Where would wine be without the bottle? Actually, in the history of wine, selling wine by the bottle is a fairly recent innovation. Thousands of years ago in Greece, wine was transported in and served from large, often cumbersome jars called amphorae. Although there is evidence the Romans knew how to blow glass bottles, it was not until the seventeenth century that glass bottles became the primary vessel for transporting wine.

Bottle Sizes

Today, the standard bottle size is 750 milliliters. Legend has it that in the early days of glass blowing, one lungful of air blown into a mass of molten glass produced a bottle with a capacity of 750 milliliters. The rest is history.

Larger and smaller deviations from the standard bottle size are easy to find. The most common smaller size is the half bottle (375ml), while the magnum (1.5L, 2 bottles) is the most common larger size. You can also find dry wines in three liter sized double magnums and six liter sized imperials, but these are mainly prized by wine collectors, as larger bottles favor longer, slower aging of the wine inside.

Bottle Shapes

The most common wine bottle shapes in the marketplace are the Bordeaux and Burgundy styles. The next time you buy a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, you're looking at the Bordeaux style, with its broader, higher shoulders. Buy a Pinot Noir for your duck confit and you have before you the Burgundy bottle style, with its more slender, graceful shape.

Bordeaux and Burgundy are, of course, regions in France, the former known for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, the latter for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. As these grapes made their way to newer wine regions such as New Zealand and California, the traditional bottle shapes went along with them.

Champagne or sparkling wine bottles will appear in the Burgundy shape, but these bottles will be much thicker and heavier than their counterparts. Champagne bottles must be able to withstand the six atmospheres of pressure pressing against the glass from the inside.

The unique shape of the German wine bottle is loved by consumers but often despised by retailers. The bottles are 750ml in size, but they have much longer necks. Consumers love their graceful appearance, whereas many retailers grumble that their added height makes them more difficult to display. Nevertheless, this bottle shape is a badge of honor for many producers.

One German wine region with a bottle shape all its own is Franken, the easternmost of German wine regions. The bottle is called a Bocksbeutel, and it is squat, flask- like, and green in color. In marketing terms, this is a great way to get your bottle noticed.

Bottle Color

Much like the shapes of wine bottles, their colors owe much to tradition and to marketing. Practically, however, darker glass is preferable, as it protects the wine from the damaging effects of light. Wines packaged in clear bottles are meant for immediate consumption, and these often include rosés and crisp, fresh whites such as Sauvignon Blanc.