Once it is in the glass, nobody cares about the bottle their wine came in. However, many people have strong opinions and preferences about exactly this issue before the wine is poured…
Be it tradition, or just personal preference, the debate between Bordeaux and Burgundy bottles has lasted since vintner opted for glass over clay to store their brews. Fortunately, there is no definitive right or wrong answer that will have any serious effect on the final quality of your wine.
Bordeaux bottles have straight sides and tall shoulders, with dark green glass for dry red wines, lighter green for dry whites and, for the sweet whites, clear glass.
This bottle shape is widely used in the New World by winemakers bottling Bordeaux varieties, but it is also widely used in Italy, for modern-day Chianti for example, and many other countries.
[ New World wines are those wines produced outside the traditional wine-growing areas of Europe and the Middle East, in particular from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.]
Burgundy bottles have gently sloping sides (no shoulders), with both red and white wines in similar green glass. These are sturdy, heavy bottles, with a slightly fatter girth than other wine bottles – although you may only notice this if stacking them. This shape is also widely used throughout the New World for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, although it is also used in Italy for Barolo, and for many wines from the Loire, Languedoc and beyond.
Fun Fact: 8 of the top 10 most expensive bottles of wine in the world are in Burgundy bottles.
http://www.wine-searcher.com/most-expensive-wines.lml
Personally, I prefer Bordeaux bottles for the simple fact that I find they stack better in my wine racks
Do you have a preference?
