Why Do Wine Bottles Come In Different Shapes?

By Alex Russell on October 30, 2015 in Food

There are loads of different wine bottle shapes, but, in essence, there are three main types: the tall, slim ones that are often used for Riesling (German/Alsatian bottles); the ones with the straight sides and shoulders (Bordeaux bottles) and the ones with a fatter bottom and tapered shoulders (Burgundy bottles).

Variations exist. Rhône bottles are similar to Burgundy bottles, although they’re a bit sturdier and some (e.g. Châteauneuf du Pape) have coats of arms in the glass. Champagne bottles are essentially a thickened variation of Burgundy bottles. Port bottles aren’t that different to Bordeaux bottles. And then there are the weird ones, such as Sami-Odi in the Barossa and Mateus Rosé.

So why do the different shapes exist?

Shoulders

Traditionally, the Bordeaux reds have required the shoulders. Bordeaux wine requires ageing and the reds usually ‘throw a crust’, or develop sediment in the bottle. Ditto for Ports, which is why they share a similar bottle shape.

This sediment is perfectly natural, but it’s not nice having a mouthful of it. If these wines were in a bottle with a tapered shoulder (like the Riesling or Burgundy bottles), this sediment would go straight into the decanter, into your glass if not decanting, or straight into your mouth if you’re being really classy.

This is why these wines are supposed to rest in a cellar (it lets the sediment settle on one side of the bottle) and then poured with that side down – it helps it settle from the wine, rather than being mixed in again.

When pouring, you’re supposed to look to see if the sediment is coming out with the wine. The idea is that the shoulders help catch some of this sediment before it reaches the neck.

If you want to be really romantic about it, this pouring is usually done with a lit candle behind the neck as a light source to see the sediment.

Burgundy Versus Riesling Bottles

Wines from Burgundy and Germany/Alsace don’t tend to throw a crust, or, at least, not as much crust, so the shoulders aren’t necessary. So why have different shapes? I’ve read that transporting wines from Germany was a more gentle process than doing so from Burgundy, so the Burgundy bottles needed reinforcement (the ‘punt’ in the bottom helps with this).

Does It Really Matter?

These days, how many of us cellar a wine for a decade or more before drinking it? How many of us decant slowly with a lit candle behind the bottle? Hasn’t wine transport generally gotten better? Sure. So is any of this necessary?

As with many wine things, it’s all about tradition. New World producers tend to release their Cabernets in the traditional Bordeaux bottle, Rieslings (and related styles) tend to be in Riesling bottles, etc.

But this isn’t always the case. Yarra Yering makes one of my favourite Pinots. It’s not cheap, either, at about $80. And yet they use a bottle with shoulders for it. Does it really matter? I certainly wouldn’t suggest they change anything.