Old Wine Bottle - Lisbon Wine - Norwich CT

I love old wine bottles and glasses! It's fascinating to think that hundreds of years ago, a wine enthusiast held this bottle and poured out wine for his family and friends.

This bottle was originally sold in Norwalk, Connecticut and held "Lisbon Wine" - i.e. Portuguese red. You can of course still get red Portuguese wines today, although their thicker Port is far more popular.

Note that it was unusual in these days to sell wine in a bottle. Because wine bottle making was not regulated or an easy process, deceptive bottlemakers would make their bottles too small and therefore skimp on what the buyer got. Instead, wine would usually be measured out in the store and put into the consumer's own container - much like when you go to the deli and ask for a "pound of ham" nowadays.

Both of these photos were taken by Lisa Shea. The actual bottle now resides in the Old Sturbridge Village recreation village in Massachusetts. You can Visit the OSV Website to learn more about them.

Wine Bottles from Old Sturbridge Village
Glassware in Colonial America
History of Glass Wine Bottles

Wine and History