In Vino, Veritas

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Not Just a Bottle

By Sassy Pellizzari

We 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 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

and gets its name specifically from the town of Alba, and the Marsala for white wines and fortified wines, but with tinted glass.

You can clearly recognize a sparkling wine by the shape—just the image of it brews an idea of a party and there is even a champagne bottle emoji! This shape originated in the Champagne region and the glass is thicker than the other bottles in order to be resistant to carbonation and pressure of the bubbles. It also means that the bottles are much heavier so make sure to use your legs and abs when lifting a case of bubbly! There is also a fancy big brother to this, a Champagne Cuvée size bottle which is thicker and has a longer, skinnier neck than the regular champagne bottles.

The Rhine Alsatian bottles come from Germany and are used mostly for just white wines. This is the taller, skinnier bottle which is designed for simple whites that have little sediment and, therefore, do not need the fat bottom rim to collect it. This form is also used for dessert wines and sweet wines.

Finally, the Bocksbeutel or Pulcianelle is characterized by a form with a large belly and a very large “thumbprint” which was part of our discussion at the dinner at Elliott’s. This style, born in France, is generally reserved for very big red wines, wines that typically have a lot of sediment. The thumbprint creates a circular gorge at the bottom where the sediment can fall, and, therefore, not get poured into a glass.

With all of the traditional options for glass bottles, it has been interesting to watch the “bag in box” trend unfold recently. Seemingly new, the patent for this was actually created in the U.S. back in the 1950s. Recently its popularity seems to have grown because of online purchases and feasibility of shipping. Additionally, another popular wine container evolution is the can, which has gained popularity in the younger crowd for its feasibility in transport as well as its easy-to-open and easily recyclable form.

It is possible that just the shape of the bottle influences which wines we purchase. Personally, Alsatian whites are my favorites, so when I see that tall, pointy bottle with no round belly, I am immediately intrigued. That’s just the first step, however, in choosing as there are many other factors in selecting a wine. But, like the wine in the glass, it is all a personal preference. Some days you might choose the wine by the label and that is absolutely fine—there are no rules when it comes to shopping for wine! PL

Sassy Pellizzari lived in Italy for more than 13 years, where she developed a passion for and knowledge of Italian wines. She and her husband, Paolo, are the owners of Bacco Selections, a Pinehurst-based company specializing in fine wine importing and distributing.

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