This is the real reason why wine bottles have that dent at the bottom ...

Publish Date
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 3:50PM
Photo / Getty

Photo / Getty

No wine is created equal - and there can be a staggering difference in taste between poor quality and top-end wine (as well as wildly varying price tags).

But a common myth is that you can tell if a wine is top quality by the depth of the indentation on the bottom.

But it turns out this is false.

According to experts, the size of the punt on the bottom - the official name for the dimple - bears no relation to the contents inside the bottle.

And there's actually a very straightforward reason as to why bottles have an indentation at all: it helps them stand upright.

Expert Dr Vinifera, aka Dr Vinny of Wine Spectator, says: "The size of the punt doesn't mean anything about the quality of the wine inside, but it can be a bit gimmicky, because some bottles just look like they're on steroids, with deep punts and extra-heavy glass."

The critic makes the point that some of the best Champagnes in the world don't have indentations on the bottom of the bottles.

The real reason why bottles have a punt is historical. Punts were put in place by glassblowers to make sure the bottles could stand upright.

Now, most bottles are of course machine-made - but winemakers still add them to continue the tradition.

Who knew?!

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