In ancient times, the first receptacles for carrying wine were amphoras, then came oak barrels. Today, admidst glass bottles and the ever popular "Bag-in-Box" containers (B.I.Bs), the future may well lie in plastic bottles. The wine packaging sector which, up until now has remained rather conservative (especially in France), is on the verge of a revolution.
At Vinitech, the three-day international wine-technics salon held in Bordeaux this week, rival exhibitors specialised in this new innovation, compare notes and show off inventive packaging which we may see on wine consumers' tables in the near future.
On the Semaq stand, the new plastic wine bottles made of P.E.T (polyethylene terephtalate) are in full view : they contain whisky, calvados, rum, Madera or even Bordeaux wine...
"This is a serious trend for companies such as ours and the wine and spirits sector will follow the general movement towards plastic containers", explains Bernard Laurence, whose family business, Semaq, has been specialised in manufacturing and distributing packaging for industry since 1974. "Look at the evolution in packaging of other liquid food products over the last twenty years : mineral water, cooking oil, fruit juice and milk have all abandoned glass for plastic," he continues, and goes on to specify that one third of Semaq's activity is centred on packaging for the wine and spirits sector including the manufacture of B.I.Bs and plastic 225 litre barrels for transporting wine in bulk.
The market for wine and spirits in plastic bottles is still in embryo but could expand rapidly for two reasons :
the first stemming from concern about consumers safety in certain situations. Glass bottles have a tendency to break. Indeed, night club proprietors are beginning to buy whisky in plastic bottles to overcome this potential health hazard and organisers of outdoor festivals would like to buy wine similarly packaged.
Secondly, plastic (P.E.T.) bottles are not only 100% recyclable but also much lighter in weight than their glass counterparts. This weight reduction means that transporters will use less fuel (an economic and environmental priority today) carrying plastic bottles, which weigh 50 grammes each, than glass ones (450 g each).
"Some clients, such as airline companies and event organisers are looking for an alternative to glass," says Bernard Laurence.
Whatever the priority, these bottles will all be equipped with screw-caps because the traditional action of popping a cork would pose a spillage problem, the container being too light.
The export market is also interested in the plastic alternative, especially those countries less weighed down by tradition than France. Canada, for example, is where the Gironde wine merchant Yvon Mau has chosen to launch its first range of wines in plastic bottles.Other regional operators in the wine business are set to do the same.
On the practical side for consumers, a standard P.E.T. bottle is suitable for a wine which can be kept for 6 - 8 months (for example a rosé). However, there is a special multi-layered P.E.T. bottle for keeping wines from 18 - 24 months.
"Not forgetting the fact that 900 bottles made of P.E.T are equivalent in weight to 600 glass bottles is of great interest in terms of transport costs to wine growers and merchants alike." adds Bernard Laurence.
Author:
César Compadre
doc@sudouest.com
S.O. 04/12/08
Translated by Maxine Colas.
francewinechateaux@gmail.com