Wine Bottle Sizes

While There Are Thousands Of Grape Varieties And Dozens Of Wine Glass Styles To Suit
Different Types Of Wine, There Are Only A Few Standard Wine Bottle Shapes And Sizes.
In Short, Different Bottle Sizes Don’t Mean Better Wine Quality, Although Smaller
Bottles Are Believed To Hasten The Ageing Process. Different Types Of Wine Bottles Are
The Result Of Various Traditional Glassblowing Methods Across Regions, Rather Than
Winemakers’ Attempts At Enhancing The Quality Of Wine. As With Sizes, The Shape Of
Wine Bottles Is More Or Less Standardised Across The World. They Are Named After
The Wine Regions Where They Were Originally Developed And Used To Store The
Flagship Wine Of These Regions.

Glass Making

Glassblowing Is A Glass Forming Technique That Involves Inflating Molten Glass Into A
Bubble (Or Parison) With The Aid Of A Blowpipe (Or Blow Tube). A Person Who Blows
Glass Is Called A Glassblower, Glass Smith, Or Gaffer. A Lamp Worker (Often Also Called
A Glassblower Or Glassworker) Manipulates Glass With The Use Of A Torch On A
Smaller Scale, Such As In Producing Precision Laboratory Glassware Out Of Borosilicate
Glass

Parts Of Wine Bottles

Closure

Closures Are Used To Seal Wine Bottles Shut. There Are Several Types Of These
Closures Such As Cork Closures And Screw Cap.
Capsule: This Is The Word For The Foil Or Thin Metal Wrapping That Goes Around The
Closure – You Know, The Part You Have To Cut Through In Order To Pry Out The Cork
With Your Corkscrew, Or That’s Attached To The Screw Cap.

Ring
It’s Also Called “Crown”. In Past, It Was Used For Anchoring The Cork To The Bottle
With Strings Or For A Better Grip Of The Sealing Wax.

Neck
It’s The Narrowest Part Of The Bottle, Where The Opening For Pouring Is. Neck, Below
The Closure, Is A Delicate Part Of The Bottle Which Is Used As A Grip To Hold It. The
Perfect Level Of Wine Is When It Reaches To The Neck. If The Wine-Level Is Lower Than
Bottle’s Neck, Either The Wine Has Leaked Out Or Evaporated Through The Cork During
The Ageing Period.

Shoulder
It’s The Link Between Neck And Body. The Shoulder Is Important For Pouring And
Settling. The Shoulder Is The Slopping Part After Neck. There Are Standard Descriptors
Of Shoulder Levels, High Shoulder, Mid Shoulder And Low Shoulder Level. Shoulders
Are Not Same In All Bottles. Some Bottles Do Not Have Clear Shoulders (I.E. Burgundy,
Alsace) While Some Of Them Have More Conspicuous Shoulders

Body
Body Is The Main & The Biggest Part Of A Bottle. It Is Usually Cylindrical But Its
Diameter Can Vary. It Is Where The Wine Goes.

Label:

A Sticker On The Body Is A Label Where You Can Find Information About Wine Like A
Volume Of The Liquid, Alcohol Content By Volume, Vintage, Origin, Varietal, Etc.

Bottom
It Allows The Bottle To Keep A Vertical Position. There Is Also A Punt, More Or Less
Hollowed Out.

Punt :

Punts Don’t Contribute To The Quality Of Wine But They Often Come In Handy During
Wine Production And Service. Punts For Champagne And Sparkling Wines Are Deeper
Because They Strengthen The Glass That Needs To Withstand High Pressure. Punt Also
Magically Collects Sediments At The Bottom. With A Deep Punt, You Can Also Support
The Bottle More Easily With Your Thumb When Pouring. A Punt Adds To The Cost Of A
Bottle. It Is Cheaper To Produce A Bottle Without The Punt, As It Requires Less Glass.
Heel/Bottom

The Heel Is The Bottom Part Of A Bottle That Helps The Bottle To Stand Straight. The
Physical Shape Of All Wine Bottles Varies From One Another Based On The Type Of
Wine It Contains. Some Bottles Are Long, Some Are Short.

Wine Bottles Shapes

The Shape Of The Bottle Is Meant To Communicate The Style Of Wine To Consumers,
Though Some Prefer To Pick A Bottle Shape That Will Stand Out Instead. There Are
Many Classic Wine Bottle Shapes, Excluding The Unique Bottle Designs That Some
Producers Have Come Up With To Increase The "Instagramableness" And Boost Sales.
There Are, However, Three Distinct Bottle Shapes That Most Winemakers Choose To
Bottle Their Wines. The Burgundy Bottle, The Bordeaux Bottle And The Alsace/Mosel
Bottle. Why They Are Shaped The Way They Are And What Impact The Shape Has On
The Wine.

Burgundy Bottle

Burgundian-Shaped Bottle With Less Defined Shoulders At The Top And A Rounder
Appearance Toward Its Base. The Burgundy Bottle Is Most Often Used For Chardonnay
And Quite Often Sauvignon Blanc And Pinot Noir. It Has A Longer Neck Than The
Bordeaux Bottle And Distinctive Sloping Shoulders, Making It Resemble A Cone. The
Burgundy Bottle Is The Oldest Of Its Counterparts And Dates Back To The Early 19th
Century. A Classic And Elegant-Looking Bottle With Gentle Sloping Shoulders And A
Slightly Wider Body Than The Others. These Bottles Are Used For Chardonnay And
Pinot Noir. It Is Believed The Design For This Bottle Came About As It Was Easier For
Glassmakers To Create. The Colour Of A Traditional Burgundy Bottle Will Range From
Light To Dark Green (Brownish Looking). “Burgundy-Style” Bottles Are Slightly Fatter,
With More Sloping Shoulders, And Are Typically Used For The Traditional Burgundy
Grapes Pinot Noir And Chardonnay
The Bordeaux Bottle

Bordeaux Bottle Which Has Prominent Shoulders Toward Its Top And Tapers Straight
Down For A Narrower Base. The Bordeaux Bottle Has Very Clean Lines: Straight, Thin
Sides, With Very High, Distinct Shoulders. Some Say The High Shoulders Were Designed
To Catch The Sediment That Would Build Up In Older Bordeaux Wines, But This Has
Never Been Confirmed. Another Reason For The Difference In Shape Is Purely To
Differentiate It From Its Burgundian Cousin. It Is Now The Most-Popular-Shaped Bottle
Used The World Over, Housing Many Different Varieties, But Mainly Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot And The Bordeaux Whites Sauvignon Blanc And Semillon. This Is
Probably The Most Common Bottle You Will Come Across. The Body Of A Bordeaux
Bottle Has A Cylindric Shape, With Straight Sides And High Shoulders (The Link
Between The Body Of A Bottle And A Bottleneck). The Most Popular Style Of Wine In
Bordeaux Are Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot Blends, But You Will Find Most Wines Sold
In This Type Of Bottle. There Is A Theory That The Shoulder Of This Bottle Is Meant To
Catch Sediment Of Age-Worthy Wines Resting On Their Sides, But Has Been Debated.
So-Called “Bordeaux-Style” Bottles Have Straight Sides And Tall Shoulders, And Are
Typically Used For Wines Using Traditional Bordeaux Grapes Like Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot And Sauvignon Blanc. Bordeaux Producers Wanting A Pronounced Shoulder To
Trap Sediment When Pouring Wine, Or That Glassblowers Found It Easier To Make The
Burgundy Bottle
Rhone Bottles:

It Is Almost Similar To Burgundy Bottles But Bit Thinner And Taller Than Burgundy
Bottle. It Has A Longer Neck, Angular Sloping Shoulders And Used For Used For
Grenache & Syrah. It Is Typically Of Dark Green Color.

Mosel & Alsace/Hock/Rhine Bottle

Also Known As A Germanic Bottle, This Bottle Is Taller And Thinner Than Other Types,
With Gently Sloping Shoulders. The Main Grape Contained In Alsace Bottles Is Riesling.
Bottles Holding French Riesling Are Often Brown, While The Ones Used For German
Riesling Are More Often Green. It’s Taller And Thinner In Shape Compared To The Other
Bottles, With Gently Sloping Shoulders. The Color Is Green For German Wines And
Brown For French. The Main Grape Contained In This Type Of Bottle Is Riesling, Both
Dry And Sweet. It Is Also Known As A Germanic Bottle. This Bottle Is Taller And Thinner
Than Other Types, With Gently Sloping Shoulders. The Main Grape Contained In Alsace
Bottles Is Riesling. Bottles Holding French Riesling Are Often Brown, While The Ones
Used For German Riesling Are More Often Green. They Are Also Much Lighter And
Thinner Than The Burgundy And Bordeaux Bottles. The Reason For This Is The
Transportation Route These Wines Had To Take Across The Rhine River. River Boats
Were Small, So These Bottles Had To Be Thin And Light To Fit As Many Bottles In The
Boat As Possible. The Way To Tell The Difference Is That Alsace/Mosel Bottles Will Be
Green, While The Rhine Bottles Will Be A Dark Brown As Well As Slightly Thinner.
Champagne Bottle:

Also Called Bottle Full Of Joy And Happiness. It Wider In Shape With A Deeper Punt,
Gentle Sloping Shoulders And Made Of Thick Glass To Withstand Psi Pressure. The
Design Is Technical Rather Than For Style Like The Others. Deep Punt Provides
Structural Integrity And Facilitate One Hand Pour. Rosé Champagnes Typically Are
Green Or Colorless, Whereas Champagnes’ Color Codes Range From Medium Green To
Dark . The Color Is Usually Green, From Light To Dark. Bottles For Sparkling Wines Are
Especially Heavy, To Help Contain The High-Pressure Contents – As Much As 90 Pounds
Per Inch, Or 3 Times The Air Pressure In An Average Car Tire.

Bocksbeutel

It Is Commonly Used For Wines From Franconia In Germany, But Is Also Used For Some
Portuguese Wines, In Particular Rosés, Where The Bottle Is Called Cantil, And In Rare
Cases For Italian Wine And Greek Wine. It Is Easier To Carry Around And It Keeps The
Bottle From Rolling Away On Uneven Ground. It Has A Short Neck And A Flattened
Shape.
Jura Bottle

This Light Green Color Having The Bottom Half Of The Bottle Slightly Flared, While
The Top Half Features Inside Curved Shoulders That Gently Blend Into The Long Neck .
Typically Of Copper Gold Color And Typically House Liqueur, Sparkling Wine & Distilled
Brandy.

Vin Juane

This Bottle Is Short , Stocky And Heavily Built And This Bottle Is Only Authorised For
Vin Juane Wine. 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.

Chianti Aka Fiasco

It Has A Round Body, Bulged Bottom And Covered With A Straw Basket - The Basket
Around The Bottom Provides A Flat Base For The Glass And Extra Protection During
Transportation And Handling. These Bottles Are Outdated Now And Chianti Wines Are
Bottled In Bordeaux Bottles

Fortified Wine Bottle:

This Bottle Is Similar In Shape To The Bordeaux Bottle, With Straight Sides And High
Shoulders. The Only Difference Is The Bulge On The Neck Of The Bottle. It Also Has A
Deeper Punt To Collect Sediment, As Fortified Wines Can Age For A Very, Very Long
Time. The Closure Is Also Unique, Unlike A Generic Tall Cork, Fortified Wines Are Made
With A Cork Stopper That Allows You To Open And Reseal The Wine In An Easier
Manner.

Côtes De Provence

The Shape Is A Mix Between An Amphora Vessel And A Bowling Pin. It’s The Typical
Bottle For The Wines Of Côtes De Provence. In Italy, It’s Used For Verdicchio Wine. The
Glass For This Type Of Bottle Is Typically Transparent
Tokaji Bottle

It’s Used For Hungarian Tokaji And It Has A Capacity Of 0,5 L. Tall And Clear Bottles
With Punt , Slightly Longer Neck And Sloping Shoulders. White Wine From
The Tokaj Region In North Eastern Hungary Are Housed In These Bottles.

Mallet Bottle

It Was Used In 18th Century. It Has A Wider Body, Cylindrical Shape & Rounded Sloping
Shoulders , Bottle Has Olive-Green Tint And A Moulded Seal On The Body(Producer)
Onion Bottle

These Bottles Are Used In 17th & 18th Century. It Is Of Squat Form With A Wide Body
And Short Neck. It Is Of Small Size And Thin Dark Olive Green Glass That Makes It
Difficult To Transport & Store During That Times

Loire Bottle

Introduced In 18th Century In England. It Is Of Dark Amber Colour With A Wider Body
And Longer & Tapered Neck. Wines From Loire Also Get Housed In Bordeaux &
Burgundy Bottles. The Bottle Color Ranges From Amber To Dark Green Color Bottles

Ice Wine Bottle

Ice Wine Is A Type Of Dessert Wine Produced From Grapes That Have Been Frozen
While Still On The Vine. This Punt Style Bottle Is Tall, Thin & Of Slim Shape . It Houses
Ice Wines And Is Of Olive Green Color .
Marsala Bottle

It Houses Marsala , A Fortified Wine, From Marsala Region , Italy . It Is Higher And
Thinner With A Flared Neck. Color Of The Glass Is Typically Dark Brown Or Black.

Size Of Wine Bottles

There Are Twelve Sizes Of Wine Bottle, Ranging From 18.7 Cl (187 Ml) To 18 Litres -
Although Eu Legislation Currently Sets A Cap At 10 Litres For Still Wine And 9 Litres For
Sparkling Wine. Bottles Up To 3 Litres Are Simply Named After Their Sizes, While
Larger Bottles Derive Their Names From Biblical Figures. The Origin Of This Convention
Is Uncertain.

 18.7 Cl (187.5ml) Piccolo Or Split: A Bottle Commonly Used For Single Serves
In Convenience, Travel And Hospitality Sectors

 37.5 Cl (375 Ml) Demi Or Half: Equivalent To A Half A Standard Wine Bottle

 75 Cl (750 Ml) Standard Wine Bottle: The Bottle That You Will Most
Commonly Find On The Shelves Of Your Local Wine Retailer

 1.5 Litres Magnum: Holds The Equivalent Of Two Standard Wine Bottles

 3 Litres Double Magnum: Equals The Capacity Of Four Standard Wine Bottles

 4.5 Litres Jéroboam: Holds Six Standard Bottles Of Still Wine. For Sparkling
Wine A Jéroboam Usually Has The Capacity Of A Double Magnum And A 4.5-Litre
Bottle For Champagne And Sparkling Wine Is Called Rehoboam.

 6 Litres Impériale: Contains Eight Standard Bottles Of Still Wine. Its Equivalent
In Sparkling Wine Is Called Methuselah
 9 Litres Salmanazar: Equivalent To 12 Standard Bottles

 12 Litres Balthazar: Equivalent To 16 Standard Bottles

 15 Litres Nebuchadnezzar: Equivalent To 20 Standard Bottles

 18 Litres Solomon: Equivalent To 24 Standard Bottles

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