The different wine bottles

The wine bottle: the smoked glass bottle

In 1630, the knight Digby invented the thick, smoked-glass bottle, with a neck reinforced by a ring, which became the basis of the modern wine bottle.

The different shapes of bottles can tell us a great deal about the origin of their contents. In some regions, the use of a specific bottle shape is mandatory, and contributes to the visual identity of the appellation.

Nevertheless, many bottle shapes are victims of their own success and are used outside their place of origin. These include Bordeaux, Burgundy and Alsace bottles.

Parts of the bottle

The bottle, whatever its shape, is defined by a set of parts.

• The ring, slightly below the neck, surrounds the upper part of the bottle.
• The neck is the upper part, corresponding to the tapering part of the top. It is the link between the neck and the flared part of the bottle.
• Theshoulder is the flared part that connects the neck and the widest part of the bottle: the barrel.
• The barrel is the main and widest part of the bottle.
• The bottom of the bottle can be flat, piqué - convex - or semi-piqué.

The bordelaise: straight and severe

The Bordeaux bottle is the most common bottle shape in France and throughout the wine world.

It is found in the neighboring regions of the Southwest and Languedoc, as well as in South Africa, Chile, the United States, Italy, Crete, Austria and Hungary.

This bottle shape can therefore hold a wide variety of wines. It is characterized by a straight cylindrical shape with a high shoulder and a short neck.

Burgundy: round and massive

This bottle is mainly used for Burgundy wines, but is also found, with a few variations, in Savoie, Loire, Beaujolais, Languedoc and the Rhône Valley. It has also traveled outside France to serve as a container for wines from Italy, South Africa and New Zealand.

Its shape is reminiscent of a juggling club, with a shoulder in line with the neck. The whole forms a curve that leads to a heavier, more massive part than that of the Bordelaise.

The Alsatian flute: fine and elegant

This is the traditional Alsatian bottle. In the past, it was used in Germany to guarantee the origin and authenticity of a Rhine or Moselle wine. It was reserved for the Riesling grape variety.

Today, many producers are seduced by the elegant shape of this bottle, so you can find wines that don't come from Alsace, the Rhine or the Moselle.

Its slender shape is characterized by a length that blends with the neck and barrel of the bottle.