Analyzing the History and Traditions of a Wine Bottle
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
Last week, I expounded on the rich traditions that are the essence of wine enjoyment. Having explored the many aspects, both ethereal and practical, of the millennia of wine facts, myths and legends that have survived each of our interactions with wine, I related these to a recent restaurant experience.
During the presentation of the bottle of wine by the restaurant sommelier to our table, I focused on the somewhat grandiose – some might say arcane – traditions incorporated in this ritual.
Additionally, more mundane traditions have been passed down to 21st century wine consumers. This week, I’ll focus on several.
Much of our experience with a bottle of wine comes to us from the logistical dilemmas faced by early winemakers – designing a suitable vessel in which to store the wine and then creating an adequate means to seal and preserve the contents. Their ingenuity and innovation are evident to this day.
As the sommelier presented the bottle for my consideration, I sat and digested these traditions, realizing that several are in the throes of radical change, if not extinction.
- The vessel. For centuries, wine was stored, transported in and consumed from large, multi-gallon vessels. Early Greeks transported wine in amphorae, two-handled ceramic or terracotta jars with a narrow neck, wide body and narrow bottom. Wooden barrels came into vogue during Western Europe’s Age of Exploration. When glass-blowing became popular in 16th century France, the present-day bottle and shape began to take form.
- The standard bottle size (750 ml/25.4 ounces) has remained constant. As legend has it, the volume capacity of today’s bottle is a direct function of the first glassblowers’ lung capacity to produce a single bottle.
- The bottle shape. As glass bottles gained in popularity in France, individual wine regions adopted specific shapes to distinguish their wines from other regions. Today, these traditional shapes are still employed for specific grape varietals, providing consumers a handy reference when perusing the multitude of offerings on wine shop shelves and wine tasting event tables. Here is a sampling:
The winemakers of the Bordeaux region created a bottle easily distinguished by its straight sides and tall, rounded shoulders. Adopted by many wine regions over the centuries, today this traditional shape typically indicates one of the Bordeaux varietals: traditionally a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carménère for reds and Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon (or a blend) and dessert wines for the whites.
The bottle from the Burgundy region has sloping shoulders and a slightly broader bottom than the Bordeaux bottle. The Burgundy contents? Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – around the world.
Next is the Rhone bottle, with a shape similar to the Burgundy bottle, but with more angular shoulders and a bit slimmer body. If a bottle displays the Roman Catholic Papal coat of arms on the neck, it is specifically from the Rhone region of Châteauneuf du Pape.
- The closure. Cork, steeped in tradition, is nevertheless a relatively new bottle stopper. Although corks have been in use since the 17th century, oil-soaked rags and wax were the only practical products available for the prior seven millennia.
- The seal. The wrapper at the top of the bottle is a throwback to medieval times when wine was stored in caves and cellars. In order to prevent rodents or other insects from gnawing at or infesting the cork, winemakers covered the cork with lead. Eventually, lead was recognized as a poison and the wrapper evolved into foils of tin and aluminum. Today’s shrink-wrap plastics are a modern invention, yet hardly necessary.
The wine in a bottle may be maturing for months, years or even decades. But the vessel itself has been doing its job for centuries, even millennia. But are these mundane traditions beginning to disappear?
With the advent of alternative vessels (cans, boxes), closures (screwcap, glass, synthetics) and the declining use of seals, we are on the verge of a major transition to new traditions. But will they be long-lived, or will modern man continuously seek innovations? It’s food for thought the next time you ponder over a bottle of wine.
Nick Antonaccio is a 45-year Pleasantville resident. For over 25 years, he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. Nick is a member and program director of the Wine Media Guild of wine journalists. He also offers personalized wine tastings. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com.
