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Jancis Robinson MW and Hugh Johnson, together with about 40 British wine professionals, demand the change to alternatives to the wine bottle in an open letter. The letter was initiated by the group "Wine Traders for Alternative Formats" (WTAF), which also includes critic Richard Bampfield, many traders, several wine journalists and a total of six Masters of Wine. It states that switching from glass to alternative formats could save "over a third of the carbon footprint of wine consumed in the UK". This would be equivalent to taking 350,000 cars off the road.
Alternative packaging such as cans, bag-in-box (BIB), paper bottles and cardboard rather than wooden crates would have a significantly lower carbon footprint than glass. Technological advances would mean that wines drunk within a few months of purchase would suffer little or no noticeable loss of quality. Jancis Robinson MW commented: "The best wines I've tasted from BIBs and cans have been of a quality I'd be happy to take to the table."
The appeal encourages consumers to specifically buy wines in alternative packaging. To do this, the signatories are calling on the UK government to provide tax incentives for CO2-friendly packaging.
In contrast, Catalan wine producer Miguel Torres, for example, is not yet convinced of the alternatives to the bottle. The pioneer for sustainable viticulture and climate protection called on the glass industry to develop standard reusable bottles with low weight.
(al / Source: decanter; Photo: Wein&Co)
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