|
|
The Palatinate winery Galler*** from Kirchheim an der Weinstraße fills its cuvée called "2/4 Wein", which consists of the Piwi Sauvignac and Johanniter varieties, in 0.5 litre returnable beer bottles with crown caps. Customers will also be able to return these to supermarket vending machines at a later date. The initial print run is 5,000 units.
The production of disposable bottles currently has the largest ecological footprint of all forms of packaging for drinks. Added to this are the difficulties in procurement and the sharp rise in the cost of glass bottles, which is exacerbated by the customised designs. Several institutions in the wine industry are therefore calling for alternative forms of packaging, a standardisation of bottle shapes and their reuse in deposit systems, as recycling is also only possible with a high energy input.
Winemaker Ansgar Galler, who only grows Piwi varieties on his certified organic vineyard, says: "What is slowly gaining acceptance in the food sector will also work for wine. We simply have to adapt to the standard bottle shapes in the reusable system. Then retailers and customers will get along well, and the younger target group is much more flexible when it comes to appearance anyway."
(al / source and photo: Galler winery)