Why Champagne Bottles Are So Heavy
NEWS
By TIM FORSTER
Empty, regular-sized bottles of most sparkling wines and champagne weigh 1.8 pounds, while other wine bottles that can hold the same amount of liquid weigh between 0.8 and 1 pound.
One reason champagne bottles are so heavy is that they’re mostly made of thick glass meant to withstand the pressure built up in the bottle when its cork is popped at high speed.
Some suggest that a heavier wine bottle indicates a better-quality wine, which might be another reason why champagnes and sparkling wines are put in bottles made of thicker glass.
In reality, however, consumers already associate heavy bottles with higher-quality wines, and winemakers aware of this may opt for heavy bottles to make their wine seem fancy.
Heavy bottles cost more to transport and thus increase the wine's price. However, a bottle's weight has nothing to do with the quality of the wine inside.
