The origin of 75cl bottles

Why these 75 centilitres? At the end of the 18th century, the export of Bordeaux wines to England was booming. The bottle then played a decisive role in the choice of the 75 cl format: an imperial gallon - a British unit of measurement - corresponds to 4.5 litres. To make the quantities compatible with this gallon, a 75 cl container that is multiplied by 6 is created. This is why, even today, cases of bottles are sold in batches of 6 units.

This small revolution makes wine a product that can be kept for longer and permanently changes wine production. Thanks to the bottle, wines can now be protected from light rays and thus retain their organoleptic characteristics.

At the same time, the English invented the cork stopper, which allows bottles of wine to be perfectly sealed.

The bottle then becomes an essential object, especially for the fermentation of champagne, which can only take place in airtight bottles, capable of containing the pressure exerted. Thanks to these airtight bottles and good storage conditions, French wines can be easily exported.

Before the use of the glass bottle, wines often turn to vinegar after a few months. Glass has the advantage of perfectly preserving its contents, the wine can thus age without spoiling.

With use, we will acquire more and more advanced knowledge. We realize, among other things, that wine improves with time if it is properly stored. Wine lovers begin to sharpen their taste for sought-after wines, with finer and more diversified aromas. The first oenological knowledge appears and writings on the appreciation of wine appear.

The first bottle shape produced corresponds to that of Burgundy wines. It saves space for storage and transport. Little by little, the shapes are different depending on the region. For example, wines from the Rhône Valley are bottled in bottles with a wide base and a rather short neck, while an Alsace wine is generally presented in a narrower bottle, with a longer neck and a low shoulder.

The bottle, beyond its conservation and transport functions, is now an object of the table that evokes gluttony.

Jean-Robert Pitte, historian and author of the book “Wine bottles, history of a revolution” also says that: “Behind each bottle there is a technique but also cultural representations. When you look at a bottle, you already have a foretaste of what it contains and the pleasure that its tasting will provide”.

Three centuries later, the bottle is more present than ever. It is his invention that today allows the French wine landscape to offer such a wealth of wines.