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From: gordon@cae780.UUCP (Brian Gordon)
Newsgroups: net.wines
Subject: Re: Wine bottle bottoms
Message-ID: <2836@cae780.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Oct-86 17:14:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: cae780.2836
Posted: Thu Oct 16 17:14:27 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 21-Oct-86 07:39:28 EDT
References: <93@ritcv.UUCP> <16144@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: gordon@cae780.UUCP (Brian Gordon)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc. (CAE Systems Division), Santa Clara, CA
Lines: 29
Keywords: Any judge of wine grade

In article <16144@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> rotondo@ernie.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Scott Rotondo) writes:
>In article <93@ritcv.UUCP> jaw7509@ritcv.UUCP (John White) writes:
>> 
>> 	Sorry if this has been brought up before, but I'm new to 
>> net.wines. My question: does the depth of the indentation (dish?)
>> on the bottom of a bottle of wine have anything to do with the 
>> quality of the wine therein?
>> 	[...]
>
>The indentation on the bottom of the bottle (called a punt) exists to
>add strength to the bottle, particularly for Champagne.  Some also claim
>that it provides a place to hold the bottle while pouring, but I see
>no point to this.  In cases where the strength of the bottle is not an
>issue (ordinary wine bottles), I believe the depth is arbitrary.

Not quite arbitrary.  The way it was explained to me was that it was a way of 
varying volume without distorting the (presumably recognizable) size/shape of 
the bottle itself.  Given the zillions of laws covering tax on wines in various
countries/states/etc., it is highly desirable to be able to package quarts, 
fifths, 750ml, etc. bottles for different markets.  Now that all(?) wine is 
packed in metric containers, the need is presumably somewhat less that it used 
to be.

FROM:   Brian G. Gordon, CAE Systems Division of Tektronix, Inc.
UUCP:   tektronix!cae780!gordon
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