As a wine friend, I’m sure many of you have noticed that wine bottles usually come in different colors, but most are green. Why is this so? Does the color of the bottle have an effect on the wine? What knowledge is hidden in the color of the wine?
The evolution of the wine bottle!
The original container used to store wine was not a glass bottle, but a long, thin clay jar. Although these containers looked good, they were heavy, the wine was difficult to carry, and the clay material affected the flavor of the wine, so clay jars were quickly phased out. wine containers evolved into sheepskin wine bags in the early 17th century, and glass bottles were not used until the mid to late 17th century.
However, most glass was made from sand and limestone, which inevitably contained some impurities. In addition, production techniques were limited at the time to remove impurity compounds from the glass. As a result, the most natural color of glass bottles, green, was the most primitive color of glass bottles. Although advances in science and technology have led to the gradual introduction of various wine bottles, they have not been as popular as the green bottles.
Bordeaux’s red wines come in dark green bottles, while its dry white wines are usually placed in light green bottles. Green bottles are also used in Burgundy, Rhône, Moselle, Alsace and Champagne. It can be said that green bottles can be found almost everywhere.
Why are most bottles green?
Oxygen is a double-edged sword for wine. If it is used properly, the quality of the wine can be improved. If it is not used properly, the quality of the wine will naturally decline. Fortunately, however, wine itself contains a certain amount of antioxidants, which can go some way towards preventing excessive oxidation. However, when exposed to strong light, the antioxidant properties of the wine are quickly destroyed and the wine deteriorates rapidly. In addition, UV light accelerates the movement of liquid molecules and destroys the stability of the wine. Therefore, the color of the wine bottle is very important for wine storage.
This is because the green color prevents light from entering the white wine and effectively prevents excessive oxidation of the wine. The use of dark, especially green, bottles creates a good storage environment for wine aging.
However, according to research, the best bottle to protect wine is a brown one. Brown is said to block 90% of light, green is smart enough to block 50%, and clear glass only blocks 10%.
However, considering that almost all wines are currently kept out of direct contact with the sun, the biggest reasons for using green wine bottles are based on the history, cost and acceptance mentioned above. Why do white and pink wines come in clear glass bottles?
In addition to green, wine bottles are also available in brown, blue, and colorless colors. Usually, German Rhine wines are bottled in brown bottles, while some white, pink and sweet wines are usually bottled in clear glass bottles, giving a fresh and bright impression, through which we can clearly see the wine and initially judge the quality of the wine. However, most of these wines are ready-to-drink and are not suitable for long-term storage and aging. In addition, some wineries use blue glass bottles, but these are usually not ordinary wines, and some may have a special meaning or highlight some non-mainstream wine elements.
Of course, today, with the advent of professional wine cabinets and wine cellars, the perfect conditions for wine storage have been created. As a result, the effect of bottle color on white wine is relatively diminished in a well-preserved environment.
Although dark green or brown bottles are often used for wines that are suitable for aging, this does not mean that wines in dark bottles must be suitable for aging. Although colored glass bottles can block light from entering the bottle to a certain extent, this does not mean that the wine can be exposed to sunlight. It is still necessary to keep the wine away from light during storage to minimize the effects of light on the wine.
The color of the bottle may also be inherited from the history of the production area! In addition to color habits, the color of the bottle is actually an inheritance from the traditions of some production regions, especially those with a long history of cultivation. For example, the Burgundy region mostly uses dark green bottles, while the Rhine in Germany uses brown bottles. Therefore, it is not surprising to see some white wines in green or brown bottles.
