Designing a pair of squat bottles for a Mediterranean wine

A squat bottle changes the pace of pouring. Its broad belly, short neck and weighted base can make a Mediterranean red feel generous and table-bound, while a companion flask keeps the remaining wine close at hand. Designing the pair is less about copying a standard wine bottle and more about shaping two useful gestures: an open carafe for sharing and a stoppered vessel for keeping.

Barcelona-based ceramic artist Amelia Johannsen works between functional pottery and nature-led sculpture, a useful starting point for this project. Mediterranean light, Pacific Northwest forests and textured coastlines can meet in the bottle’s glaze without turning the form into a pastiche. The goal is a pair that feels composed on the table and useful in the hand.

For an Australian audience, that brief must account for familiar settings such as dinner parties in Sydney, long lunches in Melbourne, wine bars in Adelaide and BYO restaurant tables. The local market is dominated by 750 mL glass bottles, so a sculptural ceramic format needs a clear use and sensible capacity rather than novelty alone.

A legal dimension matters too. If either vessel is marketed for food or drink, its glaze and construction need to suit Australian food-contact requirements and state rules. Under the Australian Consumer Law, claims must be accurate, and a decorative piece should never be presented as safe for repeated wine service when it has not been tested for that purpose.

Set the shared design brief

Begin with capacity because proportion determines whether the bottles feel like companions or mismatched ornaments. A 450 mL open carafe and a 300 mL stoppered flask can hold one standard 750 mL wine bottle between them. Their shared low centre of gravity and broad shoulders will create a calm rhythm, while the different volumes make each pour distinct.

Give the pair one visual grammar but separate functions. The carafe can have a gently pulled pouring lip and an open mouth; the flask can carry a close neck, a recessed cork seat and a rounded stopper. Repeat the same clay body, glaze family and foot diameter so they read together from across a room, yet reward a closer look.

Shape the belly, neck and foot

Working from a full-size mock-up helps translate those dimensions into a generous silhouette. Wheel-thrown sections can form the belly, while a hand-built neck gives control over the opening and cork fit. A flattened coil foot adds stability and a subtle handmade mark. The low profiles in the Japanese tableware collection offer a useful reference for proportion, though the bottles should retain Amelia’s own coastal character.

Ergonomic testing matters as much as visual balance. Use a clay prototype filled with water to find the real pour rate, then check it with a red wine for colour visibility at the lip. A wide base should resist tipping when nudged by a sleeve, and the rim must stay smooth against the lips during a long lunch. Any sharp edge or glaze ridge needs sanding before firing.

Layer clay and colour for a coastal character

A bottle benefits from a layered surface because its curved body catches light differently from a flat plate. Start with a dark stoneware or smooth earthenware body, then consider a pale terra sigillata layer for depth. The coloured clay marbling guide offers a practical way to place mineral-looking veins through the walls without losing the broad, calm form.

For the open carafe, use a glossy transparent or translucent interior glaze that keeps the wine colour clear and makes staining easier to spot. The flask can carry a deeper satin glaze over its exterior, since its contents will often remain hidden. A Mediterranean palette of cobalt, sea-green, ochre and chalk white can connect the pair, while small differences in the firing make them feel like siblings rather than clones.

Check the pair for Australian tables

Prototype the pair at home before scaling it for a workshop or sale. A 750 mL bottle should disappear cleanly from one vessel to the other, with no drips on the tablecloth and enough clearance between the carafe and a wine glass. In busy Sydney and Melbourne dining rooms, a slightly recessed foot can be easier to wipe than a broad exposed base, and a matte exterior can reduce visible fingerprints.

Food-contact claims need evidence before sale. Check the applicable Australian and state and territory rules for ceramic tableware, use a suitable liner or test programme where required, and have the firing record available. The Australian Consumer Law requires goods to match their description and disclosed purpose, so labels should distinguish a food-use wine vessel from wall art or a purely decorative bottle.

Social making can also test the design in a less formal setting. During a clay-and-wine session, guests can judge how the squat shape feels beside a full glass and how a textured surface handles repeated handling. Event details for hands-on clay evenings can help turn the pair into an interactive table experience rather than an object that stays behind glass.

Release checks for a working pair

Form and function

Fill each prototype to its intended working level and check for drips during a steady pour.
Test the carafe with a full wine glass and the flask with a fitted cork or stopper.
Give each base a gentle nudge on a tablecloth to confirm that it remains stable.
Check the ceramic body and glaze for cracking at the coolest serving temperature intended.

Finish and release

Record the clay body, glaze, firing temperature and any liner used for each piece.
Confirm that food-contact claims match the test evidence and applicable Australian rules.
Photograph the finished pair from the front, side and above for collection and workshop records.

Make the pair part of the occasion

A successful pair will be remembered through use: one vessel left open beside a shared plate, the other waiting near the host’s glass. Its low profile can sit comfortably among serving bowls and dinner plates, while the contrast between broad body and narrow neck gives the table a small piece of sculpture. Handmade variations in glaze and profile keep the relationship between the bottles lively.

Explore Amelia Creations to view available and sold pieces, follow Instagram for workshop announcements, and subscribe to the mailing list for new releases. Select a bottle for a dinner table, commission a matched pair, or join a hands-on clay experience where wine, tapas and making share the same occasion.