Wine Bottles

As I type the title, I can't help but think of the "Kittens" video. If you haven't seen the "KittensInspired by Kittens" video, please start by watching that on YouTube. It pictures kittens as wine bottles, as narrated by a child (this also sums up my college YouTube life, so brace yourself). 

Now that we have that completed, let's talk about wine bottles.

There are many different things to consider with wine bottles - color, shape, punt. Ultimately none really matter to the final product, but it is fun to know the differences.

Color: Do you want Champagne green, antique green, or dead-leaf green? What about clear, or frosted, or blue? How does one decide? Typically all wine should be in a darker bottle. Clear bottles are not good (especially for reds), unless you plan to drink it quickly, as light exposure can harm the wine. Kind of like a tanning bed. As far as greens go, I work in a winery, and can still not tell you the difference between dead-leaf green and antique green. Us wine drinkers should focus more on our senses of smell and taste over sight anyways.

Shape: The main two table wine shapes are named after the famous regions: Bordeaux and Burgundy. Bordeaux is supposed to be the masculine bottle with shoulders, while the Burgundy bottle is feminine and smooth. Typically the wine follows suit where Bordeaux varietals are in Bordeaux bottles (think Cab Sauv, Merlot) and Burgundy are in Burgundy (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir). Easy enough, right? Then, you have Germany come into the picture with Riesling. I guess they decided those bottle options weren't good enough so they created a Riesling bottle which is super slender and tall. It is usually blue and is very elegant. The problem is that it doesn't fit in cabinets or my refrigerator well. 

Punt: This is the indention in the bottom of the bottle. There isn't really an agreed upon purpose, but its a good anatomy of the wine bottle term to know. Then you can impress people by saying things like "The punt on this wine bottle is very large."

Curious about how large you can get a wine bottle? Stay tuned.

Cheers to enjoying your wine bottle the next time you pop one open!