Bordeaux Wine Bottles

Using Bordeaux Wine Bottles

How many wine bottles do I need for a standard batch of wine?

You will require 24 bottles for a 23 litre (total volume) batch of wine.

 

Additional consumables required:

Bordeaux wine bottles requires corks and are not suitable for use with screw caps. We recomend 21mm Agglomerate Corks.

You will also require a corking device to insert the corks and for a professional quality appearance brewers may also use heat shrink capsules.

 

Why are wine bottles green?

Wine bottles are often green to protect the wine from light exposure, particularly UV rays, which can negatively affect its flavor and quality over time. Here are the key reasons:

1. Light protection: UV light can cause chemical reactions in wine, leading to a phenomenon known as “lightstruck,” which impairs the flavor, especially in delicate wines. Green glass acts as a filter to reduce UV exposure.
2. Tradition: The use of green bottles, especially for red wines, is also a long-standing tradition, particularly in European wine regions like Bordeaux and Burgundy. This historical practice has persisted due to both aesthetic and functional reasons.
3. Aging preservation: Wines that are meant to age in the bottle benefit from the extra protection provided by darker-colored glass. Green glass helps preserve the wine’s quality during long-term storage.

In contrast, lighter wines, like white or rosé, which are usually consumed young, may be stored in clear bottles because they are less likely to suffer from light exposure in the short term.

 

Bordeaux Wine Bottle Fun Facts

What is a Bordeaux wine bottle?

A Bordeaux bottle is a specific style of wine bottle traditionally used for wines from the Bordeaux region in France. It is one of the most common wine bottle shapes and has distinct features:

• Straight sides: The body of the bottle is straight from top to bottom, without much curvature.
• Tall shoulders: The shoulders are prominent and angular, which is said to help catch sediment when decanting aged wines.
• Standard volume: Typically holds 750ml of wine.
• Colors: Bordeaux bottles are often dark green for red wines to protect the wine from light, and lighter green or clear for white wines.

The shape is often used for various types of wine, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s also commonly used outside of Bordeaux for many full-bodied red wines worldwide.

 

When was the Bordeaux wine bottle invented?

Bordeaux wine bottles, as we recognize them today, were developed in the 17th century. The invention of the modern Bordeaux bottle style is often credited to this period due to advancements in glass-making techniques. Here’s a bit more context:

• Early glass bottles: Before the 17th century, wine was stored in barrels, amphorae, or other containers. Bottles were rare and often irregular in shape.
• English glass innovation: Around the mid-1600s, glass-making technology improved in England, particularly when coal-fired furnaces allowed for stronger, darker glass. This was a crucial development that led to the production of more uniform, durable bottles, which could be sealed with corks for aging.
• Adoption in Bordeaux: The Bordeaux region quickly adopted this new glass bottle design as a practical way to transport and store wine. The straight-sided, tall-shouldered bottle design became standard in Bordeaux because it was well-suited for stacking and protecting the wine’s quality during shipment, especially for wines that were intended to be aged.

By the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the Bordeaux bottle was widely used for Bordeaux wines, and it became the dominant bottle shape for red wines around the world.