Last evening we drank this wine: Travaglini Gattinara DOCG. The wine, made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, is grown and bottled by the Travaglini family on their property in Gattinara, in Piemonte, only about 40 minutes from Stresa by car. The winery was established by Clemente Travaglini in the 1920s and has been passed down generation to generation. It's an excellent wine, but what I want to tell you about is the bottle, which is unique among wine bottles.

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You can see in the photos above that the bottle is not standard or symmetrical. It has a sort of hump on one side, and it's there for a reason. The shape, which has become the signature of the Travaglini wines, was designed by Giancarlo Travaglini in 1958. He had the idea of a bottle that was beneficial to the wine inside, but also a work of art. 

The bottle has come to be known as the "pregnant" bottle, due to the belly shape on one side. When pouring, if you hold the bottle with the belly down and pour in that direction, the rounded shape of the belly acts in the same way a decanter does, catching any sediment that may exist. The shape on the sides of the bottle is a bit like an ergonomic handle, guiding you to hold the bottle in the proper position. 

This image of the bottle, from Travaglini's website, artistically shows the unique shape.

Isn't this a cute way to cut the metal part of the wine bottle seal to make a little holder for the cork?