November 4, 2008

Wines Shipped in Lighter Bottles

The ability to make lighter glass for wine bottles isn’t new, but the trend is gaining attention because it is a “green” alternative, AP reports (via the Union-Tribune).

At Fetzer Vineyards, the company is switching to lighter weight glass to cut shipping costs and to be more environmentally friendly. The winery’s new bottles are on average 14 percent lighter, with the 750-milliliter bottles now weighing 15.5 oz. when empty.

The company says that with 23 million bottles shipped annually, that adds up to an annual saving of 2,200 tons of glass. That also means spending less money on materials and fuel for transportation.

Most of the new bottles have a flat bottom, as opposed to the traditional indentation known as a “punt,” which was designed to collect sediments. Fetzer spokesman Jim Caudill told AP that the punt is being kept for premium lines, but not everyday wines that aren’t going to spend years in a cellar.

Boisset Vins et Spiritueux is also using alternative materials to ship its Beaujolais Nouveau. The winery is using PET bottles, since the wine is meant to be consumed soon after release.

Last year Fetzer Vineyards received the 2007 Best-of-the-Best Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award from the EPA.

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