Why do wine bottles have an inside dent in the bottom?!
Why do wine bottles have an inside dent in the bottom?
Answers:
it's called a "punt". back when glass making was less scientific, the punt strengthened the bottle. it can still fortify a bottle from breakage. bottles with a deep punt tend to be heavier, and more expensive, indicating the winemaker expects it to age well.
here's more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wine_bottle...
Because if the dent was the other way it would tip over
The wine companies say the "punt" is needed to make the bottle stronger. Others say it is because that way the bottle looks fuller with less wine.
so that the stuff that didn't get fermented could just stay at the bottom and not in the whole wine itself
i always thought it was for the thumb of the person pouring the wine, but i seem to be outnumbered by the "punt" thing...
The dent is known as a 'punt'.
There are many believable explanations why wine bottles have punts, and it is a question that often comes up when wine is being discussed.
However - there is no single reason that everyone agrees on. You do get wine bottles without punts and there is a famous Champagne bottle that doesn't have a punt. So it is not essential.
However, punts are traditional. Champagne bottles are stacked in the winery with the neck of one tucked in the punt of another. Bottles with punts stand better upright on uneven surfaces, punts can be used for holding when pouring, they channel sediment around the base, give strength to the bottle and makes it look larger.
Choose which answer you like, but I think the real answer nowadays is 'because it is traditional'
It actually comes from days of old when glass making was done by hand, not on a conveyor belt. The dent, was a by product of the method used to make the bottles, it also added strength to the bottle, and helped to ensure that the rim was level soo that the bottles would not tip over.
Pontac is right in his answer so listen to it. There are a variety of reasons - adds strength to the bottle, a place where sediment can collect, and the list goes on from there. Incidentally, I always like to think that the people who make these bottles have the punt because they realize how much that little indent helps when you are stacking wine in a cellar on it's side. If you have a front section and a back section in a cellar without actual wooden racks to lay the bottles on, that inside dent helps immensely in keeping the bottles in place when they normally wouldn't be quite so stable. I am telling you this from experience because I have had many wines try to roll on me when I'm single handedly trying to stock a wine cellar that contains a couple of hundred bottles.