The older the bottle, the deeper the soul

When we reach the bottom of the bottle, we regularly ask ourselves: why is that hollow space there? We can tell you right away: it’s not just so you can hold your bottle securely while pouring or decanting. There’s more to it. 

The older the bottle, the deeper the soul

That hollow space in your bottle has an official name: the soul. Some bottles have a deeper soul than others; you will never find a bottle without a soul. Without a soul, the bottle would not stand steadily on an uneven surface and would be much more fragile. The following rule often applies: the older the bottle, the deeper the soul. Nowadays, factories make bottles so sturdy that a deep soul is unnecessary.

Have you ever tasted Venezuelan arepas?

Multifunctional

A soul has several functions. Its first function is to improve stability and reduce fragility. In addition, the narrow space around the soul catches the wine sediment. This sediment mainly develops in wines that improve over the years. For a bottle that is meant to be drunk quickly, a soul is unnecessary. It is also useful when storing wine: placing the neck of one bottle in the soul of the next saves space.

Want to know more about Italian wine?

Finally, it comes in handy when making sparkling wines and champagnes. These wines mature under considerable pressure in the bottle. A hollow bottom helps distribute this pressure. A convex bottom would also suffice, but then the bottle would no longer stand as firmly. Souls can also be found in gas cylinders and aerosol cans: they often have a hollow or convex bottom.