PL
In Vino, Veritas
Not Just a Bottle By Sassy Pellizzari
W
e recently co-hosted a fabulous wine dinner at Elliott’s On Linden. The chef outdid himself and the plates were spectacular, pairing perfectly with wines we selected from Italian regions such as Lombardy, Abruzzo and Piedmont. The 30 guests were seated together at one long, lovely table and they were all in the most jovial of spirits, truly enjoying being out, socializing, tasting fantastic dishes and unique wines. They were quizzical and curious in learning about the winemakers, the faces behind the wines and all that goes into it. One particular question came as I was pouring the Amarone. A guest asked me why there wasn’t such a huge imprint at the bottom of the bottle, where one’s thumb would usually rest when holding the bottle. As you may notice with some wines, the bottle may have a very large imprint at the bottom and with others, there is hardly a hump. This inspired me to delve into different bottle shapes and their history. Like with the cork, there exist many different solutions when choosing the bottle of wine. The relationship between the wine and the bottle takes a 28 ASOUTHERNSOPHISTICATION
long road with much history, but there is also room for experimentation in a modern world. The standard bottle is the one that is mostly associated with wine: 750 ml, not too thick and not extra tall. Half bottles (375 ml) and magnums (1.5 l) are also seen on the shelves, but are not as common. This classic bottle that you see used with most wines is known as Bordolese because it originates from the Bordeaux zone. It is traditionally dark for red wines and transparent for white or rose wines. Its cylindrical form is designed to allow potential residues to stay at the bottom and avoid entering the glass. Stemming from this classic is the big brother, the Bordolese with a tall neck. This is considered slightly more elegant and was historically reserved for higher end wines. The Borgogna bottles were also born in France, but in the Burgundy region. It has a simple form, larger at the base and with a tall neck. You will also find these to be tinted for red wines and transparent for whites or rose and is commonly diffused among all types of wines. Bottle shapes very similar to this from Italy are the Albeisa for red, which was born in the Piedmont region
