottle itself? I’d love to know. In the meantime, keep exploring this beautiful planet we live on, one glass at a time!