Curved Bottoms on Wine Bottles ~1912

Why Wine Bottles Have Dimpled Bottoms.

Have you ever wondered why a wine bottle has a dent on the bottom? Wonder no more! According to this 1912 newspaper excerpt it is to facilitate the cooling or warming of the liquid inside. Seems scientific enough. And obviously calls for experimentation.

But is it true?

The Wine Spectator version claims: “that indentation is called a punt, and it’s a good thing that football season is over, or I would be trying to make a joke about the name. Historically, punts were a function of wine bottles being made by glassblowers. The seam was pushed up to make sure the bottle could stand upright and there wasn’t a sharp point of glass on the bottom. It’s also thought that the punt added to the bottle’s structural integrity.”

Source: The day book., August 23, 1912