There’s no question that there’s a lot to be learned about wine. If you’re a novice wine enthusiast, you may not realize that just having an understanding of the bottles themselves can tell you a lot about the wine you’re about to drink. Here are some common shapes and sizes for red wine bottles.
The Bordeaux Bottle – The Bordeaux bottle is high shouldered bottle. This bottle is typically used to bottle Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Bordeaux and Meritage varieties. It is a very commonly used red wine bottle.
The Burgundy Bottle is most commonly used to bottle Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Most wines that come from the Loire Valley use this type of bottle, too.
Finally, the Hoch bottle is commonly used in Germany and the Alsace region of France. The bottle is usually green. You’ll find most all Rieslings bottled in this shape, and most Gewurtraminer wines, as well.
You may also want to check out the size of the bottles you choose, as well. There is no standard wine bottle size. Most German wine bottles are 0.70 liters. Some bottles from Alsace are 0.72 liters.
You may remember the typical Chianti bottle from Italian restaurants many years ago. These bottles were short and squat and usually contained in a basket. Today, most Chianti wines are bottled in a Bordeaux or Burgundy bottle.
Before 1945 French wine bottles held 0.80 liters, and it is still a common measure for Burgundy, Champagne and Rhone wines. The measure used for Bordeaux and most Californian wines is .075 liters. The size of the bottle is commonly printed on the bottom.
Many people collect wine bottles. Some are interested in only one style, while other people choose to collect wine bottles of all shapes and sizes.
Wine bottles are commonly used to make other items, too. For example, there are many candle toppers that fit right in your wine bottle to make a great candleholder for your kitchen table.
There are also some great tabletop fountains made from wine bottles. You can find artisans in many areas that can make a beautiful fountain with water coming through the bottle of wine and pouring into a glass. Fountains like these are a great way to showcase a special wine bottle from an engagement, wedding or anniversary.
Wine bottles can tell us a lot about the wine we’re drinking. But, they can also do so much more than house our favorite bottles of wine. Some of them are quite beautiful and can be keepsakes or collectibles all on their own.
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