Why are there indented bottoms on wine bottles?

Answer 1

"A punt is the concave bottom of a 'better' wine wine bottles . The earliest origins of the punt are lost in history but there is much conjecture. Punts likely existed either for strength of the bottom of the bottle (especially with sparkling wine) or in order to form a stable (non-rocking) bottom in the hand-blown bottles. Today a punt is unnecessary and exists only because many consumers equate the presence of a punt as an indication of quality. Modern glass technology allows bottles to be made that do not require a punt for strength or stability for either sparkling or still wines."
Apparently the shape of the wine bottle can indicate something too. Check out the second link.

Answer 2

All Champagne and other sparkling wine bottles have a recess or indentation in the bottom of the bottle. For wine stored under tremendous gas pressure, this is essential because it relieves the pressure on the bottom of the bottle. Without the punt (or kick, as it is also called) the bottle might well blow out at the bottom.

For still wines, the punt in the bottle has been there since glass was first blown by hand. A pontil, or wooden stick, was used to secure the bottom of the bottle while the glass blower spun and blew at the neck end. Naturally, the stick indented the bottom of the still molten glass. Today, molded glass bottles do not require the punt, but tradition decrees that it shall be there. You will not find it universally, but almost all fine wine bottles retain the punt.

Answer 3

The dimple on the bottom of a wine bottle is called a Punt,there is no definitive answer as to why the punt is there but here are a few suggestions.

They are a historical remnant of old-fashioned glass-blowing techniques

They once 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. In the past, it may have been safer to give the bottle a dimple to allow for a margin of error

They once had (and may still have) the function of strengthening the bottle, particularly useful in the case of sparkling wine

The punt as having a function:

It consolidates sediment deposits at the bottom or side of the bottle (depending on how the wine was stored)

It allows a bottle of sparkling wine to be turned upside-down and then stacked (depending on its shape)

It can make the bottle look bigger

It may lessen the chance for breaking bottles when cases are stacked on top of one another

It may serve as a thumb-grip to allow for a more secure hold on the bottle when pouring the wine

Answer 4

If you go to a resteraunt. check out how the waiter holds the bottle. He will insert his right thumb in indent on bottom of bottle, hold the rest of the bottle with four fingers of same hand and tip.
It can be sometmes a sign of a good wine, the way the bottle is made, but not always. But the main reason is for the ease of hold wwhen pouring with one hand. x

Answer 5

ive been told this is how you know its a decent wine because the indented wine bottles cost more to make .Wine producers wont put a good wine in a flat bottomed bottle

Answer 6

Originally because glass-blowers balanced the molten glass on a rounded support, leaving the indentation. Now because the sediment in wine gathers in a more compact pattern around the inside rim of the bottle.

Answer 7

The indent is traditional in wine bottles to allow sediment to be trapped in the base of the bottle so that the wine can be poured crystal clear

Answer 8

I think it is for strength, the bottom of a pressurised wine bottle is the most likely place to get bashed when handling, and the indent is a form of reinforcement.

Answer 9

The "punt" as it's known has a number of functions-in wines that throw sediment,it creates an area for it to settle..In champagne bottles,it helps strengthen the bottle for the gas pressure within (equivalent to a double decker bus tyre pressure!),and when pouring,it can be useful to keep a grip on..and You can even use it in the old bar gag bet of "I bet I can get a drink out of this bottle without opening it.." wait for the sucker to put the money down,then pour a little into the punt and drink it!

Answer 10

It's a remnant from when the glass bottles were hand blown. That's where the stick secured the bottle. Winemakers are way into tradition, so it stays, even though the bottles are molded. The indent has a name, too...it's called a "punt"