Why is there a dimple in the bottom of some wine bottles?

My guess is that when they bottle the wine, they have to make sure that no air contamination can get in there, so the “dimpled” bottles are the result of leaving as little air space in the bottle as possible.

pressure?

Wiki has some interesting ideas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_bottle#Punts

It looks like nobody knows for sure. Great question.

From a guess, I’d say to make it seem like there’s more wine in the bottle than there really is.

I believe it’s a stronger than flat bottom… less breakage in shipments.

Sparkling wines in particular need these. This shape is inherently stronger than a flat bottomed bottle. Wines intended to be aged are also put in these stronger bottles.

I always thought they were there for pouring. I’ve see a lot of people that will pour the wine while holding the bottle from it’s bottom with their thumb in that “dent”.

I know I learned this on some wine tour, but I don’t remember.

@Robertjohn: when we cut and paste an answer from Wiki we should really cite the source. Welcome to Fluther.

It’s called a “punt” and it’s there to give the bottle stability and strength.
It used to be said that the deeper the punt, the better the wine inside, but that no longer holds true.

I learned from a Dutch Wiki site:
– The deposit can form around the bulge.
– In Champagne bottles the pressure is high and this bottom makes it stronger (could also be a spherical shape (think gas containers)).
– While pouring, one can put their thumb in it for more grip.
– Storing bottles they can fit, as it were, in each other (the top of one in the hole of the other).
– A bottle with a hole stands more stable then a flat one on an uneven floor.

Soda & beer cans have that, too, for strength.

The punt is for turning. Wine being stored is sloped neck down to keep the cork from drying out, and turned from time to time. The punt allows a place for the thumb while grasping the bottle from the bottom to turn.