Wine bottle

The wine bottle is the most common, glass transport and storage container for the sale of wine to consumers. To label it is provided with a wine label. Bottles for wine are made in many sizes and shapes. The most common size holds 0.75 liters of wine. This size is EU standard since 1977. Prior to that most bottles were manufactured in sizes between 0.7 and 0.8 liters. In the U.S. and in Switzerland, this 0.75 liter standard size is not used today throughout. In addition to glass bottles of wine is increasingly sold in other containers like Tetra Paks, bag-in - box, PET bottles, paper bottles, aluminum cans or Pouchbags.

History

In earlier times, wine was stored in a rule in drums and vats and served in metal and ceramic jugs that are reminiscent in form rather than in pots on bottles. Also, wine was traded in so-called " hoses " - containers made of animal skins. In the 17th century, the glass bottle was on that spread in the 18th century more and mid-19th century became the most popular container for wine. The reason for this is simple: the glass is chemically neutral, which makes it ideal for liquid containers.

With the invention of the glass bottle and cork ( late 17th century ), wine was more durable and was even able to mature in the bottle, rather than to oxidize or to accept the taste of its container. Before the wine was often mixed with resins, sweetened or diluted so that until the invention of the glass bottle, the type of wine was that we know today.

The first bottles were still made ​​of black glass, later olive-colored, green and brown glass came about. From an initially very bulbous, " onion-like " or mallet -like mallet shape in time became higher, cylindrical bottles. With time, its own forms for the various wine-producing regions were out. In the 19th century seal of the manufacturers were often marked to identify the glass. 1894 the first machine-made cognac bottle was produced, and began the era of uniform bottles.

Bottle shapes

There are hundreds, if not thousands of different wine bottle shapes, nevertheless, a few basic forms have crystallized out.

The Bordeaux bottle

The Bordeaux bottle is easily recognizable by their "shoulders". Today it is one of the most popular bottle shapes for dry red wines. The soil is slightly curved to prevent deposits are flushed away while pouring. An old Bordeaux should therefore be placed upright in time before serving to allow the depot in the small groove can slip around the bump (this applies equally to on burgundy ). Bordeaux bottles are available in green ( for dry red and white wines) and in clear glass ( for sweet and some dry white wines). The classic grape varieties for the Bordeaux bottle are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. There are, like all wine bottles in a variety of sizes (see below).

The Burgundy bottle

The Burgundy bottle has no shoulders. It is used for red wine (usually Pinot Noir ) and white wine (mostly Chardonnay ) were used. The classic Burgundy bottle is dark green to light green, but there are also clear variations. She is also the classic bottle shape for Rhôneweine ( usually a little wider) and many Loire wines. In California, they were using, inter alia, for Chenin Blanc. In Italy it is partially used in very dark (even brown ) glass for many different wines ( Barolo, for example ). In Germany it is taken, for example, for gray or Pinot Noir.

The high or stick bottle

The high or stick bottle is a slender, flute -like bottle that resembles an elongated Burgundy bottle. It has its origins in Germany. It is therefore preferably used for the usual in Germany varietals ( Riesling, Rieslaner, Gewürztraminer ). They are usually in brown (Rhine) and green ( Mosel). In addition to Germany, the high bottle is a typical form for the Alsace (usually slightly higher than in Germany ), Austria and Switzerland. Worldwide it is often used for Rieslings and dessert wines.

The champagne bottle

The legend says that the champagne bottle go back to the monk Dom Pérignon. It is quite thick wall to withstand the pressure inside the bottle. The curved base was originally glassblowing because the bottle was rotated through a wooden stick, however, are the curved base pressure better on the walls and ensures so that the bottom of the bottle does not break. The classic champagne bottle is green, a few exceptions are clear. However, such containers should not be exposed to the sun longer, because the taste of the wine would suffer fast ( this is the reason why clear champagne bottles are also usually sold in boxes or colored foil ). The green ( or other wines brown ) color generally protects the wine from the damaging effects of light and is especially important in long lagerndem wine. Generally, the darker the bottle (and the storage location), the better the protection.

Classic Champagne undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle. This process is called fermentation in the bottle or champagne method. For this purpose, filled after the first fermentation yeast, base wine and sugar in the bottle and this generally sealed with a crown cap ( hence the beaded edge of the bottle ). Regular Shake the bottle fermentation residues, the depot store, from the bottle neck. After the completion of the second fermentation, the depot is removed. This is achieved by freezing of the bottle neck. When opening the bottle, the ice plug shoots out. This process is called disgorging. The sparkling wine is filled with the dosage, to give it its final taste and finally corked.

More bottle shapes

In addition, there are many other typical bottle shapes, such as the flat, bulbous bocksbeutel in Franconia ( and Portugal) is used, the Hungarian Tokay has as well as the port wine, the wines of Provence, which are traditionally filled in club bottles or even the Vin Jaune own bottle shape. To position your products unique in the market is the goal that follow the winemakers from the Rheingau Rheingau with the new flute. The slim, elongated shape, the dark glass color and faceting a design has been chosen, which produces one hand, a reference to the Rheingau bottle around the turn of the century, on the other hand has the Rheingau- flute a striking and original design fashion, mediate the autonomy and elegant to act and appealing.

A special form is also the Saxons club. This form was developed to improve the attractiveness of the Elbe Valley wine in 1931 in the State estate Hoflößnitz as a green bottle into cone shape. With the return to local pride on Saxon wines, this form has been revived for identification in the 1990s. As a unique feature for Saxony, an equal quality award as the bocksbeutel bottle for wines Franc was intended. However, the club was not universally used for Saxony wines. In case this form has a worse support and stability compared to the normal form.

Since the early nineties there is a separate bottle shape for California wines (without capsule, with a widened neck end ), and since the nineties there is a general tendency for most slim designer bottles. The list of special bottles is long: In Bordeaux, Château Haut-Brion has been around for many decades, a unique bottle shape.

But there are special bottles that are not intended for sale, but only for storage. A classic variation is the Demi- John, who holds 45 liters and for example for the storage of non- vintage port wine, but is also used by sherry or muscatel before it is drawn on the (0.75 liter ) bottle.

Bottle sizes

The first hand-blown Mallet bottles were much smaller than today's 0.75 liter bottles that are intended for two people, because initially was filled usually wine for one person in a bottle to waste no wine. Today, a standard wine bottle holds 750 ml of it, fractions or multiples. The U.S. has adapted in 1979, only in Switzerland, there are sporadically 0.70 liter bottles.

Wine in small bottles matures faster than in large ones. For this and other reasons, wine is bottled in different bottle sizes:

• 0.187 liters: Dinky, Split
• 0.2 or 0.25 liter: Piccolo or quarter bottle, Stifterl ( Austria )
• 0.375 liters: Half bottle, Demi / Fillette (France), halfbottle (USA / UK), Stifterl of Klosterneuburg ( Austria ), and three-eighth ( Switzerland )
• 0.5 liter: French pot or Dumpy (USA / South Africa)
• 0.62 liter: Clavelin bottle (only in the Jura ), see also Vin Jaune
• 0.7 liter: almost exclusively reserved for spirits, sometimes to be found in Switzerland. Common for German wines until 1971.
• 0.75 liter: bottle, normal bottle, Bouteille in France and Austria (not for champagne bottles ), Bottle (USA / UK / ZA) most abundant volume during bocksbeutel corresponds approximately to the American Fifth = 4/ 5 of a quart = 0.757 liters, is in gastronomy often referred to as 1/1 ( eintel ) bottle
• 0.8 liter: a French Litron, used before the French Revolution
• 1 liter: liter bottle ( sometimes, eg in Germany, occupied with bottle deposit )
• 1.5 liter Magnum bottle = 2 bottles
• 2 liter: two-liter bottle ( colloquially " Doppler " )
• 2.25 liter: Marie -Jeanne (deprecated, only in old Bordeaux to about 1970) also Tregnum or Tappithen = 3 bottles
• 3 liter: Double Magnum (Bordeaux), Jeroboam ( champagne) = 4 bottles
• 4.5 liter: Jeroboam (Bordeaux), Rehoboam ( Champagne, Burgundy ) = 6 bottles
• 5.0 liter: Jeroboam (modern size, since about 1978 used exclusively for this format )
• 6 liter: Methuselah ( Champagne, Burgundy )
• 6.0 liters: Imperial (Bordeaux)

Rare:

• 9 liters: Salmanazar (only for Champagne / Burgundy ) = 12 bottles
• 12 liters Balthazar (only for Champagne / Burgundy ) = 16 bottles
• 15 liter Nebuchadnezzar (usually for champagne, sometimes Burgundy ) = 20 bottles

Rarely also:

Incidentally matures champagne in small bottles and is only for special occasions (such as the ceremony of the Formula 1) transferred to the giant bottles.

Closures

The classic wine bottle is sealed usually with a cork. Since the risk of mold formation is ( sog.Wein with pin ), the wine bottle corks are now waxed, ie surrounded with a fine layer of paraffin. Thus, the air inlet is almost excluded, the wine is better preserved. But even high-quality wines are increasingly provided with alternative closures: for example with plastic corks, glass closures or screw caps, these are not a feature of low quality wines. In Switzerland, the highest quality local products are usually provided with screw caps. Silicone plugs will keep the sulfur often not as well and let wines age faster. Screw caps are becoming more common and neutral in taste. New features elegant glass stopper ( product Vino-Lok/Vino-Seal the manufacturer Alcoa) However, these are still quite new to the market, the seal and the bottle here of plastic. The problem of Korkschmeckers can always discussions about the cork arise and has led to plastic, screw and glass closures.

In general, it should be noted that the Lock is no direct quality feature, but on the maturity development has influence.

Bottle aging

In general, this is the name for the end of the expansion, with the wine -fill will be filled on the bottle. One speaks of bottles reached maturity. With bottle age but also the maturity can be meant that reached by the aging of the wine in the bottle itself.

Alternatives

Alternative packagings for the end user provide bag-in - boxes and drink cartons dar.