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{{short description|Bottle used for holding wine}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
[[File:Wine bottle.JPG|thumb|right|The transparent green of a typical wine bottle]]
[[File:Paso Robles red blend unique wine bottle.jpg|right|thumb|A square wine bottle]]

A '''wine bottle''' is a [[bottle]], generally a [[glass bottle]], that is used for holding [[wine]]. Some wines are [[fermentation (wine)|fermented]] in the bottle while others are bottled only after fermentation. Recently the bottle has become a standard unit of volume to describe sales in the wine industry, measuring {{convert|750|mL|sigfig=4}}. Wine bottles are produced, however, in a variety of volumes and shapes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bordeaux-traders.com/news/wine-bottle-sizes/ |title=Wine Bottle Sizes |publisher=Bordeaux Traders |access-date=2017-06-23 |archive-date=2018-01-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128021126/http://www.bordeaux-traders.com/news/wine-bottle-sizes/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Wine bottles are traditionally sealed with a [[cork (wine)|cork]], but [[Screw cap (wine)|screw-top caps]] are becoming popular, and there are several [[alternative wine closures|other methods]] used to seal a bottle.<ref name="Johnson000">{{cite book
| title     = The Story of Wine
| first     = Hugh
| last      = Johnson
| publisher = Sterling Publishing
| year      = 2004
| isbn        = 1-84000-972-1
}}</ref><ref name="Jackson000">{{cite book
| title     = Conserve Water, Drink Wine: Recollections of a Vinous Voyage of Discovery
| first     = Ron
| last      = Jackson
| publisher = Haworth Press
| year      = 1997
| isbn        = 1-56022-864-4
}}</ref><ref name="MacNeil000">{{cite book
| title     = The Wine Bible
| first     = Karen
| last     = MacNeil
| publisher     = Workman
| year     = 2001
| isbn     = 1-56305-434-5
| url-access     = registration
| url     = https://archive.org/details/winebible00kare
}}</ref>

==Sizes==
{{more citations needed section|date=April 2014|talk=Mordecai}}

Many traditional wine bottle sizes are named for [[Bible|Biblical]] kings and historical figures.<ref name="PhilologosBiblicalKings">{{cite news |last1=Philologos |title=Why Are Extremely Large Wine Bottles Named after Biblical Kings? The convoluted story of jeroboams, rehoboams, methuselahs, and more. |url=https://mosaicmagazine.com/observation/2017/07/why-are-extremely-large-wine-bottles-named-after-biblical-kings/ |access-date=20 July 2017 |publisher=[[Mosaic Magazine]] |date=19 July 2017 |author1-link=Philologos}}</ref> The chart below<ref>{{cite web |title=Wine 101: Wine Bottle Sizes and Designations |url=http://winestorageguide.com/wine-bottle-sizes-and-designations |access-date=26 November 2014}}{{Self-published source|date=November 2014}}</ref> lists the sizes of various wine bottles in multiples relating to a standard bottle of wine, which is {{convert|0.75|L|USgal impgal|2|lk=on}} (six 125&nbsp;mL servings). The "wineglassful"—an official unit of the [[Apothecaries' system|apothecaries' system of weights]]—is much smaller at {{convert|2.5|impfloz|mL|abbr=on|lk=on}}.

Most [[List of Champagne houses|champagne houses]] are unable to carry out [[Secondary fermentation (wine)|secondary fermentation]] in bottles larger than a magnum due to the difficulty in [[riddling]] large, heavy bottles. After the secondary fermentation completes, the champagne must be transferred from the magnums into larger bottles, which results in a loss of pressure. Some believe this re-bottling exposes the champagne to greater oxidation and therefore results in an inferior product compared to champagne which remains in the bottle in which it was fermented.<ref>{{cite web |title=Champagne Bottle Sizes |url=http://www.adorechampagne.com/stemware/guide-champagne-bottle-sizes-names-653 |publisher=Adore Champagne |access-date=11 April 2014}}{{Self-published source|date=April 2014}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Volume ([[litre]]s) || Ratio || Name || Notes ||[[Champagne (wine)|Champagne]]||[[Bordeaux wine|Bordeaux]]||[[Burgundy wine|Burgundy]]
|-
|0.1875 || 0.25 || Piccolo || "Small" in Italian. Also known as a "quarter bottle", "pony", "snipe" or "split". In Germany, the very popular "Piccolo" for sparkling wine is (predominantly) 0.2 litres, however (see below). || {{Yes}} || ||
|-
|0.2 || 0.2667 || Quarter|| Used for Champagne and sparkling wine || {{Yes}}<ref name=civc /> || ||
|-
|0.25 || 0.33 || Chopine || Traditional [[Chopine (unit)|French unit of volume]] || || {{Yes}} ||
|-
|0.375 || 0.5 || Demi || "Half" in French. Also known as a "half bottle". Common for [[ice wine]] || {{Yes}} "half"<ref name=civc /> || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}}
|-
|0.378 || 0.505 || [[Fifth (unit)#Tenth|Tenth]] || One tenth of a [[United States customary units#Fluid volume|US gallon]]* || || ||
|-
|0.5 || 0.67 || || Used for Tokaj, Sauternes, Jerez, as well as several other types of sweet wines, also common for cheaper wines in Switzerland ||{{Yes}} "demie" or "pinte"<ref name=civc /> || ||
|-
|0.620 || 0.83 || Clavelin || Primarily used for ''[[vin jaune]]'' || || ||
|-
|0.750 || 1 || Standard || || {{Yes}}<ref name=civc>{{cite web |title=Different bottle styles |url=http://www.champagne.fr/en/tasting-and-appreciation/choosing-a-champagne-wine/champagne-bottles |website=The Comité Champagne |publisher=[[Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne]] |access-date=23 December 2014}}</ref>|| {{Yes}} || {{Yes}}
|-
|0.757 || 1.01 || [[Fifth (unit)|Fifth]] || One-fifth of a [[United States customary units#Fluid volume|US gallon]]* (before 1979) || || ||
|-
|1.0 || 1.33 || Litre|| Popular size for Austrian wines || || ||
|-
|1.5 || 2 || Magnum || || {{Yes}}<ref name=civc /> || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}}
|-
|2.25 || 3 || Marie Jeanne || Also known as a "tregnum" or "tappit hen" in the port wine trade || || {{Yes}} ||
|-
|3.0 || 4 || Double Magnum || || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}}
|-
|3.0 || 4 ||rowspan="2"| Jeroboam || rowspan="2" |[[Jeroboam|Biblical, first king of Northern Kingdom]]. "Jeroboam" indicates different sizes in different regions of France.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jeroboam.com/jeroboam_wine_facts.html |title=Jeroboam Wine Facts |access-date=26 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211010754/http://www.jeroboam.com/jeroboam_wine_facts.html |archive-date=11 December 2008 |url-status=dead}}{{Self-published source|date=January 2013}}</ref>|| {{Yes}}<ref name=civc /> || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}}
|-
|4.5 || 6 || || {{Yes}} ||
|-
|4.5 || 6 || [[Rehoboam (unit)|Rehoboam]] || [[Rehoboam|Biblical, first king of separate Judea]]|| {{Yes}}<ref name=civc /> || || {{Yes}}
|-
|5.0 || 6.67 || McKenzie || Uncommon, primarily found in France || || {{Yes}} || 
|-
|6.0 || 8 || Imperial || || || {{Yes}} ||
|-
|6.0 || 8 || Methuselah || [[Methuselah|Biblical, oldest man]] || {{Yes}}<ref name=civc /> || || {{Yes}}
|-
|9.0 || 12 || Salmanazar ||[[Shalmaneser V|Biblical, Assyrian king]]|| {{Yes}}<ref name=civc /> || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}}
|-
|12.0 || 16 || Balthazar ''or'' Belshazzar<ref>{{cite book |title=Oxford English Dictionary |chapter=Balthazar, n. |quote=Forms: Also Balthasar, Belshazzar.}}</ref> || Balthazar—[[Biblical Magi|one of three Wise Men to present gifts at Jesus' nativity]]; ''Belshazzar'' can also denote the co-regent of [[Babylon]] during the absence of Nabonidus, who had seized control after several brief reigns following [[Nebuchadnezzar]], for whom the next-larger bottle size is named. || {{Yes}}<ref name=civc/> || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}}
|-
|15.0 || 20 || Nebuchadnezzar<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Manser |editor1-first=Martin H. |editor2-last=Pickering |editor2-first=David H. |title=The Facts on File dictionary of classical and biblical allusions |year=2003 |publisher=Checkmark Books |location=New York, NY |isbn=9780816048687 |page=257 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LIcL56NQ3gsC&q=Nebuchadnezzar&pg=PA257}}</ref> || [[Nebuchadnezzar|Biblical, King of Babylon]] || {{Yes}}<ref name=civc/> || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}}
|-
|18.0 || 24 || Melchior || [[Biblical Magi|One of three Wise Men to present gifts at Jesus' nativity]] || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}}
|-
|20.0 || 26 || Solomon || [[Solomon|Biblical, King of Israel, son of David]] || {{Yes}}<ref name=civc /> || ||
|-
|26.25 || 35 || Sovereign || Reportedly created by [[Taittinger]] in 1988 for the launch of the then-world's largest cruise liner ''[[MS Sovereign|Sovereign of the Seas]]''<ref>{{cite web |title=Champagne bottle sizes |url=http://www.bigbottles.co.uk/champagne-bottle-sizes |website=BigBottles.co.uk |access-date=23 December 2014}}</ref> || {{Yes}}<ref name=civc /> || ||
|-
|27.0 || 36 || Primat or Goliath || "Primat" likely from the Late Latin ''prīmās'' (chief, noble); Goliath—[[Goliath|Biblical, killed by David]] || {{Yes}}<ref name=civc/> || {{Yes}} ||
|-
|30.0 || 40 || [[Melchizedek]] or Midas || Melchizedek—[[Melchizedek|Biblical, King of Salem]]; Midas may refer to the [[Midas#myths|mythical king]] of [[Phrygia]] in [[Greek mythology]]|| {{Yes}}<ref name=civc /> || ||
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> For many years, the US standard (non-metric) wine and [[liquor]] bottle was the "fifth", meaning one-fifth of a [[United States customary units#Fluid volume|US gallon]], or {{convert|25.6|USfloz|mL impfloz|sigfig=3}}. Some beverages also came in tenth-gallon [{{convert|12.8|USfloz|mL impfloz|sigfig=3}}], eighth-gallon [1 US pint, or {{convert|16|USfloz|mL impfloz|sigfig=3}}], sixth-gallon [{{convert|22|USfloz|mL impfloz|sigfig=3}}], fourth-gallon [1 US quart, or {{convert|32|USfloz|mL impfloz|sigfig=3}}], half-gallon [{{convert|64|USfloz|mL impfloz|sigfig=3}}] and one-gallon [{{convert|128|USfloz|mL impfloz|sigfig=3}}] sizes.<ref>''House & Garden'', '''147''':7-12:132.</ref> In 1979, the US adopted the metric system for liquor bottles, with the basic wine bottle becoming 750&nbsp;mL, as in Europe.

==Shapes==
{{more citations needed|section|date=June 2017}}
[[Image:Veuve clicquot bottle sizes.jpg|thumb|Side-by-side comparison of various sizes of champagne bottles (left to right), on the ladder: magnum, full, half, and quarter; on the floor: Balthazar, Salmanazar, Methuselah, and Jeroboam.]]
[[Image:McKenzie (5L) Burgundy Bottle .jpg|thumb|upright|Comparison of Standard and McKenzie Bordeaux bottles]]

Wine producers in [[Portugal]], [[Italy]], [[Spain]], [[France]] and [[Germany]] follow the tradition of their local areas in choosing the shape of bottle most appropriate for their wine.

* [[Port wine|Port]], [[sherry]], and [[Bordeaux wine|Bordeaux]] varieties: straight-sided and high-shouldered with a pronounced [[Wine bottle#Punts|punt]]. Port and sherry bottles may have a bulbous neck to collect any residue.
* [[Burgundy wine|Burgundies]] and [[Rhône (wine region)|Rhône]] varieties: tall bottles with sloping shoulders and a smaller punt.
* Schlegel variety, predominantly used in German wine growing regions: similar to Burgundy bottles, but more slender and elongated.
* [[Rheingau|Rhine]] (also known as [[hock (wine)|hock]] or hoch), [[Mosel wine|Mosel]], and [[Alsace wine|Alsace]] varieties: narrow and tall with little or no punt.
* [[Champagne (wine)|Champagne]] and other sparkling wines: thick-walled and wide with a pronounced punt and sloping shoulders (resembling Burgundy bottles).
* German wines from [[Franconia (wine region)|Franconia]]: the [[Bocksbeutel]] bottle.
* The [[Chianti]] and some other Italian wines: the ''[[fiasco (bottle)|fiasco]]'', a round-bottomed flask encased in a straw basket. This is more often used for everyday [[table wine]]s; many of the higher-grade Chianti producers have switched to Bordeaux-type bottles.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Wine: An Introduction |last1=Amerine |first1=M.A. |last2=Singleton |first2=V.L. |publisher=University of California Press |year=1977 |edition=2nd |pages=315}}</ref>

Many North and South American, South African, and Australasian wine producers select the bottle shape with which they wish to associate their wines. For instance, a producer who believes his wine is similar to Burgundy may choose to bottle his wine in Burgundy-style bottles.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

[[File:Garçon Wines - Chilean Flaca Merlot near postal box (cropped).jpg|thumb|A flat PET bottle and a cardboard carton in which it can be delivered postally]]

Other producers (both in and out of Europe) have chosen idiosyncratic bottle styles for marketing purposes. Pere-Anselme markets its [[Châteauneuf-du-Pape (AOC)|Châteauneuf-du-Pape]] in bottles that appear half-melted. The Moselland company of [[Bernkastel-Kues]] in Germany has a [[Riesling]] with a bottle in the shape of a stylized cat.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/moselland+blue+cat+riesling+mosel+germany |title=Moselland Blue Cat Riesling, Mosel, Germany: prices |website=Wine-searcher.com |access-date=2017-06-23}}</ref> The British company [[Garçon Wines]] makes a flat wine bottle from recycled PET which is flat enough to fit through a letterbox and hence can be delivered by post.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/27/flat-wine-bottles-could-cut-costs-and-emissions-says-firm |title=Flat wine bottles could cut costs and emissions, says firm |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |first=Rebecca |last=Smithers |date=27 February 2019 |access-date=15 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/say-cheers-ingenious-flat-wine-bottle-gets-deliveredstraight/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/say-cheers-ingenious-flat-wine-bottle-gets-deliveredstraight/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Say cheers to the ingenious flat wine bottle that gets delivered straight through your letterbox |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |first=Saffron |last=Alexander |date=12 January 2017 |access-date=15 July 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The home [[wine making|wine maker]] may use any bottle, as the shape of the bottle does not affect the taste of the finished product. The sole exception is in producing [[sparkling wine]], where thicker-walled bottles should be used to handle the excess pressure.

Most wine bottles standards have a bore (inner neck) diameter of 18.5&nbsp;mm at the mouth of the bottle and increase to 21&nbsp;mm before expanding into the full bottle.

<gallery>
File:Clos Haut Peyraguey 1986.jpg|A bottle from [[Bordeaux wine|Bordeaux]]: (a bordelaise)
File:Burgundy bottles.jpg|A bottle from [[Bourgogne wine|Burgundy]]: (a bourguignonne)
File:Feuillatte 002.jpg|Bottles from [[Champagne]]: (champagnes)
File:Gewurztraminer Alsace4.jpg|A bottle from [[Alsace wine|Alsace]]: (a flute)
File:Wine bottle Provence.jpg|A bottle from [[Provence wine|Provence]]: (a flute with corset, or flute provençale, or flute quille)
File:Jura Arbois Traminer 2006 bottle.jpg|A bottle from [[Jura wine|Jura]]<br />(a jurassienne)
File:Vin Jaune.jpg|A bottle of [[Vin jaune|yellow wine]] from [[Jura wine|Jura]]: (a ''clavelin'')
File:Bouteille type muscadet 1.jpg|A bottle from [[Muscadet]]: (a muscadet)
File:Gaillacoise.jpg|Bottles from [[Gaillac (AOC)|Gaillac]]: (some gaillacoises)
File:4 Garrafões.jpg|Bottles of [[Vinho Verde]] in plastic (of ''garrafões'')
File:Bocksbeutels.jpg|Bottles from [[Franconia]]: (a [[bocksbeutel]])
File:Fiasco di vino rosso da tavola Monteriggioni.jpg|A bottle from [[Chianti]] (a [[fiasco (bottle)|fiasco]])
File:Blaxsta Vidal Icewine 2005 bottle.jpg|A bottle of [[ice wine]]
</gallery>

== Foils and netting ==
[[File:Paper strip under wine bottle foil.jpg|thumb|150px|A paper strip beneath the foil]]

Commercial corked wine bottles typically have a protective sleeve called a foil (commonly referred to as a "capsule") covering the top of the bottle, the purpose of which is to protect the [[cork (material)|cork]] from being gnawed away by [[rodent]]s or infested with the [[cork weevil]] and to serve as collar to catch small drips when pouring. The foil also serves as a decorative element of the bottle's label. Foils were historically made of [[lead]], but research showed that trace amounts of toxic lead could remain on the lip of the bottle and mix with the poured wine,<ref>{{cite web |last=Fisher |first=Lawrence M. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/02/us/lead-levels-in-many-wines-exceed-us-standards-for-water.html |title=Lead Levels in Many Wines Exceed U.S. Standards for Water |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2 August 1991 |access-date=2 January 2010}}</ref> so lead foil wrapping was slowly phased out, and by the 1990s,<ref>{{cite web |title=CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 |url=http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=189.301 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050109073641/http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=189.301 |archive-date=9 January 2005 |access-date=27 June 2015 |website=FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration}}[https://web.archive.org/web/19970506023359/http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00446.html].</ref> most foils were made of [[tin]], heat-shrink plastic ([[polyethylene]], [[PVC]]), [[aluminium]] or polylaminate aluminium.

Sealing wax is sometimes used, or the foil can be omitted entirely.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa031027.phtml |title=30 Second Wine Advisor |publisher=wineloverspage.com |access-date=2 January 2010}}{{Self-published source|date=January 2013}}</ref> In the US, the FDA officially banned lead foils on domestic and imported wine bottles as of 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://law.justia.com/us/cfr/title21/21-3.0.1.1.16.4.1.6.html |title=Justia: 21 C.F.R. § 189.301 Tin-coated lead foils for wine bottles |publisher=Law.justia.com |date=8 February 1996 |access-date=2 January 2010}}</ref>

Some bottles of wine have a paper strip beneath the foil, as a seal of authenticity, which must be broken before the bottle can be uncorked. Bottles of high-end [[Rioja (wine)|Rioja]] wine may have a covering of gold wire netting, Spaniard [[Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga]], [[Marqués de Riscal]] founded a winery in Rioja, in 1858, naming it after his own noble title, which had been created in 1708 by [[Philip V of Spain|Philip V]].{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} He produced award-winning wines which became the preferred wines of [[Alfonso XII of Spain|King Alfonso XII]]. Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga invented a wire netting that covered his bottle, thereby preventing counterfeiters from substituting the wine, since it was impossible to remove the netting without breaking it. Modern day bottles of Rioja carry a much finer wire netting as a decoration.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vinepair.com/wine-blog/rioja-bottles-wrapped-gold-wire-stop-thieves |title=Why Rioja Bottles Are Wrapped in Gold Wire – To Stop Thieves |publisher=VinePair |date=2015-02-25 |access-date=2017-06-23}}</ref>

==Punts==
[[File:Bouteille.jpg|thumb|150px|right|An empty (Bordeaux-style) wine bottle with a punt at its base.]]

A punt, also known as a kick-up, is the dimple at the bottom of a wine bottle. There is no consensus explanation for its purpose. The more commonly cited explanations include:<ref name="Johnson000"/>

* It is a historical remnant from the era when wine bottles were [[glassblowing#Free-blowing|free blown]] using a [[blowpipe (tool)|blowpipe]] and [[pontil]]. This technique leaves a [[pontil mark|punt mark]] on the base of the bottle; by indenting the point where the [[pontil]] is attached, this scar would not scratch the table or make the bottle unstable.
* It had the function of making the bottle less likely to topple over—a bottle designed with a flat bottom only needs a small imperfection to make it unstable—the dimple historically allowed for a larger margin of error.{{citation needed|reason=please link to a citation for this claim, or delete|date=May 2016}}
* It consolidates sediment deposits in a thick ring at the bottom of the bottle, preventing much/most of it from being poured into the glass; this may be a more historical than functional attribute since most modern wines contain little or no sediment.<ref>(MacNeil 2001).</ref>
* It increases the strength of the bottle, allowing it to hold the high pressure of sparkling wine/champagne.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Wine Wisdom |last=Singh |first=Magandeep |publisher=Penguin Books India |year=2005 |location=New Delhi |pages=187}}</ref>
* It provides a grip for [[riddling]] a bottle of sparkling wine manually in the traditional champagne production process.
* It consumes some volume of the bottle, allowing the bottle to appear larger for the same amount of wine, which may impress the purchaser.<ref name="puntglossary">{{cite web |url=http://www.wineintro.com/glossary/p/punt.html |title=Punt Wine Bottle Indentation |publisher=Wineintro.com |access-date=2 January 2010}}{{Self-published source|date=January 2013}}</ref>
* In folklore, taverns had a steel pin set vertically in the bar. The empty bottle would be thrust bottom-end down onto this pin, puncturing a hole in the top of the punt, guaranteeing the bottle could not be refilled.
* It prevents the bottle from resonating as easily, decreasing the likelihood of shattering during transportation.{{citation needed|reason=please link to a citation for this claim, or delete|date=May 2016}}
* It allows bottles to be more easily stacked end to end.<ref name="puntglossary"/>
* Bottles could be stacked in cargo holds on ships without rolling around and breaking.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
* It makes the bottle easier to clean prior to filling with wine. When a stream of water is injected into the bottle and impacts the punt, it is distributed throughout the bottom of the bottle and removes residues.{{citation needed|reason=please link to a citation for this claim, or delete|date=May 2016}}

==Environmental impact==
Glass retains its color on [[glass recycling|recycling]], and the [[United Kingdom]] has a large surplus of green glass because it imports a large quantity of wine but [[Wine from the United Kingdom|produces very little]]. Annually 1.4 million [[ton]]s are sent to [[landfill]].<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |work=[[The Guardian]] |title=Is it OK ... to drink wine? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2006/may/09/ethicalmoney.foodanddrink |date=9 May 2006 |access-date=22 November 2007 |first=Leo |last=Hickman}}</ref>

Glass is a relatively heavy packing material and wine bottles use quite thick glass, so the [[tare weight]] of a full wine bottle is a relatively high proportion of its [[gross weight]]. The average weight of an empty 750&nbsp;mL wine bottle is 500&nbsp;g (and can range from 300 to 900&nbsp;g), which makes the glass 40% of the total weight of the full bottle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrap.org.uk/downloads/Wine_Brochure_sept_2006.be60ee55.3258.pdf |title=The WRAP Wine Initiative |access-date=14 September 2011}}</ref> This has led to suggestions that wine should be exported [[bulk material handling|in bulk]] from producer regions and bottled close to the market. This would reduce the cost of transportation and its [[carbon footprint]], and provide a local market for recycled green glass.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wme.com.au/categories/waste_managemt/aug4_06.php |title=Carbon copy |first=Garth |last=Lamb |publisher=Waste Management & Environment |quote=If wine was imported in bulk vats and then bottled locally, the market for the most beneficial recycling option would increase.|access-date=22 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831152449/http://www.wme.com.au/categories/waste_managemt/aug4_06.php |archive-date=31 August 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://britglass.org.uk/NewsEvents/BGNewsCurrent/NewWineBottleProject.html |title=New Wine Bottle Project |publisher=British Glass |date=15 September 2006 |access-date=22 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070621034535/http://www.britglass.org.uk/NewsEvents/BGNewsCurrent/NewWineBottleProject.html |archive-date=21 June 2007}}</ref>

Less radically, [[boxed wine]] is sold in large, light-weight, foil-lined cardboard containers, though its use has been restricted to cheaper products in the past and as such retains a stigma. Following declining sales of wine boxes in the UK, in 2009 the [[Office for National Statistics]] removed them from its [[Consumer Price Index]] measure of [[inflation]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7958785.stm |title=Chicken in the basket of UK goods |publisher=BBC |quote=Wine boxes, MP3 players and rentals from DVD hire shops have been removed to make way, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. |access-date=15 November 2013}}</ref> Some wine producers are exploring more alternative packagings such as [[plastic bottle]]s and [[tetra pack]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://banditwines.com/eco-smart |title=Eco-Smart Cartons |access-date=22 June 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Wine}}
* {{annotated link|Beer bottle}}
* {{annotated link|Glass bottle}}
* {{annotated link|Kenelm Digby}}, considered the father of the modern wine bottle

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== General and cited references ==
* Jean-Robert Pitte, ''La bouteille de vin: Histoire d'une révolution'', 2013, {{isbn|9791021001138}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Wine bottles}}
* [https://sha.org/bottle/liquor.htm Liquor/Spirits Bottles] at the Society for Historical Archaeology

{{Winemaking}}
{{Packaging}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wine Bottle}}
[[Category:Alcohol measurement]]
[[Category:Glass bottles]]
[[Category:Wine packaging and storage]]