Why are wine bottles different shapes?

Part 3 of the Bottle Series, be sure to check out Part 1: Wine Bottle Anatomy and Part 2: Why are wine bottles 750ml?

There are seven main wine bottle shapes, and various derivatives thereof. Most of these bottle shapes are familiar sights wherever you buy wine. But you are probably wondering why certain wines come in specific bottles. Learning the names of the bottles and what wines come in them, won't make you a wine expert, but it will surely make you sound like one at your next wine gathering.

The Seven Main Bottle Shapes

	1. Burgundy Bottle France's original wine bottle. The Burgundy bottle has gently sloped shoulders and is used for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay as well as some Rosés. This bottle with its sloped shoulders was easily formed by long-ago glassblowers.
	2. Bordeaux Bottle Came into existence after the Burgundy bottle. The Bordeaux bottle has small tight shoulders with a straight body. Bordeaux is known for bold wines that improve with age. The small shoulders in Bordeaux bottles can trap sediment that accumulates in aged wines. It is a popular bottle to play host red wines, white wines and also rosé wines.
	3. Alsace Bottle A taller, thinner bottle than the Burgundy or Bordeaux bottles. The Alsace bottle has shoulders that are so sloped, it is hard to determine the neck from the shoulder from the body. Wine from Alsace was originally transported via the Rhine river, and was not subjected to harsh ocean waves. As a result, the original Alsace bottle was thinner and more delicate than the Burgundy and Bordeaux bottles that were used to ship wine from France to England.
	4. Champagne Bottle Similar in shape to a Burgundy bottle but with a wider body, thicker glass and deeper punt. The thick glass and deep punt are strong enough to handle the internal pressure of sparkling wines.
	5. Provence Bottle Curvy bottle, often in an hourglass shape. Very common for Rosé wines.
	6. Chianti Bottle (Fiasco Bottle) A round flask-like body with a rounded bottom, covered in a woven straw basket which is made from dried swamp weed. Look closely, it has a straw lanyard that can be used to hang the bottle.
	7. Port Bottle A straight sided bottle and often has a more stylized neck. It is not uncommon for the Port bottle body to be tapered toward the heel. The Port bottle evolved over time, morphing from a shape similar to the Chianti bottle to its current shape that is similar to a Bordeaux bottle.
	It would be remiss to not mention the Rhône Bottle too. The Rhône bottle is in between the shape of a Burgundy bottle and an Alsace bottle, but closer to Burgundy bottle. It is quite difficult to distinguish a Burgundy from a Rhône bottle unless they are side by side.

Why are wines bottled into specific bottle shapes?
The answer is simpler than you think. In fact, the wine bottle name gives it away. Varietals common to that region are more often than not, bottled into that specific style bottle for the region. For example, wine made from grape varietals originating in Burgundy will be bottled in a Burgundy bottle, whereas wines made from grape varietals originating in Bordeaux will be bottled in a Bordeaux bottle. Of course, this means you need to know which varietals come from which region, and that is not a trivial task. But look at it a different way, and think of it in reverse. If you know Pinot Noir comes in Burgundy bottle (regardless of the winery location), then it is a safe guess that the Pinot Noir varietal is common to the Burgundy region of France.

It is probably no surprise that you will find Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris wines in Burgundy bottles. Flip flop it and you now know the common varietals to Burgundy.

Whereas, you will find Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Franc wines in Bordeaux bottles. Boom. Just like that, you know the common varietals to Bordeaux.

I wish this was an absolute rule, but it is more of a general rule, since there are many exceptions. For example, you will find Zinfandel in a Bordeaux bottle, but Zinfandel's origin is Croatia not Bordeaux. But there isn't a Dalmatia bottle that I know of, so they had to put Zinfandel in some bottle.

You can probably guess which wines come in a Champagne bottle and a Chianti bottle. These are two of the most obvious bottles for the type of wine. Chianti is the region in Italy and is primarily made from the Sangiovese grape varietal. Today, a majority of Chianti winemakers shy away from the traditional Chianti bottle, because of the perception that it is cheap table wine that your grandparents would drink.

Alsace bottles are typically the vessel of choice for Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Blanc. All common varietals of the Alsace region and bordering Germany.

Shiraz/Syrah and Rhône Blend, commonly referred to as GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre), are found in Rhône bottles (but also come in the more common Burgundy bottle as well, which makes identifying the origin a bit trickier).

Port and other fortified wines like Sherry, Marsala and Madeira are bottled in Port bottles. It isn't uncommon for Madeira to come in a shorter fatter port-style bottle.

And lastly, you will find rosé wines in Provence bottles. Cotes de Provence produces 80% rosé wines.

Do wines taste different from different bottles?
Wine can be bottled in any bottle. But bottling wines primarily holds true to tradition. How a wine tastes has more to do with where it is grown, the climate, the vintage and the terroir. Wines that are intended to be aged will be in a darker bottle to help shield from light degradation, whereas wines in clear bottles are not meant to be aged and should be drunk young. Darker bottles also preserve the color in red wines, which is why you won't find a red wine in a clear bottle.