Boxes, bags, pouches, cans and even linen bottles – the sustainable alternatives to wine bottles

Glass bottles are problematic in the sustainability stakes, even when recycled. Alternative wine packaging like cans and kegs, paper or linen bottles, bag-in-box and ‘bagnum’ pouches all have a much lower carbon footprint than the glass we know and love. Repeated reports show that making and transporting glass bottles are the main contributors to wine’s environmental impact. Glass requires extreme and energy-intensive heat to make, melt and mould: around 1,500C, compared to 200C for plastic. Glass manufacturers are trialling electricity, hydrogen and biofuels as fossil-fuel alternatives, but it’s a slow journey. Recycled glass melts at lower temperatures, but wine bottles of 100pc recycled glass are still rare (75pc is good going) and we can’t make clear bottles with recycled glass.

Lightweight bottles use less energy in transportation, making it harder to justify some empty wine bottles weighing well over 1kg. Manufacturers can now produce resilient bottles as light as 300g-400g, or around 800g for sparkling wine, which requires stronger bottles to withstand the pressure of those bottle-fermented bubbles.

fA key obstacle to change remains the belief — supported by surveys but contested by some commentators — that we wine drinkers associate better wine with heavier bottles, and will pay more for them. It takes courage for producers to test that belief, so it’s good to see some retailers in international working groups funding R&D in this area.

Meanwhile, some producers, importers and retailers are forging forward with lighter glass bottles and alternatives. Today’s recommendations include a lightweight glass bottle but also an innovative Green Gen Bottle made of flax fibres stiffened with bio-sourced resin. Like Frugalpac’s paper bottle, it uses rPET liners to keep wine fresh for up to 18 months — perfect for wine destined for immediate drinking, as opposed to the one in five bottles cellared for ageing, for which glass remains the better option.

I’ve recommended two beautiful wines that happen to come in a can (also lined), for when you don’t want a full bottle. I’ve also included a 1.5l ‘bagnum’ pouch, made from polyethylene and aluminium, which delivers seven times less CO2-per-litre emissions than a typical 540g glass bottle. Look out too for bag-in-box options like Bodegas Pinuaga La Frasca 2022, a fruity crowd-pleasing Tempranillo-Garnacha blend (€50, 3l, searsons.com).

Wines of the week

Djuce Meinklang Kontext Orange, Austria, 11.5pc, €8.50-€9 (250ml) One of several limited editions from an impressive new-to-Ireland range of canned wine from Djuce; all low-intervention, sustainably farmed, vegan-friendly and low in sulphites, many from sure hands like Meinklang. At one-third a bottle, 250ml is a smart serve for food pairings or picnics alike, and the delicate effervescence, light tannic structure and lively freshness of this perfumed, pretty orange wine makes it a versatile food friend. Sheridans, Drinkstore, Lennox Street Grocer, Oxmantown, Fine (Athlone), Rua Deli (Castlebar), MacCurtain Wine Cellar (Cork)

Pil Pil by Astobiza, Txakoli de Alava DO, Basque country, 12.6pc, €36.95 (1.5l) This party-friendly pouch delivers ‘premium quality wine with a lower carbon footprint’, featuring hand-harvested Ondarrabi Zuri grapes from selected vineyards. Medium-bodied yet lively, think chamomile and lime aromas, crisp apple bite and persistent gastronomic character. Mitchell & Son; mitchellandson.com

Petit Cernin Rouge Linen Bottle 2020, Perigold IGP, France, 14.5pc, €24.95 In a linen bottle that is 10 times lighter than a standard glass bottle, made from flax fibres with a food-grade rPET liner, this Merlot-Cabernet blend from Bergerac’s Château de Saint-Cernin is rich and fruity with bold aromas of dark berries, plum and fig, and some ripe tannic structure. O’Briens Wine; obrienswine.ie

Dawn Patrol Syrah 2022, WO Swartland, South Africa, 13pc, €8.50 (250ml can) ‘Dawn Patrol’ is a surf term for scoping ideal conditions, and Swartland’s schist and shale soils are a fine fit for dry-farming 20-year-old Syrah vines. An expressive, supple wine from Trizanne Signature Wines with earthy fruit, peppery spice, smoky nuance and juicy freshness. Perfect for barbecues. Drinkstore, Searsons; searsons.com

Fresco Di Masi Bianco, Verona IGT, Italy, 11pc, €17 An unfiltered blend of organic Chardonnay, Garganega and Pinot Grigio in a light-weight bottle (400g), it offers good weight despite low alcohol, with pineapple, guava and orange-peel aromas and notes of herb-stewed apple on the palate. Think fried snacks, coconut curries or creamy pastas. Neighbourhood Wine, Donnybrook Fair, Number 21 Off-Licence