Wine Bottle Shapes and Wine Fridges

If you've spent any time at all perusing the 400 wine fridges CoolerSomm currently stocks you've probably noticed that their capacity, shelving and ability to hold and keep cool a range of different shapes adds to the complexity of choosing a wine cabinet.

Wine bottles are more than just containers for fermented grape juice and their shapes carry centuries of history, regional tradition, and practical functionality. While most bottles hold 750 ml of wine, the contours vary widely depending on where the wine was produced, the grape variety, and even marketing decisions. In fact, a bottle’s silhouette can often give you hints about the wine inside before you’ve even read the label.

Let’s take a journey through the most iconic wine bottle shapes, explore how they came to be, and uncover why winemakers continue to use them today.

The Origins of the Wine Bottle

For much of wine’s 8,000-year history, it wasn’t stored in glass at all. Ancient civilizations like the Georgians and Greeks used clay amphorae, while the Romans employed clay and later wooden barrels. Glass, though known since antiquity, was too fragile and expensive for everyday storage.

It wasn’t until the 17th century that advances in glassmaking—particularly with coal-fired furnaces in England—produced bottles strong enough to hold wine reliably. Even then, bottles weren’t standardised. Shapes, sizes, and colours varied by region, largely dictated by the traditions of local glassblowers and the preferences of winemakers.

By the 19th century, as wine exports increased, bottle shapes began to stabilise into the forms we recognise today. These forms were not random but tied to both practicality and identity.

The Bordeaux Bottle

Shape: Straight sides, tall shoulders, flat bottom.

The Bordeaux bottle is perhaps the most instantly recognisable. Its straight, cylindrical body and high shoulders make it sturdy, stackable, and easy to produce in large quantities. All wine fridge manufacturers state their capacities in Bordeaux shaped bottles thanks to their uniform size and proliferation throughout the wine world.

History:
The shape emerged in the Bordeaux region of France during the 19th century. The pronounced “shoulders” were practical: they helped trap sediment when pouring aged red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Since these wines tend to throw sediment as they age, the design made them easier to serve.

Common Uses Today:

• Red Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc)

• White Bordeaux blends (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon)

• Many New World producers also adopt this bottle for wines made from Bordeaux grapes.

The Burgundy Bottle

Shape: Sloping shoulders, wider base, gently curved sides.

The Burgundy bottle is elegant, with smooth curves and no pronounced shoulders. It’s also slightly wider, making it harder to stack but easier to recognise. Most wine fridges, even undercounter, can happily take a standard Burgundy bottle but some manufacturers offer specialist solutions like Cella, Swisscave and EuroCave for example.

History:
Developed in the Burgundy region, this bottle design reflects the styles of wines made there. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay rarely throw heavy sediment, so there was no need for sharp shoulders. The softer silhouette also reflects the more delicate, nuanced character of these wines compared to Bordeaux’s structured reds.

Common Uses Today:

• Pinot Noir and Chardonnay worldwide

• Gamay (Beaujolais)

• Rhône Valley varieties (Syrah, Grenache) often use similar bottles

The Alsace and Mosel (Flute) Bottle

Shape: Tall, slender, with long neck and no shoulders.

This bottle is easy to spot because of its height and slim form. Sometimes referred to as a “flute,” it is particularly associated with aromatic white wines. These longer wine bottles can struggle to be placed in many slim depth wine fridges.

History:
The flute design originated in Germany’s Mosel region and France’s Alsace. The reason was partly practical: these bottles were easier to pack and transport down the Rhine River, fitting neatly into narrow storage spaces. The lightweight design also suited the delicate Riesling and Gewürztraminer wines typically stored within.

Common Uses Today:

• Riesling

• Gewürztraminer

• Pinot Gris

• Other aromatic whites in Northern Europe

The Champagne Bottle

Shape: Thick glass, deep punt, gently sloping shoulders, wide base. 

Unlike still wine bottles, Champagne bottles are designed to withstand immense pressure—up to 90 pounds per square inch, roughly three times that of a car tire. Champagne bottles often require partial shelf removal in undercounter wine fridges. Producers like Krug, Ruinart and Bollinger have particularly wide based bottles which can make them tricky for standard gap shelving in full stacked wine fridges.

History:
In the 17th century, winemakers in Champagne struggled with bottles exploding due to secondary fermentation. British glassmakers, who had developed stronger coal-fired glass, provided a solution. The thick-walled, reinforced bottle with a deep punt (the indentation at the bottom) helped distribute pressure evenly. Over time, this design became the standard not only for Champagne but also for sparkling wines worldwide.

Common Uses Today:

• Champagne

• Prosecco

• Cava

• Any sparkling wine requiring strong containment

The Chianti Fiasco

Shape: Round bottom, wrapped in a straw basket.

The iconic “fiasco” bottle is instantly recognisable: a bulbous glass base encased in a straw basket that allows the bottle to stand upright. Fortunately, any wine produced for entry into a Chianti Fiasco isn't meant for long term cellaring so this is rarely an issue for most wine fridges.

History:
Dating back to the Middle Ages in Tuscany, the Chianti fiasco was practical. Early glassblowers couldn’t produce perfectly flat bottoms, so the straw basket provided stability. It also protected the fragile glass during transport. While this rustic style has largely fallen out of favor in modern times, it remains a nostalgic symbol of Italian winemaking.

Common Uses Today:

• Traditional Chianti (though most modern Chianti now comes in Bordeaux bottles)

• Tourist markets and decorative purposes

Other Notable Bottle Shapes

Port and Madeira Bottles

Port bottles often resemble Bordeaux bottles but with a slightly bulging neck. This bulge historically helped catch sediment and allowed corks to be resealed for long-term storage. Madeira bottles are similar but may vary depending on the producer. Fortified wine bottles are rarely an issue for any wine fridge.

Rhône-Style Bottles

Often modeled on Burgundy bottles, Rhône bottles sometimes feature embossed crests (such as the Châteauneuf-du-Pape papal insignia). This embossing is a tradition that conveys authenticity and prestige. Heavy, Rhone style bottles can struggle in tightly spaced undercounter wine fridges.

Provencal Rosé Bottles

Rosé wines from Provence often use distinctively elegant, sometimes custom-designed bottles with slender waists or unusual curves. These designs are as much about marketing as tradition, signaling freshness and luxury.

Novelty Shapes

Some producers experiment with square bottles, flat bottles for eco-friendly shipping, or sculpted bottles shaped like figures or objects. While not traditional, they highlight how bottle design can be a tool of branding as well as utility.

Why Bottle Shapes Still Matter

At first glance, bottle shapes might seem arbitrary or purely aesthetic. But their persistence is tied to three key factors:

1. Tradition and Identity – Bottle shapes reinforce the identity of wines from specific regions. A Burgundy bottle suggests Pinot Noir or Chardonnay; a flute suggests Riesling. This helps consumers quickly recognise wine styles.

2. Functionality – Features like the Bordeaux shoulder or Champagne’s thick glass are rooted in practical needs: sediment management, pressure resistance, or shipping efficiency.

3. Marketing and Perception – In today’s global market, bottle shape contributes to storytelling. A unique silhouette can make a bottle stand out on shelves, signal quality, or evoke heritage.

The Future of Wine Bottles

With sustainability becoming a major concern, the future may bring significant changes. Lightweight bottles are already replacing heavier ones to reduce carbon footprints. Some companies are experimenting with recyclable plastic, paper-based bottles, or flat glass bottles that save shipping space.

Yet, even with these innovations, traditional shapes are unlikely to disappear entirely. They are too deeply embedded in wine culture, acting as both visual shorthand and a bridge to centuries of history.

Final Thoughts

Wine bottle shapes are more than glass—they’re silent storytellers. From the sturdy Bordeaux to the curvaceous Burgundy, from the slender flute to the celebratory Champagne bottle, each form carries the legacy of its region and the needs of its wine. Next time you browse a wine shop, take a moment to notice the shapes. They might just tell you as much about the wine as the label itself.