Wine bottle types - does it really matter?

In my opinion different wine bottle types make drinking wine more fun. But... does it really matter?

For my own purposes I use whatever bottles I happen to have lying around in my attic or garage.

But... there are some rules that commercial and regional bottlers follow.

There are four main bottle shapes that are named for the types of wine that have traditionally been put in them. The two most widely known are the �Burgundy� and �Bordeaux� bottle.

The Bordeaux Bottle is tall and has sharp shoulders and the color of the bottle tells you what type of wine is inside. A red wine will be in a dark forest green bottle. A white wine will be in a clear bottle.

The most common types of wine you will find in a Bordeaux Bottle include: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel

The Burgundy Bottle has sloping shoulders and comes in several colors but the color usually associated with this bottle is a green or olive.

The most common types of wine you will find in a Burgundy Bottle: Chardonnay, Marsanne, Petite Sirah, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Viognier

The Hock or German wine and Champagne shaped bottles take second place in popularity.

The German wine bottles are tall and slender and are usually brown or green in color although I have seen blue also. You will often find sweet or dessert wines in this type of wine bottle.

The Champagne bottles are going to be heavy bottomed, thick lipped and dark green.... if this description is bringing to mind a hazy view of a wavering champagne bottle mixed with the dull thud of a headache... then you obviously had a great New Years Eve!!

The Champagne bottle shape is the only one that actually has a scientific reason behind it. It has thicker glass and a high punt (the indentation on the bottom of the bottle) that makes it structurally sound and able to withstand the five atmospheres of pressure that you will find in Champagne or sparkling wines.

The most common size today is the 750 ml bottle... but I like to use gallon jugs with a handle on them myself. Makes passing it around the camp fire a lot easier!

So don't worry that you might be using the wrong bottle for your current batch of home made wine. Different wine bottle types do not make a difference in how fabulous your home made wine is going to taste!!

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