(Inforum) - I enjoy "browsing" wine shops — a weakness of mine — to see what is available that I know little about. I have to admit that attractive and unique wine bottles catch my eye. If it is a wine varietal I am familiar with, and the price isn't too shocking, I'll make the purchase. If it turns out to be something I really like, I will consider making a repurchase.

The 750-milliliter wine bottle is considered the standard for the market, but have you ever asked: Why this size? We Americans have liquids in pints, quarts, half gallons and more. What made the 750-milliliter the sticking point?

Like many wine standards, a lot of myth and tradition surround most when we dig in a little deeper.

Romans were the original experts in blowing glass, but it was too expensive to be commonplace. It wasn't until the 18th century that an approximation of the modern wine bottle began to appear, pretty much paralleling the development and use of cork as the stopper.