Why is Wine Stored in Glass Bottles – The History and Trends

10 Oct.,2023

 

Wineries are used to getting a lot of good reviews from customers; they often talk more about the wine and not the wine glass container. This is understandable since the glass is not edible; thus, it can only serve as a complementary necessity to the main content.

The idea of using a glass container for wine says a lot about glass containers as regards its use for wine storage.

In the remainder of this post, we will look at the history of wine containers, the transitioning process of wine storage to glass, the benefits of glass bottles for wine, and the packaging trends.

History of Wine Containers

Glass containers for wine are as old as wine itself. Glass wine containers date back as far as 1400 years in medieval times. Although modern-day wine manufacturers have many options for storing wines.

So, this is to say, in essence, that wine consumers have been using the wine glass for a very long time. The only difference lies in the design – by design, we mean the curves and sleekness of each glass. And most medieval wine containers are usually in a bowl or stem shape.

During the early days of the wine glass, the city of Venice was the epicenter of blowing wine glasses in the world. History also had it that the indigenous people of Venice invented the art of glassblowing, how to purify the source of alkaline, which also translates to making “Cristallo”, a popular type of wine glass.

The history of wine containers took a more classy dimension when the English decided to imitate their colleagues in Venice. The adoption of wine glass made by the English was traced back to the 16th century. This is an interesting moment in the wine glassmaking industry.

As the story goes, the height of wine glass took a new dimension when the Royal Navy demanded that the glassmakers should stop cutting down oak trees to fuel their fire. According to the Royal Navy, this action was depleting the number of oak trees, and the fact that they still needed more trees for their shipbuilding, such an order was necessary.

This was how the English glassmakers started using sea coal instead. This new method burnt at higher temperatures than the former. Thus, creating a hotter furnace that straightened the glass faster. This process gave birth to a more robust glass which later metamorphosed into the production of stronger bottles. This new type of glass also played an important role in the introduction of champagne.

The Transition to Glass Containers for Wine

There are different recordings that have been linked to this event. The earliest record of wine glass transition is in 1500 B.C. Egypt. It was said that the early Egyptians made the first hollow glass containers used purposely for preserving oils and ointments. Although it is often used for preserving wine, it is never the original purpose.

In another historical document, the transition to glass containers for wine can be traced to the 17th century, when breweries and wineries started using glass bottles as containers for their products. However, they came in an entirely different shape from what is obtainable today. Those bottles came with larger bases, shorter necks, and squatters than we see today.

But by the late 1820s, wine bottles started looking exactly like the ones in vogue today. By 1979, the United States set out 750 ml as a standard size for all glass bottles. But the E.U. quickly reciprocated and adopted the same standard to give room for more flexible business relationships.

Today, the 750 ml glass bottles have been marked as a standard gauge for wine containers (bottles) worldwide. But before then, some innovations had taken place. In the early 1800s, screw tops were introduced until the 1900s when machine-made bottles were massively manufactured. 

Benefits of Glass Bottles for Wine

The benefits of glass bottles are enormous. Some of them are discussed below.

Transparent 

Unlike the metal jar and oak containers that manufacturers used before the introduction of glass bottles, it is transparent. And for that reason, customers can easily have a feel of what the wine looks like. 

Sturdy

Glass bottles are firmly built. The sturdiness of modern glass wine bottles is often used as a selling point by most manufacturers’ marketing departments.

Tasteless

Glass wine bottles (Different Sizes Glass Bottle For Vodka) are tasteless, and their tasteless nature give wine manufacturers more reason to adopt them as a better alternative to the traditional means. The traditional means of bottling, which often includes using woods, mixes with the wine content, giving an entirely different flavor.

Since the wine glass container has zero chemical interaction with the container, the aroma, flavor, and strength remain intact no matter how long it stays in there. 

Eco-friendly

This is one of the reasons why manufacturers left the oak trees. Also, glass wine containers don’t emit harmful gas or chemicals, which makes them even more acceptable to wine manufacturers. Eco-friendly wine bottles are considered safe, healthy, and easier to use.

Recyclable

Not just recycling, some manufacturers can still reuse these bottles for an entirely different purpose. But the fact that it can be recycled makes it more advantageous (in terms of cost) for any manufacturer.

Statistically, recycling bottles account for 20% of the wine manufacturing sector. According to Drink Tec report on Düsseldorf, there are currently over 250,000 bottle banks in Germany picked from different households in Germany.

Light Weight 

Glass bottles are light yet firm. They are so convenient that you can carry a dozen at once, but this is not the same as the traditional bottling system, which requires even more careful handling.

Again, it comes with a very low energy consumption rate (for manufacturers). So, an average wine glass manufacturer produces lightweight wine bottles, which will also amount to the company selling more.

Mordor Intelligence estimated that the global wine packaging industry will grow by 2.65% between 2021 and 2026. Some of the packaging trends that are expected to be popular in the future are bottle wraps, twist-off corks, thinner eco-glass, shrink-wrap sleeves, laser-cut labels, smaller wine bottles, and paper bottles.

Companies, in their own way, are trying to beat the competition by introducing varieties of wine packages that have either never existed or have once been used hundreds of years before. Examples of such innovations are plastic bottle boxes, cans, kegs, and wine bottles of different sizes.

A practical example of the high demand for wine can be linked to the United States, where behavior experts have attributed the increased demand for four-pack and 187 ml wine bottles to its portable nature.

According to an assessment by Life Cycle Inventory, glass bottles are reused 20 times before they are finally recycled. In a move to extend the idea of eco-friendly wine bottles, the industry practitioners have also introduced the resealable bottle pop-tops, gradually pushing the idea to attain wide acceptance.

Conclusion 

Finally, it is important to understand that the wine packaging business is a lucrative one; it has always been. And in storing wine, glass wins in numerous aspects compared to other materials. It offers better protection as regards the wine’s quality and taste. Also, it adds to the aesthetics and overall drinking experience.

To get the best glass container for storing wine, reach out to a reliable custom wine glass bottle supplier.

If you have any questions on Weird Shaped Spirit Glass Bottles. We will give the professional answers to your questions.