Jancis Robinson’s informative and current website featured an article discussing South Africa’s transition to lighter wine bottles. Like many things there is the balance between reducing the carbon footprint and retaining jobs for local workers to be considered.

The article is reproduced here:

Unlike most, South Africa’s wine industry is doing rather well in terms of exports, but this presents it with a problem in its attempts to be one of the world’s most ecologically sound wine making nations and self-styled ‘leader in production integrity’. 

Su Birch, Wines Of South Africa

 

 ’As we raise our export volumes of mostly bottled wines, we also increase our carbon emissions, so it becomes a delicate balancing act to enhance our sustainability profile while pushing up our output’, explained Su Birch, CEO of Wines of South Africa (WOSA), one of the leading champions of the country’s efforts to grow, make and market wines in a way that is least harmful to the environment.

The response, just announced, is the introduction in South Africa of a 75 cl wine bottle that weighs only 350 grams, which will be available this year in time for Cape wine producers’ 2010 harvest.  Scheduled for a launch in mid April, these compare with an average bottle weight of over 500 grams just four years ago.  Read more of Sue Birch of Wines of South Africa on lightweight wine bottles