I’m talking about that inverted bump crafted into the bottom of so many plastic and glass containers. From mundane mayonnaise and peanut butter jars to elegant wine bottles, we’re finding the bottoms are no longer flat. Wondering why?
When it comes to food jars, the answer is NO — the dimples take up space inside the jar where the food used to be . . . less product, no price increase per unit! Manufacturers disguise the fact that we’re now getting less, even though the new containers remain the same size as the old ones. Not necessary! Common sense says a smaller flat-bottom jar is easier to store, less expensive to manufacture, occupies less landfill space, and makes it much easier to retrieve every last bit of food that lies at the bottom. These dimples are NOT cute!
As for wine bottles with the bottom bump (called a “punt” in the industry), I found many good reasons why these punts are necessary, serving specific needs:
The punt feature strengthens the structure of the wine bottle, making it much more resistant to high pressure – a great feature for sparkling wines such as champagne and Prosecco.
Angled properly, punts collect bottle sediment in the tight area at the base. This inhibits the sediment from blending back into the wine as its poured.
A punt increases the bottle’s surface area. When placed into an ice bucket, more ice comes into contact with the bottle, and the wine inside chills much more quickly.
Glassblowers created bottles with punts in an effort to make bottles that easily stand upright. The seam between the bottom and sides is positioned higher, allowing the bottle to stand straight, with a smoother finish to prevent scratches and/or cuts. (The first wine bottles with punts were used only to bottle the most elegant wines.)
Wine servers appreciate the easier grip when pouring, as the indentation provides a place for the thumb while the rest of the fingers grasp the base of the bottle.
Lastly, some find it safer to store multiple bottles of wine on their sides, as the rows of bottles fit nicely together, tops nesting inside the bottom punts. Necessary? YES!!
