punt

English · base of the bottle

The punt is the hollow in the base of a bottle; the Union des Maisons de Champagne advises pouring a magnum with the thumb in the punt.1

In serving

The punt gives a grip on large bottles such as the magnum (1.5 L, two standard bottles).1,2 UMC also advises pouring directly above the glass so the wine forms a cordon of bubbles and foams less.1

The bottle itself must hold high pressure: a Champagne bottle is built to withstand 12 atmospheres (bottle pressure resistance).3 More on serving: pouring and bottle sizes.

The Comité Champagne list runs from the quart (20 cl) to the melchizédec (30 L, about 240 glasses).2

See also

How to pourServingmagnumGlossaryBottle sizesServingbottle pressure resistanceGlossarycordonGlossary

Sources

  1. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). Serving Champagne
  2. Comité Champagne (champagne.education). Factsheet: Champagne bottle sizes (EN) (2024-05)
  3. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). Second fermentation: capturing the sparkle

Facts checked on 2026-10-19