U.S. consumer study of wine containers may surprise you

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A new study revealing which wine containers U.S. consumers believe are most environmentally friendly was done by four universities specializing in the business of wine.

The global study included California’s Sonoma State University, the University of Adelaide, the University of Florence, and the University of South Australia.

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WineBusiness online reported the results compiled from a socio-demographically representative sample of 692 Americans using a combination of “Best-Worst methodology, Likert scales and the Pick-Any method.”

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The most interesting question asked consumers concerned container options. Namely, among wine bottles, boxes, cans, tetra or plastic wine bottles, which have the lightest weight and are most environmentally friendly?

In a Pick-Any task, respondents were asked to evaluate a product based on predefined attributes associating six packaging formats — regular glass bottle, lightweight glass bottle, can, bag-in-box, recycled PET flat bottle and carton — to 27 wine descriptors.

The results show that U.S. consumers believe wine sold in boxes, tetra, plastic and aluminum cans reduce harm to the environment and are the easiest to recycle.

However, they may not be perceived as providing the highest quality wine or appropriate for every wine style or occasion.

The containers consumers believed to be the lightest weight are plastic bottles, cans and lightweight bottles.

The regular-weight glass bottle was perceived as the heaviest container but most appropriate for attending a formal event or gift-giving. It’s also considered especially suitable for red wines and suggests higher quality.

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Lightweight glass bottles were considered more fashionable and good for sparkling, rosé and white wines, and when you enjoy wine solo. It’s perceived to be lighter than regular glass bottles.

The survey also tried to assess U.S. consumers’ understanding of the issue of lightweight wine bottles. Given that the weight of glass bottles is the largest contributor to wine’s carbon footprint, according to a study by the Australian Wine Research Institute, it would be assumed that environmentally conscious consumers would seek out lightweight bottles and other lightweight containers.

Shockingly, the survey results showed that U.S. consumers ranked packaging weight near the bottom of any decision about which wine to buy. Instead, taste, recommendations, price, brand, sustainability certifications and other things factor higher than packaging weight. This suggests that U.S. consumers still don’t understand the effect of bottle weight on wine’s carbon footprint and environmental implications, choosing to believe weighty bottles mean serious wine.

The drawbacks to non-glass packaging, particularly the inability to age wine, will keep most wineries from adopting alternative packaging completely. But wineries can use lightweight glass or alternative containers for some product lines. Like the transition from cork to screwcap, they could begin with their inexpensive wine and slowly move up to their best labels.

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Glass bottles have been used for hundreds of years and are embedded in wine culture. But many interesting glass alternatives are being trialled and slowly adopted by wineries and some consumers. For wineries, putting some or even all of its wines in alternatives to heavy glass bottles could be part of the positioning of a sustainable and environmentally conscious company.

It will take time, but there will be no going back. Saving the planet will take a concentrated worldwide effort, and heavy wine bottles look to be low-hanging fruit ready to be picked off by a combination of technology and activists.

Weekend wine picks

Burrowing Owl Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Okanagan Valley

$28 I 89/100

UPC: 688229013225

There is 8.5 per cent Sémillon from Keremeos in the mix, which has a positive effect. Look for an enriched Sauvignon with a hint of the Bordeaux/Loire styling, pitching white grapefruit, citrus, stones and lemon verbena. Perfect acidity keeps it all together, but this is a gastronomic wine you should bring to the table with rich, creamy seafood dishes.

Martin’s Lane Fritzi’s Vineyard Riesling 2020, Okanagan Valley

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$65 I 91/100

UPC: 776545994431

Fritzi’s vineyard is a tiny single vineyard at the base of Mount Boucherie, a long-dormant volcano in West Kelowna at 49.83°N. It’s a warm, southeastern-facing parcel named after owner Anthony von Mandl’s mother. The clone 21B vines are 22 years old. In 2022, it received 48 hours of skin contact, giving it a phenolic character that everyone won’t love. The Fritzi Riesling style is typically ripe; while there is some sweetness here, the skin contact completely muffles it. This is a gastronomic version this year and would be easily paired with white fish as a main course. Ecocert organically certified.

1884 Malbec Finca E.G. 2019, Mendoza, Argentina

$16.99 I 88/100

UPC: 7790415130234

1884 is a solid everyday version of Argentine Malbec you can open as soon as you get the bottle home. Post ferment, 60 per cent of the juice spends eight months in a 60/40 mix of American and French oak; the rest is kept in stainless steel. Bright and juicy, look for plump blueberries and blackcurrants, a mix of smoked meat and creamy oak underpinnings. An easy sipping affair for grilled chicken beef or pork meals.

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Black Hills Tempranillo 2020, Okanagan Valley

$49 I 91/100

UPC: 058976502929

Winemaker Ross Wise is having fun unravelling the Tempranillo grape in the South Okanagan. The 2019 was an excellent effort, but in 2020, we see the potential for this well-known Spanish variety enjoying a rebirth in Rioja. There is a welcomed subtly here, including only 13.5 per cent alcohol. The nose is a mix of red and blue fruits with a desert sagebrush and a floral underside allowed to the surface using older wood. The flavours are full, the textures silky, suggesting you can drink it now. The classic match is lamb.

Croft Vintage Port 2016, Douro Valley, Portugal

$105.99 I 95/100

UPC: 5602418005292

We love the important work The Fladgate Group has done at Croft, completely restoring its reputation and glory and putting it back in the high-level stakes game of Vintage Port. This soon-to-be eight-year-old Vintage Port is ready to go — fragrant, open, generous and showy — especially for those who prefer a port full of youth and fruit. The attack mixes sweet cassis and blackcurrants with a savoury, firm undercurrent and relatively high acid for Croft. The onerous, continuing vineyard restorations are paying dividends. The finish is prolonged and flecked with brown spices. All that said, there is no need to open this wine until 2026 and beyond that over two decades. A perfect wine to treasure in the cellar and open to mark birth dates, anniversaries, etc., associated with 2016. You won’t be sorry.

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