The different types of bottles

by | Aug 29, 2022 | Information | 0 comments

Bouteille
Wine bottles usually hold 75 cl. They are tall and slender, with shoulders, flat bottoms or spines. They can sometimes be decorated with coats of arms or sculptures. They're all different, but their main function is to preserve wine, whether red, white or rosé.

The amphora, ancestor of the bottle

 

bouteilles
Millions of these worthy heirs to amphorae, jugs, leather and pewter gourds are produced. What's more, although the Romans invented blown glass, which was initially very rare and expensive, we owe the democratization of the glass wine bottle to our British neighbors and their coal-fired ovens (their craving for wine also had something to do with it). As the English were not winegrowers, they received their wine in large casks, which made it difficult to preserve and transport. So, from a practical point of view, the sale of bottled wine across the Channel was born in the 18th century. Unsurprisingly, the first French to take advantage were the Champenois, who quickly realized that they also needed to darken the glass to combat ultraviolet rays, the first enemies of bottled champagne.

 

 

 

 

Very quickly, the glass bottle spread everywhere, and very quickly, each region, each name took on its own particular shape, for more or less reasons. Some bottles are even strictly regulated in the specifications of certain appellations. However, they do have some things in common: they all have a ring, a neck, a barrel and a base, often with a piqure (a hollow at the bottom of the bottle). Of course, these common rules vary from bottle to bottle. Let's take a look at the different shapes of our French bottles.

bouteilles
Différents types de bouteilles
La Bourguignonne
This is the quintessential French bottle, in which we put all the Chardonnay in the world, with a fine neck, low shoulders, a broad, short barrel and a well-formed base.
La Champenoise
Burgundian shape, variable weight, much heavier than any other bottle.
La Bordelaise/Frontignan
Perhaps the world's most famous and widely used bottle, Bordeaux has a thin, short neck, a medium-sized cylindrical barrel and varying degrees of bite. Its distinctive feature is the high, pronounced shoulders. These serve to retain any deposits in the wine, traditionally present in Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
La Rhodanienne
Like many others, Burgundy-inspired, with a slightly larger barrel giving it a bon vivant air. In Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the calling area even allows the commune's coat of arms to be affixed to the bottle, a sign intended to inspire quality.
La Provençale
These are perhaps the most original, probably as a kind of promotion in a region that produces almost exclusively rosé wines, whose image is less noble than red or white. There are 2 "traditional" Provençal bottle shapes, the flute corset, which, as the name suggests, resembles a generously-shaped body curved into a corset, and the Côte-de-Provence, whose barrel base is wider than the rest of the bottle. There's nothing practical about these individual shapes, which is why wines from this region are often found in more elegant Bordeaux bottles!
Val de Loire/Ligérienne

Its shape is quite classic, similar to that of a Burgundy wine, with a thinner barrel. The Loire Valley coat of arms is traditionally engraved on the bottle. In Muscadet, we've even created a bottle reserved exclusively for the Muscadet sur Lie appellation; reserved but not obligatory. Slightly longer than the classic Val de Loire, it features a small wave and the words "Sur Lie".

The Jura clavelin

62 cl! That's the rule. The exception that confirms the European standard, which only requires 75 cl bottles. The Clavelin du Jura, a classic bottle for yellow wines, small, with broad shoulders and barrel, has kept its small capacity, representative of the loss of wine incurred during its long ageing period of 6 years and 3 months under yeast veil.

The Alsatian flute

Long and delicate, it's a must if you want to call yourself a Vin d'Alsace. You won't find it anywhere else, its distinctive feature being its flat base. This detail proves that the puncture, more or less important depending on the bottle, is not a guarantee of quality, as many Alsace wines are of course excellent!

At Europackwine, we've designed a versatile package that adapts to most bottle shapes: our polystyrene receptacle takes the shape of the bottle while providing maximum protection.

Find out more about our Europackwine products

Showing 26–30 of 30 results

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

en_USEnglish
fr_FRFrançais en_USEnglish
0
    0
    Your basket
    Your basket is emptyBack to store
    Continue shopping
    Bernard S
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Résumé de la politique de confidentialité

    Ce site utilise des cookies afin que nous puissions vous fournir la meilleure expérience utilisateur possible. Les informations sur les cookies sont stockées dans votre navigateur et remplissent des fonctions telles que vous reconnaître lorsque vous revenez sur notre site Web et aider notre équipe à comprendre les sections du site que vous trouvez les plus intéressantes et utiles.