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Wine bottle shapes have been influenced by tradition, technology and marketing. The design helped manufacturers to stand out from the competition, which led to the emergence of containers with different inclination of the hanger and length of the neck, with a concave or flat bottom. There is a stereotype that the notch on the bottle is an indicator of the quality of wine, but this is just a myth that has nothing to do with reality.
The history of the appearance of the recess at the bottom of the bottle
For many centuries, wine was allowed to be sold exclusively in barrels, although references to glass vessels can be found in the writings of the ancient Roman writer and philosopher Pliny the Elder. The ban was explained by the fact that the containers were made by hand, which did not guarantee the exact volume. Due to the laborious and complex production, glassware was expensive and considered a luxury. The European nobility ordered for themselves exquisite vessels with monograms and coats of arms, into which wine was poured before serving.
The father of the modern bottle is called the English court diplomat Kenelm Digby, who at his leisure was fond of alchemy and showed an interest in cooking. He improved the production technology and invented a formula by which it was possible to produce strong bottles with thick walls. Digby made his discovery in the 1630s, and from that moment glass containers began to gradually gain popularity.
In the XNUMXth century, Pierre Perignon, the founder of the French house of champagne wines, contributed to the improvement of technology. The bottles of that time were powerful and had a deep recess at the bottom, which was called a punt. For what reason a recess was made in a wine bottle, there is still no consensus. One of the most popular versions is that the glass was worked by hand.
The glass was shaped by blowing portions of air into the molten mass, which was at the end of the tube. This technique did not make it possible to make a completely smooth bottom, so the glass was pressed inward so that the bottle was stable and did not scratch the table. In addition, the punt strengthened the lower part of the container, which was important for storing sparkling wines, so with the transition to industrial production, the recess in the bottom of the bottle was preserved.
Hypotheses of oenologists
Experts in the history of winemaking believe that the recess in the bottom of the bottle was kept not only for the sake of increasing strength. In 1728, Louis XV lifted the ban on the sale of wine in glass, which led to a revival of exports. Bottles were difficult to transport, and the deepening made this task somewhat easier. The neck was insulated with straw and the containers were folded end-to-end – this design was compact, stable and resonated less during transportation.
It is believed that the recess in the bottle retains the sediment that forms in aged wine. Tanks in the cellar are stored in a horizontal state, so it is recommended to leave older wines in a vertical state for 2-3 days before tasting. During this time, the particles sink to the bottom, and the conical shape of the bottom prevents them from rising when pouring.
There are versions that punt:
- improves the taste of wine during aging;
- helps to cool the wine faster in an ice bucket;
- facilitates pouring, as the bottle is comfortable to hold.
Nowadays, most winemakers consider concave-bottomed bottles to be a nod to the past. Modern glass is strong enough to withstand any pressure, and wines with sediment are a rarity.
Punt has become an aesthetic element that says nothing about the quality of the contents of the bottle. Such types of wine containers as boxboytel, chianti, moselle and rhine have a flat bottom, which is explained by historical traditions.