Keen to reduce carbon footprint, some in the wine industry are looking at using lighter bottles.
For all wine lovers, there is little more excitement than being presented with a bottle of wine. How happy collectors are when they look at their racks, full of their favourite wines for every occasion. Little thought though is given to the weight of the bottle. Who considers how much a standard bottle of wine weighs? A standard bottle of wine holds 750ml and when full will weigh roughly 1.3kg. This, of course, depends on the size and thickness of the bottle.
There is, though, a new initiative to considerably reduce wine bottle weights, by organised wine retailers called the Sustainable Wine Roundtable Bottle Weight. The movement aims to reduce the average weight of the 750ml non-sparkling wine bottles from the current average of 550g to below 420g by the end of 2026. Through retailers, SWR will collect data every six months to track progress. You may ask why?
As wine journalist Jancis Robinson suggested in the Sustainable Wine Roundtable report, “it is widely agreed that the production and transport of glass bottles is the biggest contributor to wine’s carbon footprint, even if its exact proportion differs according to a wide variety of factors including how far the bottles travel. Estimates of bottles’ contribution to wine’s total carbon footprint vary between 30 and 68 per cent. But what is beyond doubt is that this carbon footprint could be reduced if bottles were lighter. It has been estimated that by agreeing that at least 80 per cent of their wine is packaged in bottles weighing no more than 420g, retailers’ wine-related carbon emissions could be cut by 25 per cent.
Many wine producers and retailers still believe that wine buyers associate heavy bottles with wine quality. This is an erroneous perception. It has been established though research that bottle weight is one the least important factors when consumers decide to buy wine. Price, personal recommendation, and familiarity are far more important factors. Most quality, celebrated wines do not come in heavy bottles. The adoption of heavy bottles is a recent marketing phenomenon.
According to some producers, wholesale adoption of lighter bottles by wine producers may lead to bottles being fragile and would therefore need stronger cardboard packaging. This negates any reduction in glass-related carbon emissions.
Glass-bottle manufacturers and bottlers believe otherwise, Robinson said. “Lighter bottles are perfectly durable provided they are well designed, with even distribution of glass and special attention to the points on the bottle that contact other bottles and filling equipment. Small adjustments may have to be made to bottling lines and the easiest win is to do away with the punt in the bottom of the bottle.” Bottle shape is important, and the centre of gravity of the lightweight bottle needs to be relatively low.
The SWR report insists that wine producers believe manufacturers find it more profitable to sell heavier bottles. Bottles, though, are likely to be priced per unit rather than according to weight. Glass manufacturers are keen to retain glass supremacy and will venture on lighter bottles and fight alternative wine packaging such as bottles made from recycled plastic and bag in box. Another issue is that the proportion of recycled glass used in bottle manufacture varies considerably. The aim, the SWR report claims, is to increase its use but care must be taken since impurities in recycled glass can make bottles more fragile.
Finally, reducing bottle weight should save the international wine trade considerable sums in terms of transport costs.
Wines of the Week (22nd of October – 28th of October)
2022 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis AOC, France, ABV 13%
Christian Moreau, one of the leading figures in Chablis, produces the wines he loves under his own name. Free of any personal involvement with the negociant company that his family founded and sold, with his son Fabien, he founded Domaine Christian Moreau Pére et Fils in 2001 in the very heart of the Chablis country. The vineyards are located on the left bank of the Serein Riverin, in the village of Chablis. Facing the south-southeast, the vineyard soil is rich in calcareous Kimmeridgian clay dating back to the Jurassic age. The vines are over 50 years old. Grapes are hand-harvested and sorted. The wine is fermented in steel tanks, then left to rest on lees for 10 months. Straw-yellow, aromas of crisp orchard fruit and citrus mingle with notes of grapefruit and sea breeze followed by some exotic fruit with apricots and green mangoes as well as peaches. The palate is super sturdy, very fresh and very rich with plush peach and nectarine flavors, medium-bodied, opulent mouthfeel along with lovely texture, while offering some complexity on the balance and a lingering finish with a mineral thread. Serve it with oysters, grilled fish, seafood lasagna, or ham off the bone with Chablisien sauce.
2021 Angelo Negro Angelin, Langhe, Nebbiolo DOC, Piedmont, Italy ABV 12.5%
The Negro family has grown wine on the Roero hills since 1670. In the early 1900s Angelo Negro succeed in realizing the dream of his father, founder Giovani Dominico Negro, and built a winery around the Roero hills. From the 1980s the wines of Angelo Negro became popular and today they own 70ha. The Nebbiolo grape vineyards, on sandy and calcareous soils, are located in the hills of Langhe and Roero at an altitude of 200-340m. Maceration takes place in stainless steel tank 80% and is 20% aged for 12 months in large oak barrels. This light red has an intense ruby color with orange highlights, quite intense and generous, fresh and fruity nose with hints of rose, blackberry and blackcurrant and spice. The medium-bodied palate shows notable intensity, while retaining an essentially mid-weight style. Strong, intense and quite powerful when still young, evolving to a complex and elegant, very well-balanced wine as it further ages. The tannins are harmoniously integrated in the fruit structure of the wine and long-lasting aftertaste with good freshness. Pair with hardy beef stew, quail in mushroom sauce, roasted leg of lamb and sharp aged cheese.
by George Kassianos
President of the Cyprus Sommelier Association