Wine Bottle Shapes And Sizes

All wine bottles are not created equal! Their physical shape differs greatly from one another
based on the type of wine they carry. Some are long and thin, others are short and fat but
dont worry, I will not hurt their feelings by comparing their looks, because they know beauty
comes from within and it does!

There are 12 types of wine bottles, 13 if you count those goofy bottles that winemakers come up
with to attract and boost sales. Today, we will focus on the first 12, and start with the Bordeaux
bottle.

1. Bordeaux
Straight and tall stature with high shoulders, this bottle is widely used for the wine we all
conveniently reference to as Bordeaux. The glass is dark green for reds, and light green or clear
for whites. The Bordeaux bottle is often used as a broad term for a wide variety of grapes:
Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Sauternes and
most Meritage or Bordeaux blends. However, it isnt always Bordeaux. Take Zinfandel for
instance. It originated in Croatia and Italy (under different names), and migrated to the United
States in the mid-19th century. Zinfandel has nothing to do the so-called Southwest region of
France at least not yet.
 2. Burgundy
Classic, yet elegant, the Burgundy (Bourgogne) bottle features gently sloping shoulders and a
slightly wider body than the rest. Both reds and whites use a dark green colored glass. This bottle
is primarily used for Pinot Noir, Aligot and Chardonnay. Just like Bordeaux, the Burgundy bottle is
also used for wines produced in other regions of France, notably the Loire Valley. Due to its
popularity, the Burgundy bottle is often stylized. Bottle designers make a bottle with a thicker
glass and a fatter girth, frequently used to bottle Pinot Noir in the United States.

3. Rhne
This bottle looks a lot like the Burgundy bottle, perhaps just a little thinner and taller. The neck is
marginally longer, with more angular sloping shoulders. Rhne bottles are often embossed with a
coat of arms below the neck. This style is used for Grenache, Mourvdre, Syrah, and other grape
varieties. Chteauneuf-du-Pape and Ctes-du-Rhne, two of the most popular wines of the
Rhne region, proudly use this bottle, as well as New World Shiraz wines produced in other
countries (Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the United
States). Generally green colored glass, this shape is primarily used for reds, while whites and roses
use clear glass.
 4. Champagne
Such a party animal! This olive-green bottle represents joy and happiness, and gets invited to
many parties and weddings around the world. Sturdy, yet graceful, this bottles design is
originally based on technical necessities as opposed to style. Its thick glass, gentle sloping
shoulders and deep punt are quite essential to avoid a big mess! Champagne is a carbonated
or sparkling wine, and the pressure can get as high as 80 to 90 psi (3 times the pressure inside a
typical tire). Back in the early days of making Champagne, bottles used to explode during
transportation. Never mind the perilous aspect of the job, it was such a waste! Keeping all that
pressure inside the bottle also requires a larger and reversed tapered cork. A third of the cork will
remain outside of the bottle allowing for an easy grip while opening the bottle unless you know
how to saber Champagne bottles ;) In addition to being a technical necessity, the punt is also
used by the sommelier to help pour the wine, providing a grip for the thumb at the bottom of the
bottle.

5. Ctes de Provence
Though mostly used for ros, this clear glass bottle is also used for red wine. There are still
remnants of traditional winemaking in the Ctes de Provence and some producers still use the
regional wine bottle which has a distinctive form that is between an amphora vessel and a
bowling pin. Also called a corset by the locals for obvious reasons, this bottle shape has been
used for decades and it is not going away anytime soon.

6. Mosel & Alsace

These elegant bottles are tall and slim with a long neck, and generally made of a light green
glass. Traditionally, wines from the Mosel (Germany) and Alsace (France) regions use it. It is used
by wineries for several grape varieties including Riesling and Mller-Thurgau. Their wines can vary
from dry to sweet (even sparkling), while New World winemakers tend to use this bottle for
sweet wines only. In either case, label knowledge is always advised.

7. Rhine
Slightly thiner than its Mosel counterpart, this German bottle (once traditionally referred to as
hock) features similar characteristics: tall, slim, a long neck and very little punt. The only obvious
difference is the dark brown color of the glass, which sets them apart. It is used for similar grape
varieties like Riesling, Mller-Thurgau, Bacchus, as well as the notorious and legendary
Gewrztraminer. Riesling has a very strong presence amongst other wine wines, and it is often
included in the top three white wine varieties together with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
 8. Chianti
Round body, bulged bottom, and partially covered with a close-fitting straw basket. Yes, I am
talking about the one-of-a-kind Chianti bottle, also called a fiasco. Chianti is a red Italian wine
produced in Tuscany. Most Chianti is now bottled in more standard shaped wine bottles
(Bordeaux shape), though it is not unusual to see them on the shelves of your favorite wine store.
The basket is typically made of a swamp weed (or raffia), sun-dried and blanched with sulfur. The
glass bottle can have a round bottom, which is much simpler to make by glass blowing. The
basket provides a flat base for the glass, as well as extra protection during transportation and
handling. Fiaschi can be efficiently packed for transport, with the necks of upturned bottles
safely tucked into the spaces between the baskets of upright ones. The use of this iconic Chianti
bottle has decreased over the years, which is a real shame, given how popular they once used
to be. So grab one of those before they are completely gone, and turn it into a candle holder!
You wont be the first one ;)

9. Bocksbeutel
Though its name translates to beer bag, this bottle is used for wine. Also known as Trollinger, the
Bocksbeutel is a type of wine bottle with the form of a flattened ellipsoid, which contains exactly
the same volume of wine as more traditional bottles (0.75 Liters). The short neck bottle often
features an engraved emblem on the left shoulder, representing the name of the domain. This
bottle is similar in shape to the field bottle (canteen), and are manufactured with a flattened
shape for practical purposes; it is easier to carry around and it keeps the bottle from rolling away
on uneven ground. It is commonly used for wines from the Franconia region in Germany at least
since the early 18th century, but is also used for some Portuguese wines, in particular ross, where
the bottle is called cantil. The Bocksbeutel is a protected bottle shape under the European
Union.
 10. Jura
In spite of this bottles little recognition and popularity, I decided to give it my utmost respect by
listing it amongst the rest. Featuring a light green color, the bottom half of the bottle is slightly
flared, while the top half features inside curved shoulders that gently blend into the long neck.
Located between Burgundy and Switzerland, Jura is a little gemstone in a sack of tiny rocks,
where each sparkle is a drop of wine. Well known in the wine community, this northeast region of
France produces wines from a wide range of grapes, including Savagnin, Poulsard, Trousseau,
Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay; all of which use this inspiring bottle shape. If you see this bottle in a
store, give it a chance, and let me know what you think.

11. Vin Jaune

For those of you who have tried Vin Jaune before, youll understand the highly unconventional
shape of its bottle. Made in the Jura region of France with Savagnin grapes, Vin Jaune wine is
unique and incomparable to any other wines worldwide, and so is the bottle: short, stocky and
heavily built. Also called clavelin, this bottle is the only bottle legally authorized for Vin Jaune. It
only contains 62 cl (22 oz) which is approximately whats left of 1 liter of wine before the
maturation process starts. Vin Jaune needs to mature 6 years in a barrel under a film of yeast,
known as the voile, before being bottled. This long and lonely journey makes it one of the most
valued and respected wines in the world.

12. Fortified Wine

Similarly to the Bordeaux, this bottle features a straight body with high, rounded shoulders. Its
most prominent attribute remains the bulged section of the neck, which prevents the sediments
from being poured into the glass. By the same token, some of these bottles have a punt which is
used to collect and retain those sediments towards the bottom. It is recommended to keep the
bottle still while pouring, to keep their sediments undisturbed. The other distinctive aspect of this
bottle is the use of a cork stopper, as opposed to the typical long cork. The extremely dark glass
protects the wine from the light, and promotes better conservation. This bottle is used for fortified
wines, such as Madeira, Marsala, Vermouth, and of course, Port.

Wait a minute did we miss one?! We sure did. Lets not forget the one-of-a-kind wine box.
Fortunately, this isnt technically a bottle, so I dont have to talk about it on this post. Lets move
on, shall we?!

As you well know, size does NOT matter, unless you talk about wine bottles! In which case size
does matter. Wine matures more slowly in larger bottles. Some of those bottles tend to have the
same neck size as smaller bottles do. Therefore, the amount of air entering the bottle is the same
whether the bottle is 75CL or 18L. The oxygen that gets in contact with the wine in a Melchior
(18L) is 24 times smaller than that of a regular size 75CL bottle. As a result, the maturing process is
much slower, giving the wine enough time to evolve and develop to a certain level of
perfection before becoming old.

Aside from the overly scientific fact mentioned above, it is the undeniable joy and conviviality of
a group of friends sharing the same experience, from the same bottle of wine.
Those are some of the reasons why there are a number of giant-sized bottles. Many of these
imperial sizes are named after biblical rulers. Here is a quick chart to remind you that if you ever
open a Melchizedek, you will need a LOT of friends ;)

Piccolo 0.2 liter

Chopine 0.25 liter
Fillette 0.375 liter
Bouteille 0.75 liter
Litre 1 liter
Magnum 1.5 liters
Jeroboam 3 liters
Rehoboam 4.5 liters
Methuselah 6 liters
Shalmaneser 9 liters
Balthazar 12 liters
Nebuchadnezzar 15 liters
Melchior 18 liters
Solomon 20 liters
Sovereign 25 liters
Primat 27 liters
Melchizedek 30 liters

The above list is based on Burgundy and Rhne bottles. Keep in mind those sizes will vary based
on the shape of the bottle. Bordeaux and Champagne bottles use a slightlydifferent scale.

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 Bottle shapes and sizes play an important
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and the different categories they belong to.

OTHER POPULAR POST: Learn about the various glass

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 Shipwrecked 1907 Heidsieck

Imagine sipping from a flute containing the precious liquid that was until recently trapped in a sunken ship under the
sea. That is exactly the story that one of the worlds most expensive champagnes, the 1907 Shipwrecked Heidsieck, has
to offer. For sure, this is a fittingly romantic tale to go along with this legendary bubbly. How did these events come
about? What was the asking price for this salvaged treasure? Here is a quick glance into this intriguing tale.

The Tale

It was during the first World War that Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, commissioned a Swedish freighter to deliver wine and of
course the 1907 Heidsieck champagne. It was 1916 and in the midst of war, a German submarine hit the freighter. The
ship and its precious cargo were hereby sentenced to remain under the sea. It would be 80 years or so before the
shipwreck would be found and its contents reclaimed. Salvaged off the coast of Finland in 1998, the bottles of
champagne were to be sold at auction and would fetch astronomical prices.

The Price

The 1907 Shipwrecked Heidsieck became one of the worlds most expensive bottles of champagne when it went to
action in Russia. Sold at one auction held at the Ritz Carlton in Moscow, one bottle of champagne went for $275,000.
The history, age and of course the intriguing tale of the bottle aided in pushing its value to this level. Total there were
2000 bottles of spirits recovered from the wreckage. While all sold at high to record prices, the 1907 Heidsieck fetched
the highest price and title of one of the words most expensive bottles of champagne.

Champagne has long been held as the king of all wines and dare I say, spirits. This fascinating story of the 1907
Heidsieck brings this particular bottle to a new plane. The proud owners of this fantastic discovery hold in their
possession a rare piece of delicious history. After all, who can say that they own a bottle of fine champagne stored and
aged for over 80 years in the frigid waters of the Gulf of Finland? At least one person can.

Wine bottles come in all shapes and sizes, from tall and slender to short and stout. And while the bottle shape
doesnt make a difference in terms of impacting the wines flavor, the bottle chosen does often represent a good
amount of history and tradition that reflects back to where the wine is made.

While there are hundreds of different bottle shapes, most winemakers choose to go with one of these three: the
Bordeaux Bottle, the Burgundy Bottle and theAlsace/Mosel Bottle. Heres an easy explanation of how each
came to be:

Dom Prignon; French pronunciation: is a brand of vintage Champagne produced by the

Champagne houseMot & Chandon and serves as that house's prestige champagne.
It is named after Dom Prignon, a Benedictine monk who was an important quality
pioneer for Champagne wine but who, contrary to popular myths, did not discover the
champagne method for makingsparkling wines.[1]

History
Dom Prignon (16381715) was a monk and cellar master at the Benedictine abbey in Hautvillers. He pioneered a
number of winemaking techniques around 1670being the first to blend grapes in such a way as to improve the
quality of wines, balance one element with another in order to make a better whole, and deal with a number of their
imperfections; perfecting the art of producing clear white wines from black grapes by clever manipulation of the
presses; enhancing the tendency of Champagne wines to retain their natural sugar in order to naturally induce
secondary fermentation in the Spring; being a master at deciding when to bottle these wines in order to capture the
bubble. He also introduced corks (instead of wood), which were fastened to bottles with hemp string soaked in oil in
order to keep the wines fresh and sparkling, and used thicker glass in order to strengthen the bottles (which were
prone to explode at that time).[2] The development of sparkling wines as the main style of production in Champagne
occurred progressively in the 19th century, more than a century after Dom Prignon's death.
Dom Pierre Prignon, aBenedictine monk

Dom Prignon was the first prestige cuve Champagne introduced, an idea proposed by Englishman Laurence
Venn.[3] The first vintage of Dom Prignon was 1921 and was only released for sale in 1936, sailing to New York in
the liner Normandie.[4] The brand, not exploited, was given by Champagne Mercier to Mot in 1927 for a wedding
between the two families.

Bottle of Dom Prignon

In 1935, 300 bottles of a 1926-vintage precursor to Dom Prignon were sold to Simon Bros. & Co., the company
that imported Mot in the United Kingdom, who gave two bottles to each of their 150 best customers to
commemorate their centenary. While these bottles were almost identical to the subsequent Dom Prignon releases,
they did not display the Dom Prignon name, rather "Champagne specially shipped for Simon Brothers & Co's
Centenary 1835-1935." The wine got immediate attention in the marketplace and 100 boxes of the 1921 vintage
were shipped to the United States shortly thereafter, this time displaying the Dom Prignon name.[5]James
Buchanan Duke, the billionaire who had founded the American Tobacco Company, ordered 100 bottles for himself.
The 17 bottles sold at an auction in Christie's in New York City in June 2004 were part of that order (Doris Duke, the
billionaires daughter, had kept them in her cellar). According to current Dom Prignon cellar master Richard
Geoffroy (2012), who has been Chef de Cave for Dom Prignon since 1990, the 1921 vintage had a "distinctive
bouquet comprising sandalwood, vanilla and praline".[6]
Until the 1943 vintage, Dom Prignon was produced from regular vintage Mot & Chandon Champagne that was
transferred to the special 18th century-style bottles after extended cellaring. It was, thus, effectively an "oenothque"
release of Mot & Chandon Vintage Champagne in a different bottle. From the 1947 vintage, Dom Prignon has
been produced separately from the start.[7]
In 1971, the Shah of Iran ordered several bottles of the first vintage of Dom Prignon Ros (the 1959) for the 2,500
year celebration of the Persian Empire. A bottle of that champagne, from that order, was sold at auction for 24,758
in 2008.[8]
In 1981, Dom Prignon was chosen for the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles. The magnums of
Dom Prignon Vintage 1961 served on that July 29 carried a special insignia created just for the ceremony.[9]

Vintages
Dom Prignon is always a vintage champagne, meaning that it is not made in weak years, and all grapes used to
make the wine were harvested in the same year. [10]
From 1921 to 2005, Dom Prignon champagne has been produced in 41 vintages. More than two vintage years in a
row used to be a rare phenomenon, which until 2004 had only occurred three times: in 1969, 1970, and 1971; in
1998, 1999, and 2000; in 2002, 2003, and 2004. 2005 marked the first time when four vintages had been produced
in a row.
The 41 white Dom Prignon vintages up to 2006 are: 1921, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953,
1955, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988,
1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.[11]
Since 1959 a ros version of Dom Prignon is also produced. 24 Dom Prignon Ros vintages have been produced
until 2004: 1959, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1986 (the only ros vintage
where the white version was not produced), 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, and
2004.[11]

Style
Dom Prignon is always an assemblage of Pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes, although the final composition
changes every vintage: at times a blend in perfectly equal proportions (e.g. 1990 Ros), at times up to 60%
Chardonnay (1982) or 60% Pinot noir (1969), and only once going over 60% (with 65% Chardonnay in 1970).[12]
According to Richard Geoffroy's Manifesto and blog: "Dom Prignon expresses its first plnitude after seven years
in the cellar", with a second plnitude 12 to 15 years after the vintage (first nothque release) and a third
plnitude after 30 to 40 years (second nothque release).[13][14] The grapes entering the blend come from the best,
most sunlit sites. Serena Sutcliffe comments: "With age, Dom Prignon takes on a totally seductive fresh-toast-and-
coffee bouquet, one of the most intriguing scents in Champagne."[4]

Current production[edit]
The number of bottles produced in each vintage is not precisely defined (at least 2 million[15][16][3]).
As of November 2015, the current release of Dom Prignon is from the 2006 vintage and the current release of Dom
Prignon Ros is from the 2004 vintage. [11]

Auction market[edit]
Dom Prignon is often traded at wine auctions. A recent wave of auction price records started in 2004, with the sale
of the Doris Duke collection at Christies in New York City. Three bottles of Dom Prignon 1921 sold for US$24,675.
In 2008, two sales held by Acker Merrall & Condit also left their mark on the history of Dom Prignon, with three
magnums of Dom Prignon nothque (1966, 1973 and 1976) selling for US$93,260 in Hong Kong, and a lot of
two bottles of the legendary Dom Prignon Ros Vintage 1959 selling for US$84,700 in New York. Only 306 bottles
of the 1959 Ros Vintage were produced, and they were never sold. In 1971, it was served in Persepolis at the
lavish festivities celebrating the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great.[17]

On April 17, 2010 a new record was set for a sale of wine in Britain according to The Daily Telegraph. A buyer would
have spent more than 35,000 for Methuselah (6 litre) 1996 Dom Perignon Champagne Rose (Rose Gold). This
transaction took place at the Westbury Hotel at a party that followed the screening of the new film, Boogie
Woogie.[18]
A vertical of Dom Prignon Ros nothque, a world premiere release from the reserve cellar of Dom Prignon,
never commercially released before, was sold at a record price at a wine auction organized by Sotheby's in Hong
Kong in May 2010.[19] The 30 bottle lot of Dom Prignon nothque Ros bottles and magnums from 1966, 1978,
1982, 1985, 1988, and 1990 achieved HK$1,331,000 (US$170,641), setting the world auction record for a single lot
of champagne and is the first HK$1 million lot of wine Sothebys has sold in Hong Kong.