A Bordeaux bottle, the most common glass wine bottle, is recognized for its cylindric shape, short neck and high shoulders. Before 1740’s, bottles were round with a flat base, and not intended for prolonged ageing on their sides since they were consumed while young. The invention of the cork as a stopper brought the need to store the wine horizontally to prevent it from drying out. The growing popularity of fortified Ports and red Bordeaux also contributed, since drinkers realized these types of wines benefited from ageing in the bottle. By 1790’s, wine bottles looked pretty similar to what we use today.
The Bordeaux bottle takes its name from the region of Bordeaux in France, where the common grapes varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Sauvignon Blanc. Not a coincidence that producers around the world use this shape to bottle wine made from these grapes! It has also been adopted in countries like Spain for their Tempranillos, and Italy for their Sangiovese.
Author: Maytte Rivera
