Wine is a very sensitive beverage which gets easily affected by temperature, lights, vibrations, and oxygen among others. Ordinarily speaking, one can use any type of bottle to bottle his/her wine as long as it can be sealed well (some inset a thin layer of nitrogen before sealing it to prevent any chance of oxygen reaching the wine and oxidizing it) and at the same time protect the wine from direct sunlight.
Easy identification of wine type and place of manufacture
All wine bottles are made of glass. Wines, such as Champagne are fermented in the same bottle they are sold in, while most other types are bottled after the fermentations process has totally stopped. Most of the times the wine is bottled in a certain type of bottle for two main reasons – (i) to identify the area from where it comes (manufacturers, vineyard, country, etc), (ii) type of wine.
In the early days wine was stored in wooden kegs. After a while it became fashionable to have wine in large amphorae. Then, with the advent of the popularity of wine and its transport throughout the world, it became commonly stored in glass bottles. These bottles are usually thick, dimpled at the bottom and dark in color. Thick because it should break during travel/ transport; dimpled at the bottom so it can have better stability and easier for stacking while transporting; lastly dark in color to prevent the access of direct sunlight which can destroy the wine within the glass.
Today, the wine bottles are normally of 750 ml and the shape of the bottles in which they are stored usually denote the type of wine and many times the place from where it is produced. This article will attempt to describe a few of the most popular wine bottles below:
Bordeaux – this bottle is usually tall with a small neck, light green in color. You will find this type of wine bottle in Italy, Spain, and in parts of the Northern Europe for bottling Bordeaux wines.
Burgundy – this type of bottle has slopping shoulders making it elegant and longish. The bottle is green too and also has a large dimple at the bottom. This bottle is mostly used for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Rhone – this bottle is much thinner than the burgundy one, but similar in shape otherwise.
Champagne – this bottle has very gentle sloping shoulders, is taller than any other bottle, thicker and has a deep dimple at the bottom. This particular shape is to protect the wine within, which ferments after being put in the bottle, and also prevents the bottle from breakage.
Rhine – this bottle usually comes in brown color, though they have green bottles too.
There is actually no real rules. The types of bottles have been adopted as a tradition rather than any other reason. There are places where the bottles of wine have been thus for hundreds of years. The main concern for wine bottles, remain to protect the wine. Hence, most of the bottles are thick, dark and longish. All these three attributes help in keeping the wine as healthy as can be till it is drank.
If you aren’t already familiar with it, a wine aerator is a device you can pour your wine through to allow it to mix with the air and lighten the taste of your wine. There are different styles of aerators and types for both white and red wines which allow more or less air flow. Depending on your palate and your wine preferences you may benefit from having a wine aerator for just red or white or you may have use for one of each.
Types of Wine Aerators
Aerators can come in a few different styles. There is the hand-help type of wine aerator which you hold over your glass and pour your wine through. You can also get aerators that go directly in the bottle or fit right on top. These different styles won’t affect the taste of your wine so the one you choose will just be a matter of what’s most convenient for you. However, when choosing a wine aerator for either red or white wine, getting the appropriate model is important because the white wine aerator allows more air to flow through your wine and may not give the proper end result for a bolder red wine.
Alternatives to Wine Aerators
A wine aerator does the same job as using a decanter or just pouring a glass and letting it breathe. While letting your wine breathe from a glass or decanter will have the same result as an aerator in mellowing the flavour, it will take much longer. A decanter may take up to an hour to give your wine the perfect taste while a wine aerator takes only the few moments it takes you to pour a glass. You can run the wine through your aerator a second time if needed, but be careful not to over-aerate your wine as it could give it a flat taste.
Why Use a Wine Aerator?
A wine aerator lightens the harsh, bitter flavours of the tannins in your wine so especially if you drink a lot of full-bodied reds, a wine aerator will come in handy. Using the aerator will often give your wine a better bouquet and will enhance the flavours while reducing any bitter, overpowering tastes. By using an aerator, you can pour and drink your wine immediately rather than waiting around to let it breathe.
While wine aerators can be used for any wine and would be used according to your own personal tastes, they’re often useful for young red wines in which the tannins haven’t had a chance to soften and mature. For some wine, you may prefer the taste it offers poured directly from the bottle so have a taste of your wine before using your aerator as you may not need it for every bottle. A wine aerator is an excellent item to have around if a particular bottle of wine doesn’t suit your tastes as is.
One of the most common questions you may have when you begin considering making homemade wine is what type of wine you should make. There are certainly plenty of different types of wines from which to choose. Understanding the different types of wines can help you to narrow down the choices and select the type that would be best for your first, or your next, batch of wine.
First, it is important to understand that while wine is generally made from grapes, you can actually use practically any type of vegetable matter to make wine. When grapes are used to make wine, they fall into three categories. They are red, white and rosè; a pinkish white wine.
Red wines are not only different in color from white wines and rosè wines but they also have flavors that are stronger and richer. The exact color of a red wine can vary from russet brown to full red to a dark purple color. It is the skin of the grapes that give red wines their color.
White wines typically have a more delicate flavor. The actual color of white wines can vary from the palest yellow to a deep gold. Some white wines can even have a pale green color.
Rosè wines, also known as blush wines, are made with the same grapes as are used in red wines; however, they are submitted to a much shorter period of contact with the skin of the grapes. This results in a delicate blush color.
There are several different types of well known white wines. Chardonnay is one of the most popular types of white wines along with Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most popular types of red wines. Other popular reds include Grenache, merlot, pinot noir and Zinfandel.
It is also important to understand the sugar content of wine. Wines with less amounts of sugar are drier. You have probably noted that wines are classified in the store with numbers 1-3. Higher numbered wines have more sugar and are therefore sweeter.
You should also understand the difference between various types of wines and how they are typically served.
Apèfitif wines are commonly served prior to a meal. They are commonly produced in either herbed or non-herbed varieties. The purpose of this type of wine is to stimulate the appetite; however, they are not frequently served with meals.
Table wine is commonly served with dinner at the table. This type of wine is commonly dry and for a very specific purpose. It is meant to compliment the food instead of compete with it. Typically, a white wine is served with white meat while red wine is served with red meat. The reasoning behind this is that white wine flavors tend to subtle in a similar fashion to the flavors of white meats. Red meats are stronger flavored and do well with red wines, which are also stronger flavored. With a rosè, there is more flexibility. If the wine in question is somewhat dry, it will go with either red or white meat.
Dessert wines, of course, are served at dessert because they tend to be quite sweet. When dessert wines are served at other times, the sweetness of the wine can seem to be overwhelming.
After-dinner wines are also sweet; however, they tend to be served as one would guess; after dinner. While after-dinner wines may be spirits they could also be wines that are fermented. Brandy, sherry, port and liqueurs all fall into this category.
The types of wine corks vary with different kinds of wine. Learn more about wine corks withexpert tips from a wine maker in this free video about how to make wine. Expert: John Brack Contact: www.AustinHomebrew.com Bio: John Brack has been brewing his own beer and wine for more than 15 years, and has been on-staff with Homebrew Supply for more than 11 years. Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIA
The types of wine bottles used in winemaking vary with the kind of wine. Discover more about the types of wine bottles withexpert tips from a wine maker in this free video about how to make wine. Expert: John Brack Contact: www.AustinHomebrew.com Bio: John Brack has been brewing his own beer and wine for more than 15 years, and has been on-staff with Homebrew Supply for more than 11 years. Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIA
Picking a wine label is a fun part of the homemade wine process. Find out about the types of wine labels withexpert tips from a wine maker in this free video about how to make wine. Expert: John Brack Contact: www.AustinHomebrew.com Bio: John Brack has been brewing his own beer and wine for more than 15 years, and has been on-staff with Homebrew Supply for more than 11 years. Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIA
