Wine packaging, like the people that enjoy it, comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. Later on, we will set aside some time to discuss bottle sizes (from a 187.5mL Piccolo to a 30L Melchizedek). For now, let’s talk about shapes, colors, and corks. BOTTLES 1. Bordeaux: Straight-sided and high-shouldered with a pronounced punt. 2. Burgundy: Tall bottles with sloping shoulders and a smaller punt. 3. Rhône: Similar to the tall bottles with sloping shoulders and a smaller punt of Burgundy, but traditionally less fat. 4. Rhine: Narrow and tall with little or no punt (typically brown glass) 5. Mosel/Alsace: Narrow and tall with little or no punt (typically green glass) 6. Champagne/Sparkling: Thick-walled and wide with a pronounced punt and sloping shoulders. 7. Chianti: The fiasco, a round-bottomed flask encased in a straw basket. This is more often used for everyday table wines; many of the higher-grade Chianti producers have switched to Bordeaux-type bottles. 8. Fortified: Many wines that have been fortified (Port, Madeira, Sherry, etc.) are in very sturdy bottles with a small bulge in the neck to help catch sediment. […]