EarthTalk®
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk: Apparently boxed wine (instead of bottled) is becoming all the rage for environmental reasons. What are the eco-benefits of boxed wine over bottled? — Justin J., Los Angeles, CA
With more and more wineries offering organic varieties to lower their eco-footprint, it’s no surprise that they’re looking at the environmental impacts of their packaging as well. The making of conventional glass bottles (and the corks that cap them) uses significant quantities of natural resources and generates considerable pollution. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the process of manufacturing glass not only contributes its share of greenhouse gas emissions but also generates nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and tiny particulates that can damage lung tissue when breathed in.
Beyond manufacturing, the transport of wine in glass bottles across the country and around the world also takes its environmental toll. According to wine writer Tyler Colman, upwards of 90 percent of American wine is produced on the West Coast, but then shipped to the East Coast where the majority of wine consumers live. Trucking all these heavy glass bottles generates a much larger carbon footprint, ounce-for-ounce than the transportation of much lighter boxed wine. Almost half the weight of an ordinary case of wine comes from the bottles; about 95 percent of the weight of a case of boxed wine is the wine itself.
“A standard wine bottle holds 750 milliliters of wine and generates about 5.2 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions when it travels from a vineyard in California to a store in New York,” reports Colman, who blogs at DrVino.com. “A 3-liter box generates about half the emissions per 750 milliliters.” He concludes that switching to wine in a box “for the 97 percent of wines that are made to be consumed within a year” would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about two million tons, or the equivalent of removing 400,000 cars from the roads.
According to the Wine Group, the third largest wine company in the world by volume and a big advocate for switching away from glass bottles, there are other advantages to boxed wine (which typically includes a plastic bag within a cardboard box). The vacuum packaging of boxed wines allows the contents to stay fresh for up to six weeks in the fridge once the seal is broken and the first glass has been poured. The Wine Group has launched the “Better Wines Better World” website in an attempt to curry public favor for technologically advanced, environmentally friendly and economically practical boxed wines.
Still, despite the benefits, boxed wine may still be a tough pill to swallow for many wine connoisseurs still bent on tradition. “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,” says wine writer and vineyard owner Lee Asbell. “It is difficult to imagine how wine service at fine-dining establishments would handle such a change.” For now, boxed wine is still the domain of cheaper brands. But that could all change as more and more wine makers and drinkers take up the mantle of saving the Earth.
CONTACTS: Better Wines Better World, www.betterwinesbetterworld.com. DrVino, www.drvino.com.
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk® is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.
photo credit: Bota Box
As eco-friendly as they may be, cardboard boxes cannot possibly hold a good wine for as long as a bottle with a solid cork can. An I just can't imagine my wine cellar full of boxes, i must be old fashioned.
It is nice that the wine industry is making an effort to respond to the need to reduce the amount of waste in the world, but it is difficult to display a nice box of wine in your home wine rack. Perhaps keep your expensive wines on display and your everyday wines in a box.
It is nice that the wine industry is making an effort to respond to the need to reduce the amount of waste in the world, but it is difficult to display a nice box of wine in your home wine rack. Perhaps keep your expensive wines on display and your everyday wines in a box.
I have to agree with Sam. There’s a stigma attached to “boxed” wine that’ll take some time to overcome
I have to agree with Sam. There’s a stigma attached to “boxed” wine that’ll take some time to overcome
Alas, there is a stigma attached to boxed wine, but let’s face it, ultimately it’t the quality of the wine, not the container that matters.
Alas, there is a stigma attached to boxed wine, but let’s face it, ultimately it’t the quality of the wine, not the container that matters.
I don’t know. Sounds like a tough sell.
Don’t get me wrong – love the environment and the future-oriented view we need to take.
But we are talking about selling cardboard wrapped expensive gourmet wines to fanatical wine lovers, who sniff and smell their wines before drinking a tiny fraction of sip, and so on.
I mean, they analyse their soil content to see how much lime it contains, because it affects the subtle taste of some distant bottle of wine in 5 years time!
And you want to wrap their precious wine in cardboard!
they are going to freak.
I wonder though, does it affect the taste of the wine, or not?
can anyone report back on the flavor – particularly any wine collectors?
I don’t know. Sounds like a tough sell.
Don’t get me wrong – love the environment and the future-oriented view we need to take.
But we are talking about selling cardboard wrapped expensive gourmet wines to fanatical wine lovers, who sniff and smell their wines before drinking a tiny fraction of sip, and so on.
I mean, they analyse their soil content to see how much lime it contains, because it affects the subtle taste of some distant bottle of wine in 5 years time!
And you want to wrap their precious wine in cardboard!
they are going to freak.
I wonder though, does it affect the taste of the wine, or not?
can anyone report back on the flavor – particularly any wine collectors?
Really solid post, new to the scene and finding a blog that is updated daily has been tough. I will make sure to bookmark and check back. Thanks
Really solid post, new to the scene and finding a blog that is updated daily has been tough. I will make sure to bookmark and check back. Thanks
I waited to reply back on this blog after I actually tried the wine. We found it here at Central Market and tried the Chardonney, and we were ok with the wine, however when I told my folks about the blog, they were impressed with the presentation and green effect.
I waited to reply back on this blog after I actually tried the wine. We found it here at Central Market and tried the Chardonney, and we were ok with the wine, however when I told my folks about the blog, they were impressed with the presentation and green effect.
Very interesting take. I wonder how long boxed wine can be kept, and whether it ages as well as bottled wine (I would think so, if stored under the right conditions.) Having said that, it may be useful to investigate a thermoelectric wine cooler. They don’t use Freon like compressor-type wine coolers, and require less energy, so are definitely a greener solution.
.-= steve@thermoelectric wine coolers´s last blog ..By: Vinotemp VT-12TEDS 12-Bottle Wine Cooler/Chiller =-.
Very interesting take. I wonder how long boxed wine can be kept, and whether it ages as well as bottled wine (I would think so, if stored under the right conditions.) Having said that, it may be useful to investigate a thermoelectric wine cooler. They don’t use Freon like compressor-type wine coolers, and require less energy, so are definitely a greener solution.
.-= steve@thermoelectric wine coolers´s last blog ..By: Vinotemp VT-12TEDS 12-Bottle Wine Cooler/Chiller =-.
For a long time boxed wine had such a bad rap of being the low end wine. But many vineyards are turning to this packaging and now boxed wine is cool.
.-= Rocky@girls cowboy boots´s last blog ..Kenny Chesney: Possibly the Hottest Male Crossover Artist in Country Music Today =-.
For a long time boxed wine had such a bad rap of being the low end wine. But many vineyards are turning to this packaging and now boxed wine is cool.
.-= Rocky@girls cowboy boots´s last blog ..Kenny Chesney: Possibly the Hottest Male Crossover Artist in Country Music Today =-.
I am glad to see the wine industry taking these steps to be more environmental. I have also seen many are using barrels at wine bars that can be refilled so that wine can be sold by the glass with less packaging.
.-= Tracy@medifast.com´s last blog ..MediFast Fast Facts =-.
I am glad to see the wine industry taking these steps to be more environmental. I have also seen many are using barrels at wine bars that can be refilled so that wine can be sold by the glass with less packaging.
.-= Tracy@medifast.com´s last blog ..MediFast Fast Facts =-.
Great Article. And it’s good quality wine also. Thanks Jennifer.
Great Article. And it’s good quality wine also. Thanks Jennifer.