Indentations in Wine Bottles

You may have noticed that there is an indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle. This indentation is also called the “punt”. What is it, and why is it there? In this article, we’ll list a few reasons why we think wine bottles have it, and whether its presence affects the wine in any way.

Historically, the punt was a result of the glass making process. Glassblowers push the seam up to make sure that the bottle can sit up straight, and there were no sharp points of glass on the bottom. It was also thought that the punt was made to fortify more stability and structural integrity to the bottle.

With time and advanced technology, winemakers realized the presence or the lack of a punt has nothing to do with the quality of the wine. It just became part of a tradition, an artefact, a relic if you may. Bottles that lack the punt basically mean that there is less glass in the bottle, making them cheaper to produce and transport.

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Here are a few reasons why many think the punt exists:

• Easier to hold the bottle. When pouring wine, it acts as space where you place your thumb while the rest of your fingers can easily grab the base of the bottle.

• Makes the process of chilling your wine quicker. The punt increases the internal surface area of the bottle, allowing the wine to chill faster. This was mostly for white wines.

• Makes the bottle more resistant to high pressure. This is really important for drinks that have carbon dioxide in it. Sparkling wines like Champagne need to be stored in bottles with indentation, because it increases the strength of the bottle, providing more surface so that the bottle can withstand the pressure from the carbon dioxide.

• Help catch sediment. Some wines might have sediment, especially old wines that have been aging for a while. So to prevent the sediment from rising and blending back into the wine when pouring it into a glass, the punt allows the sediment to settle down in a tight place in the base.

Of course, there are a few more reasons why people think the indentation exists, but I decided to list the most popular ones. I personally thought it was there so that it would be easier to pour the wine. But feel free to comment and share your thoughts.

Till next time.

Cheers x