Wine is a drink that is all too often associated with history and tradition, and it is perhaps in this sense that innovation and innovation in packaging has been quite slow compared to other drinks. In recent years, however, things have changed.
New practical materials such as bag-in-box, aluminum bottles, PET bottles and tetra-packs have been introduced the market. In practical terms, these new materials work well, but if you want to buy wine that will be stored and improve over time, it is still only the classic glass bottle that works as a packaging material.
-Bag-in-box : is obviously a revolutionary invention that has really had its impact because it’s easy to transport. When we talk about wine of better quality and which you would like to put in the cellar for a couple of years for storage, as I said, the glass bottle is undefeated as packaging.
-The glass bottle : the weight of the bottle, its color and its shape varies depending on the type of wine considered and where the wine comes from.
The weight : storage wines, that should be put for storage on top of each other, have a heavier and thicker glass. This is also the case with sparkling wines where the bottles must withstand the pressure from the carbon dioxide.
The color : the colors available are usually translucent, brown or green in different shades. Recently, you can also find blue bottles and other new fun colors that give a festive impression.
Generally, transparent bottles are used for the young and lighter wines, ie both white and red prime wines or rosé wines that are rarely put on storage. Daylight unfortunately has a devastating effect on wine storage, especially when it comes to rosé, sparkling wine and Champagne. Red and white storage wines are therefore usually bottled in dark bottles in order to be protected from daylight for a longer period.
The shape : some shapes of the bottle are legislated such as the elongated and easily recognizable Alsace bottle. However, in general, it’s not more complicated than the fact that it’s tradition in the various wine districts that determines which shape of the bottle that is used. The so-called Bordeaux bottle has high shoulders that are said to hold back the tannins.
The Bordeaux bottle is also used throughout southwestern France and in the Languedoc-Roussillon district. The burgundy bottle with hanging shoulders has spread to nearby Beaujolais, down to the Rhône valley and even to Sancerre. Loire, on the other hand, has its own, somewhat elongated bottles.
In Italy, both Bordeaux and Burgundy bottles are used, but they also have their own shapes such as the Albeis bottle which is similar to the Bordeaux bottle and is used for Barolo and Barbera wines from Piedmont. Italian white wines often mention the elongated Renana bottle, which originates from the German Rhine Valley and is similar to the previously mentioned Alsace bottle.
The nature cork : still closes most bottles, especially when it comes to long storage high-quality wines. Natural cork is a tightly sealing material that yet has a certain porosity for air intake so as not to seal the bottle hermetically. The better the wine, the longer the cork should be for optimal storage. The quality of the cork is also important. It must be intact and have no cracks to support a storage for more than 10 years.
Screw cap: is on the rise. The trend comes mainly from Australia and New Zealand and many trading companies in Bordeaux and Borgogne have to some extent started using screw caps as a seal, especially for their white wines. However, producers of high quality wines are still quite skeptical about this type of sealing.
Synthetic cork: environmentally friendly since it’s not a natural product and doesn’t harm the forest. Works great for younger wines that should not be stored.
The size of the bottle: if the 75 cl is the most common size we know, there are actually many other sizes of bottles that are mainly used for more festive events. Each bottle size has a special name that we describe in the table below for French wines. In Italy, the definition is similar, but with the addition of “Primato” (27 liters or 36 bottles) and “Melchisedec” (30 liters or 40 bottles). Note that the size differs depending on where you are:
| Bottle name | I Champagne | I Bordeaux |
| Magnum | 2 bottles (1,5L) | 2 bottles (1,5L) |
| Double magnum | 4 bottles (3L) | 4 bottles (3L) |
| Jéroboam | 8 bottles (6L) | 6 bottles (4,5L) |
| Malthusalem | 12 bottles (9L) | 12 bottles (9L) |
| Salmanazar | 12 bottles (9L) | |
| Balthazar | 16 bottles (12L) | |
| Nabuchodonosor | 20 bottles (15 L) | 20 bottles (15 L) |
