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Wine bottles

What Type of Bottle ?

Different varieties of wine are typically found in different bottle shapes.  We summarised of the most common bottle types:

• Bordeaux        A very popular and versatile bottle shape, visible in the image on right side. Suitable for dry reds, dry whites, and sweet whites, this style is the traditional bottle for wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Sauvignonn Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Semillon, and Sauterne grapes.
• Burgundy        An elegant, sloped shoulder bottle used for Pinot Noirs, Aligotés, and Chardonnays. Also known as Bourgogne.
• Rhone              Primarily for reds. Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, and New World Shiraz wines typically use this bottle.
• Champagne    The classic bottle shape for champagnes.
• Côtes de Provence  Used for rosé and sometimes for reds.
• Mosel               Also known as Hoch, Rhine, or Alsace. 
• Fortified           For fortified wines including Port, Vermouth, Madeira, and Marsala.

Bottle Sizes

The industry standard volume for wine bottles is 750 milliliters, or 0.75 liters. The "standard bottle" or "bottle" is sometimes used as a unit of measure in of itself. However, other sizes are readily available. 

Common sizes include:

Split Bottle              187 ml 

Half Bottle               375 ml 

Standard Bottle      750 ml

Magnum                  1.5 liters 

Double Magnum     4 liters

Jeroboam                3.0  - 4.5 liters (sparkling wine bottles at the Jeroboam level will hold 3 liters, while still wines will hold 4.5 liters)

Rehoboam              6 liters

Imperial                   8 liters

Methuselah             8 liters

Salmanazar            9 liters

Balthazar              12 liters

What Color Glass ?

The color of a wine bottle is both a stylistic and practical choice. Darker colors like amber and champagne green protect the wine from ultraviolet rays and signify a more classic, traditional style. These are typically used for Pinot Noirs, Merlots, and other reds.  Lighter colored bottles are meant to show off the color of the wines they contain. For example, White Zinfandels and rosés usually come in clear bottles so buyers can see their characteristic pink color. Similarly, sparkling whites are typically seen in dead leaf green bottles.

Blue bottles are more rarely seen for wines. They can be a bold, unique choice to give your wine a distinctive look. A note of caution: lighter colors like blue, dead leaf green, and clear do not do as much to protect against UV rays and are recommended for use with wines that are not meant to be aged, but rather consumed quickly.

Punt or No Punt ?

The punt, or "kick up" is an indention at the base of the bottle that adds weight and volume. This can translate into heightening the perceived quality of the wine. 

How the Bottle Market Works in the US

The largest bottle manufacturers in North America are Owens-Illinois® and Vitro®. However these companies deal in very large orders and sell to distributors instead of directly to small businesses.   Most of the largest domestic distributors are based in California, but they aren't the only sources out there.   Other suppliers are spread out across the country and may offer better prices and service but can be difficult to contact or even find out about. An alternative is to buy from international manufacturers.