Why Do Wine Bottles Have Punts?
The presence of the punt has been the subject of many discussions by wine lovers. While folklore gives many reasons for its existence, that dimple has definite purposes for many wines. Does this Spark an idea?
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Heavy Bodied Wines
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Wines with substantial bodies, like burgundy, Bordeaux and ports, continue their fermentation process in bottles. The punt is designed for the sediment that results from that fermentation to settle in that ring, keeping it from being poured into the glass.
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Sparkling Wines
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The punt increases the structural strength of the bottle. With the higher pressure in sparkling wines, due to their in-bottle fermentation, it allows the glass to hold the higher pressure of these wines without shattering.
Champagne Riddling
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After several years of bottle fermentation, Champagne will develop floating sediment. Bottles are then tilted on racks with the neck downward and rotated over a period of time. The punt allows this process, called riddling, to be done without overly disturbing the wine.
Bottle Stability
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Although modern wine bottles are made in molds, it is difficult to create a perfectly flat bottom. The punt allows for an exterior ridge, making the bottle more stable when resting upright. If you look at the bottom of many glass bottles you will notice a distinct outside ridge.
Tradition
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It is not very logical, but as in so many human endeavors the answer of "we've always done it that way" has a strong hold on the world of wines. For example, it is only recently, with the shortage of natural cork, that upper-grade wines have started using polymer stoppers, which arguably provide a better seal for bottles.
References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Karen
