Stop and Smell the Rosé: An Object Lesson on Wine Bottles (Whitney Johnson)

Stop and Smell the Rosé: An Object Lesson on Wine Bottles

Back in January, I took a Winter Term on the French Revolution, and I got to visit Europe for the first time and spend ten days in Paris. Within the first day of our arrival, I visited a cute little wine shop just down the street from our hotel. I am not sure what I expected, but I was definitely surprised. The entire store was smaller than the size of my bedroom, and the walls were lined from floor to ceiling with wooden lattice wine racks. Cradled in the nooks of the lattice shelves were wine bottles with hundreds of different shapes and sizes and colors. I was awestruck by the aesthetic beauty of the multitude of bottles that dazzled the little shop around me. As I spent more time walking around in the city, I realized that there were little shops like this everywhere.

While still in Paris, for lunch one day, some companions and I stopped for lunch at an inconspicuous Italian restaurant on a busy street. As soon as we walked into the little restaurant, I was enamored by the massive wine rack that stood by the front door. Like in the wine shop, the rack displayed a wide array of different bottles. The rack and bottles had a similar aesthetic quality to that of the wine shop. As we enjoyed our pasta, I noticed a man at the table next to us finishing his meal, and on his table was an empty wine glass, and another that was almost empty. All around the little restaurant, colorful wine bottles dotted the larger tables as families and friends conversed over their pasta and wine. This scene was not unique, as I experienced something similar at all of the restaurants where I ate in Paris.

The element that struck me most about wine culture in Paris is how casual it is. Wine bottles littered the tables of restaurants, and all around me, I saw people drinking wine, no matter what the time of day, and it was no big deal. Of course, I imbibed as well, and I quickly realized that my American body did not have the tolerance to enjoy wine as I saw Parisians doing. In Paris, wine and wine bottles were everywhere. These bottles represent hundreds of years of culture—not just the culture that enjoys the contents of the bottle, but also the cultures that created the bottles.

While there is some argument that different shaped wine bottles have different effects on the wine itself, the best explanation for variation in bottle shapes is tradition (“Wine Bottle Shapes: Just The Facts”). Back when these glass bottles were originally created, they had to be blown by hand (Roveda). Different regions created different shaped wine bottles, and each region had their own unique glass blowing techniques, which accounts for the different shaped bottles (Roveda). For the most part, the wine itself is not be affected by the shape of the bottle that it is in; usually, modern wine makers use certain shaped bottles for certain wines solely for the sake of tradition (“Wine Bottle Shapes: Just The Facts”). The only exception for wines absolutely needing to be in a certain shaped bottle is sparkling wines, which are more delicate due to being under high pressure (Roveda). What most shapes of wine bottles have in common is that they can be stored on their side where the wine can make contact with the cork, “ensuring a perfect oxygen free seal” (Teeter).

Today, most bottles are automatically manufactured; however, some wine bottles are still made by hand, using the same techniques as the original bottle manufacturers (“The History, Art, and Science of the Wine Bottle”). Regardless of whether they are produced by hand or machine, construction begins in a furnace where the molten glass is molded in a process known as “hot end process” (“The History, Art, and Science of the Wine Bottle”). Next, in the “press-and-blow” step, a blade cuts and then shapes the glass into a mold (“The History, Art, and Science of the Wine Bottle”). After assuming the form of the original mold, the glass is moved into a second mold where it is then blown into the shape of the bottle (“The History, Art, and Science of the Wine Bottle.”). Before the days of automatic manufacturing, the bottom of the bottle is where the glassmakers attached their pontil when making the bottles (“Wine Bottle Shapes: Just The Facts”). This would leave a dimple, known as the punt, and little punt marks on the bottom of the bottle, and these indentions also gave the bottle stability (“Wine Bottle Shapes: Just The Facts”). Today, the punt still remains on the bottom of most wine bottles, although mostly for aesthetic, not practical, purposes.

Perhaps the most common type of wine bottle today is the Bordeaux. The bottle is named for the port city in southwest France from where it originates. These bottles house a wide variety of wines, most commonly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and they are often found in a variety of colors (Czuba). The Bordeaux is distinguished by its high shoulders and straight sides. Some suggest that the Bordeaux’s distinctive qualities were purposefully done so as to distinguish it from the Burgundy bottle (Teeter).

Before the Bordeaux bottle came the Burgundy bottle, which was invented sometime in the 1800s (Teeter). Indicated by its name, the Burgundy bottle originated in Burgundy, a region in east central France. Burgundy bottles are usually dark green, and they are typically used for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (Czuba). Its wide base and gently sloping shoulders distinguish Burgundy from other bottles.

Shortly after the Bordeaux bottle came the Alsace/Mosel bottle (Teeter). The bottle is named for Alsace, a wine region in France, and Mosel, a wine region in Germany. Generally, these bottles are used for Rieslings, and they are brown or clear (Czuba). The Alsace/Mosel bottle is most commonly known for it being tall and thin, with gently sloping shoulders.

The Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Alsace/Mosel wine bottles are just a few of the most common shapes of wine bottles among a large variety. These bottles, among others, reflect the cultures in which they were produced. Today, many wines are bottled in bottles whose origins they have no connection. In the reproduction of bottles with such a rich historical context, the original cultures in which these bottles were produced live on.

Below is the anatomy of a wine bottle. Note the names of the parts: closure, mouth, lip, capsule, neck, shoulder, label, body, heel, and punt (“The Anatomy Of A Wine Bottle: Know A Wine Bottle Head To Toe.”). The majority of these names are also the names of human body parts. The wine bottle itself resembles the human body. Perhaps that is why we find wine bottles so aesthetically pleasing, our narcissism gets the better of us, and we see ourselves in them.

Like they do with different shapes, wine bottles come in a wide, aesthetically pleasing, array of colors. Apparently, colored bottles have been used by wine makers since the eighteenth century (“The Meaning Behind Colored Wine Bottles”). Different colored bottles are used to control the amount of light that hits the wine, as extreme exposure to light can alter the wine and change the color, aroma, or taste (“The Meaning Behind Colored Wine Bottles”). Generally, this is why it is recommended to store wine bottles in a cool, dark place, so as to protect the wine that is in them. While different colored bottles are used to protect the wine inside of them, like bottle shapes, bottle colors are primarily attributed to tradition (“The Meaning Behind Colored Wine Bottles”).

Unlike Parisian wine culture, another wine culture that I have experienced pays almost no attention to wine bottle color or shape: college wine culture. Often times at DePauw parties, I have encountered a game of “Slap the Bag.” In this game, one walks around with the bag from a box of wine. Anyone who wants to play can simply approach the bag, chug all the wine that they want directly from the spigot, and then slap the bag when they have had enough. In this consumption of wine, the elegant and beautiful wine bottle is completely absent. The disregard of the wine bottle speaks volumes about college wine culture. Unlike in France, there is not a rich history or tradition of students consuming wine. Generally, at parties, college students do not drink to enjoy the alcohol itself—they drink to get drunk.

While boxes wines traditionally hold 3-5 liters, there is a wide array of sizes of wine bottles. A standard wine bottle is 750 milliliters, and its size is creatively named “Standard.” From there, the bottle size progresses to a “Magnum,” which is the equivalent of two Standard bottles (Traditional Champagne Bottle Size Chart and Measurements. Demi to Melchizedek”). Interestingly, the sizes following “Magnum” are named after well-known biblical patriarchs and kings, including “Rehoboam,” “Nebuchadnezzar,” and “Solomon” (Harding). The greatness of the men for which the bottles are named supposedly attests to the grandeur of the sizes of the bottles and the worthiness of the wine within the, (Harding). Some of the stories of the men for which the bottle sizes are named have a relevant significance to the size of the bottles.

For instance, the Methuselah bottle is 6 liters, or the size of 8 standard bottles (Harding). Genesis chapter 5 lists the descendants from Adam to Noah. Methuselah was the grandfather of Noah. According to Genesis 5:27, he “lived 969 years, and then he died,” and he is the recorded oldest man in the bible (“Genesis 5:27”). According to Mental Floss, “It's possible that whoever named this bottle of wine knew that a bottle this big would take a long time to age” (Harding). Thus, Methuselah is a fitting name for this above-average sized wine bottle.

Mental Floss cites the “Melchizedek,” or “Midas,” as the largest sized bottle, at a whopping 30 liters (Harding). For reference, this is the size of 40 standard bottles. Genesis 14:18 refers to Melchizedek as a “priest of God Most High,” and he blesses Abram, a key figure in the Old Testament (“Genesis 14:18”). Because of his role as priest, “many see him as leading a perfect life, and some even see him as an extension of the Holy Spirit or Jesus himself” (Harding) Of course, it is fitting that this immensely large bottle is named after such a highly revered figure. Further, in Greek mythology, Midas is a king with an affinity for wealth, and he is granted the ability to turn anything that he touches into gold. This name is also fitting, as it attests to the grandeur and excess of such a high-capacity bottle.

At home, I enjoy wine from Standard sized bottles. After being sent home from DePauw due to Coronavirus concerns and being mostly confined to my home because of the governor’s stay-at-home order, found often found myself extremely bored. Being stuck at home with nothing better to do, I started drinking a lot more wine than I used to. I will go to CVS, pick up a cheap bottle or two, pop them directly in the refrigerator, and a couple of days later, after the wine is gone, the bottle ends up in the trash. I am not a connoisseur by any stretch, and I pick my wines based on what tastes good and what is cheap. In this way, my wine consumption at home reflects college wine culture in that I do not really care about the bottle, except that it holds the wine that I like.

Unlike my personal wine consumption at home, my family’s collective wine culture is similar to that which I experienced in Paris. Many times, for holidays, my family will receive wine as a gift. These bottles are typically more ornate and expensive than the clear Bordeaux bottles that I buy for myself at CVS, and they usually greatly differ in regard to shapes, sizes, and colors. Because of these differences, these gifted wines and their bottles possess a certain aesthetic beauty that the cheap bottles of wine that I usually buy do not, as the glass bottles and elaborate labels are beautiful to look at. Because these wines are higher quality, we save them for special occasions, and the majority of the year, they just sit on the wine rack in our kitchen, collecting dust and the gazes of those who behold them.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the wine bottle is its label. The label contains all of the essential information about a wine, and it represents information about the wine’s origins, which is where the wine gets its value. No matter how similar the contents of the bottle may truly be, the label on the bottle itself and the information that it represents determines the value of its contents.

Below is a picture of my current favorite wine, Pretty in Pink, from French Lick Winery. The label contains information about its name, producer, place of production, grape variety, alcohol content, and even a tip about how it should be served: slightly chilled with friends and family (“Pretty in Pink”). French Lick Winery’s website lists its price as $9.81 (“Pretty in Pink”). Also below is a wine that my family received as a gift last Christmas from one of my dad’s business associates. This label contains similar information to that of Pretty in Pink. This Silver Oak wine lists its name, producer, place of production, grape variety, and its vintage, or the year that its grapes were grown. Silver Oak’s website lists its price as $125 (“2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon”). Both bottles are Standard, 750 milliliters, yet their prices are radically different, as the information represented on the respective bottles gives the wines vastly different values.

Wine bottles have an extensive past and present, and I have barely scratched the surface. Whether the next time you choose to enjoy wine is at a party, on a holiday, or even tonight, next time you do, take some time to appreciate the bottle.

Works Cited

“2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.” Silver Oak, https://silveroak.com/shop/p/2015-napa-valley-cabernet-sauvignon/. Accessed 12 May 2020.

“The Anatomy Of A Wine Bottle: Know A Wine Bottle Head To Toe.” Wine & Spirits Academy, https://www.winesandspiritsacademy.com/blog/wine-bottle-anatomy/. Accessed 12 May 2020.

Czuba, Fred. “Bottle Basics.” WineMaker, https://winemakermag.com/article/101-bottle-basics. Accessed 12 May 2020.

“Genesis 5:27.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/genesis/5-27.htm. Accessed 12 May 2020.

“Genesis 14:18.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/genesis/14-18.htm. Accessed 12 May 2020.

Harding, Hayley. “The Names of 11 Huge Wine Bottles.” Mental Floss, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/64299/names-11-huge-wine-bottles. Accessed 12 May 2020.

“The History, Art, and Science of the Wine Bottle.” Bordeaux Magazine, https://www.bordeaux.com/us/Bordeaux-Magazine-US/Journal/Education/The-History-Art-and-Science-of-the-Wine-Bottle. Accessed 12 May 2020.

 “The Meaning Behind Colored Wine Bottles.” Chateau Grand Traverse, https://cgtwines.com/coloredbottles/. Accessed 12 May 2020.

“Pretty in Pink.” French Lick Winery, https://frenchlickwinery.com/wine-blog/coco-pretty-in-pink. Accessed 12 May 2020.

Roveda, Simone. “Wine Bottle Shapes: Why Are They So Different?” Winery Lovers, http://winerylovers.club/wine-bottle-shapes/. Accessed 12 May 2020.

Teeter, Adam. “Why Wine Bottles Come In Different Shapes.” VinePair, https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/why-wine-bottles-come-in-different-shapes/. Accessed 12 May 2020.

“Traditional Champagne Bottle Size Chart and Measurements. Demi to Melchizedek.” Tenzing, http://www.tenzingws.com/blog/2015/12/29/traditional-champagne-bottle-size-chart-and-measurements-demi-to-melchizedek. Accessed 12 May 2020.

“Wine Bottle Shapes: Just The Facts.” NewAir, https://www.newair.com/blogs/learn/wine-bottle-shapes. Accessed 12 May 2020.