OK, we've vented about the wax-dipped bottles so here is another pet peeve. We discussed this on the Wine Spec site but I thought it might be interesting to re-visit.

Since some wine business people visit this site I would like to bitch about the odd-shaped and heavy bottles currently in vogue for wineries. There is nothing like trying to carry a case of these monsters and then trying to fit them in my wine cooler at home without success. They take up way too much room in my off-site storage and are a waste of glass.

Feel free to add to my list of offenders:
Darioush
Melville
Cristom

Kistler
Numanthia

Last week at the Wine Cask tasting I complained personally to Jim Clenendon ( Au Bon Climat ). He said, "Yes, they are big. I want to be a little different. You should build bigger holes in your cellar."

Not exactly the best response if you ask me but: ask a stupid question and...
We were all a little at the time.

Anyway, I cut back (notice, not cut out) on my ABC purchase.

My response to that would be,

"Before I would re-build my cellar I can buy a whole lot less of your wine".

Davidn - Good job for mentioning this!

Sine Qua Non (The Boot, A Cappella)

The ones I really disklike (because they seem to be more prevelant than the large diameter bottles) are the super tall bottles. Such as:

Paul Hobbs
Shafer Hillside Select
Liparita

The Hillside Select bottles are also very heavy as are the 1999 Phelps Backus bottles. What's with the use of odd glass?

Btw, my answer to Clenendon would have been "sure Jim I'll do that if you give me your wine for free so I can pay for the cellar changes".

Ode to Picasso.

I mean, what's up with THAT?!?

Loring

I love and hate these big heavy bottles. They feel really great, but they are a pain to store.

Tall:

Vin 29
Gemstone

skwid,

Quote:

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Sine Qua Non (The Boot, A Cappella)

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They fit in my cellar . But THE BOOT does go in the Mag rack. The Mag of THE BOOT fits too.

The A-Capella and The Antagonist ROCK, literally. But they fit.

Nothing on earth is worse than the La Gardine CdP. The magnums are ridiculous.

In Oregon,
Ken Wright, especially Ken Wright (looks like a magnum, carries 750ml)
Panther Creek
Elk Cove
Beaux Freres

I call them "Ego Bottles". I asked Ron Kaplan, the owner of Panther Creek about this one time (pre-9/11 and glut). His response was, "I really don't care about collectors. I'd rather sell all my wine to restaurants." I suspect his attitude has changed a little since then.

Don't forget Turley, whose short, squat bottles can also pose a storage problem.

Franus puts their cabs in very tall bottles. How about Traviglini Gattinara? But I have to agree with GA... La Gardine takes the cake. Makes me glad I don't have individual racking...

The good news is that all those heavy bottles (especially those based off the burgundy shape) make great weapons of self defense.

Wineaux,

Where'd your dancing banana go? I miss it (yet another thing I never thought I'd say to another guy) ...

Tall:

Estancia Meritage
Swanson Alexis

Fat:

Phelps Insignia
Panther Creek
Ken Wright
Cristom

Phat:

Clarendon Hills 2001 Old Vines Grenache Kangarilla Vineyard

my vote if definitely for the shafer HSS

So you got them

yes skwid. with no problems. thank you