shaping up

I've been using this class as an excuse to drink a lot more wine. "I'm taking my academics seriously this quarter," I tell my girlfriend. But as I've upped the vino volume, I've noticed that all these bottles I've accumulated have a variety of shapes! And given that this week's reading covered differences in wine storage (the French barrique vs. the traditional Italian botti), I decided to dive (yet again) into the bottle. But this time, I wanted to focus on the shape.

Basically, there are three major forms of bottles: (1) the Burgundy; (2) the Bordeaux; and (3) the Alsace/Mosel. Each is widely considered to come from its geographic namesake, became popularized as the wines it contained were exported, and often were a product of inter-regional competition. Nevertheless, these three bottles shapes have become the standard for a few different varieties of wines worldwide.

The Burgundy

• What makes it unique: its sloped shoulders
• Why: this was the first of the three bottle shapes to emerge and the slope is widely believed to be a product of glassblowing technology at the time (it was easier to do)
• Which varietals: Originally started with the Burgundian Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Now, other PN-like wines (Nebbiolo and Gamay) often use the Burgundy bottle and oaked whites

The Bordeaux

• What makes it unique: its shelved shoulders
• Why: Originally thought to catch sediment from aged Bordeaux wines, but may also be a product of differentiation from the Burgundy wine
• Which varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Sauternes and most Meritage or Bordeaux blends

The Alsace/Mosel (also called Hock)

• What makes it unique: its elongated shoulders
• Why: The last of the three, the Alsace/Mosel bottle often contained wines that were shipped via the Rhine river. Given the smaller river boats, the bottles needed to be smaller to fit in the hulls. River travel also enabled a more delicate bottle relative to the sturdier bottles of Burgundy and Bordeaux, which often traveled ocean routes 
• Which varietals: Riesling and Gewurztraminer 

Sources:

http://vinepair.com/wine-blog/why-wine-bottles-come-in-different-shapes/ (also pictures)

http://www.wineponder.com/wine-bottle-shapes-and-sizes/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vinepair/why-wine-bottles-come-in-_b_7971654.html

https://winemakermag.com/101-bottle-basics