The folks at The Wine Group, the third largest wine company in the world by volume, have launched an effort to educate consumers about the carbon footprint of wine and persuade them to switch to the bag-in-box packaging. But packaging is not the only way wine impacts the environment.
Wasteful Glass Wine Bottles
At The Wine Group's website Better Wines Better World the argument for wine in a box is made to appeal to your wallet, taste buds and environmental conscience. The main evil is those heavy glass bottles that are stuffed with a cork, sealed with a foil capsule, and decorated with complicated labeling. If every wine sold in the US came in a box instead of a bottle, it would be the equivalent of taking 250,000 cars off the road per year, according to their calculations.
Boxed Wine Strengths and Weaknesses
Other advantages of bag-in-box wines include the ability to serve one glass at a time and keep the remainder fresh for up to six weeks in the fridge. With vacuum packaging, the problem of cork taint is eliminated and the overall cost savings is hefty. But the image of box wine is still pretty tawdry as far as serious wine enthusiasts are concerned. Even those traditionalists who are coming around to the idea that maybe screw caps are fine for some wines, balk at the idea of a cellar full of cardboard boxes. It is difficult to imagine how wine service at fine-dining establishments would handle such a change.
Organic Wines Are Growing
Even if consumers are not ready to purchase every wine in a box, there is a growing interest in wines that focus on making what is inside the bottle more Earth-friendly. Wines that are organic have been around for years, but web sites like The Daily Green offer consumers an easy way to research choices and read about the various methods and certifications for so-called green wines.
Green Winery Buildings
Wineries are also seeking other methods to reduce carbon emissions such as integrating solar and geothermal power like Frog’s Leap in California, and using construction practices that are LEED certified like the Carlton Winemaker’s Studio in Oregon. The LEED rating system developed by the US Building Council, provides standards for environmentally sustainable building methods and materials.
Green Wine Confusion
While wine bottles may not be going away completely and organic is not everyone, the wine industry recognizes that consumer interest in improving the environment is growing. Just don’t get the term green wine mixed up with the Portuguese wine called vinho verde. The translation is the same – green wine – but these are very young wines, harvested early, low in alcohol and slightly spritzy.
Whether you like 'em young and fizzy or old and traditional, wines that respect Mother Earth are in the best interests of wine producers and consumers alike. From the vineyard to the bottling line and beyond, as the climate change debate continues, expect to find more green choices than ever before in the world of wine.
 |
