Never mind the legs, look at the shoulders.

Tuesday, 28 April, 2015
Dave March CWM
What does the shape of the wine bottle tell us?

Every producer knows the importance of the packaging of their wine, especially the label. It is well known that many, if not most, consumers judge a wine – and often buy a wine – based on the attractiveness of its labelling. 

Australia made a huge success of attracting the buyer with cute ‘critter’ labelling and South Africa is not averse to using the occasional amusing or cuddly animal on its labels.

But what do you notice before the label? An even stronger signal; that of the shape of the bottle. Some bottles look sexier than others, some are taller, fatter, or heavier. Each is saying something to the consumer. South Africa is not shy of the exotic bottle shape either, designed to woo the consumer’s eye away from the plethora of anonymous other bottles alongside it. I have yet to find any wine in one of these curvy-shaped bottles offering as much appeal as the shape suggests (with the exception of Vin de Constance, if you consider its gorgeously historic curves as exotic in the 21st Century).

The really important message, if less obvious, is being given out by the bottle shoulders. There are many variations, but basically if the shoulders are flat or square then you can expect something of a Bordeaux style. If the shoulders are sloping, expect something along Burgundy lines, and if the bottle is flute shaped (tall, thin and very sexy) expect something akin to Alsace or the Rhine.

It used to be simple. Square shoulders for a red wine indicated Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec or less likely, another of the Bordeaux varieties from the Medoc, including Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon for whites. Or, of course, a blend of the above. Square shoulders would also tell you the style of the red wine, in this case, structured, tannic and serious; a food wine. Possibly a wine to save up for and put away for a special occasion. Sloping shoulders suggested something along Burgundy lines or the Rhone, perhaps a silky Côte Rôtie, an ethereal Pinot Noir, an intense Hermitage, or maybe a classy Chardonnay. Fluted bottles meant a fragrant, aromatic wine from the German/French borders; Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris or Gerwürztraminer.

Your choice was Western France (square shoulders) or Central/Eastern France (sloping shoulders) or the Rhine basin (flute) and thus a wine from a smart-sounding Chateau for Sunday lunch (Bordeaux) or one from an unknown family producer to enjoy beside a log fire (Burgundy) or something differently fruity and white (Alsace/Germany).

Sloping shoulder styles were harder to guess, someone looking for something easy-going and juicy for easy drinking might be happy with a St-Joseph or Côtes Du Rhône, but might end up with a firm and tannic Crozes-Hermitage. Unless you knew that the Northern Rhône used Syrah and the Southern Grenache, you could be very surprised. And further North in Burgundy – despite being single varietal based for reds – quality was widely variable, as well as style. Throw in Beaujolais, same bottle, different grape, and confusion mounts.

At least, though, your choice was clearer, classic Cabernet/Merlot dark fruited precision and aristocracy (square) or red fruited, sumptuous palatable rusticity or, if you were lucky, elegance (sloping) or intense perfumed hedonism (flute).

Then the New World entered the market. Cabernets and Sauvignon Blancs came in the same shaped bottle, but the styles were markedly different than their Old World cousins. A Chilean Cabernet is a fruit pastille away from Bordeaux, the tannins are riper, the alcohol bigger, the body fuller. Not only this, but square shouldered bottles are now used for Tempranillo, Mourvedre, Touriga Nacional, Sangiovese and Carmenere. And for whites; Sémillon, Chenin, Sauvignon, Muscat, Marsanne and many more.

New World sloping shouldered bottles still follow the Rhône pattern, largely, and centre around Syrah, Viognier, Chardonnay, Gamay and Pinot Noir. Though Nebbiolo is included here (largely because Barolo producers were inspired to imitate Burgundy). Of course, being the New World means rules are optional. You might find a Pinot Noir now in sloping or square shoulders, a Muscat in square or fluted, a Sauvignon Blanc or Sémillon in square or sloping.

Why the different shapes? It is all about style and the subliminal message to consumers. If I make a New World Shiraz in an Old World style (ie less fruit attack, more restraint and elegance) then I might label it Syrah and chose a Rhône bottle. If my Chardonnay is a nod to Burgundy then it is sloping shoulders every time. If my Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon owes its heritage to Bordeaux then it is square shoulders.

Being the New World there are no guarantees, but at least the bottle shoulders will give you a hint as to what you can expect on opening.