You may be wondering what the 2 wines in the picture have in common. The answer is: Absolutely Nothing! But this blog is not about the wines (both were very enjoyable in their own very different ways), it’s about the difference between the bottles themselves. One is a record breaker – but not for a positive reason: it’s the heaviest wine bottle I have ever known. It weighed in – empty – at 923gm; that’s just over 2lbs for those who prefer imperial weights. The other, for comparison, was just under half that weight (416gm, 15oz). I’m sure you can guess from the picture which is which.
I don’t believe there are many wine producers who will be unaware of the change in our climate that is taking place and the impact our activities are having. So why does El Enemigo choose to bottle their Bonarda in glass this heavy? Perhaps the name is a giveaway: it apparently translates as ‘the enemy’ and maybe the weight of the bottle is a deliberate attempt to demonstrate the strength of the enemy. I’m not convinced! There are no practical reasons; other wines from the Mendoza region of Argentina arrive quite safely in Europe in bottles much lighter. And, surely, few customers are fooled by the idea that a heavy bottle indicates a higher quality wine.
I blogged back in November 2021 at the time of the COP Climate Change Conference that actions, not words were necessary to change our destiny. Clearly the message has been lost on this particular producer.
I’ve contacted The Wine Society to say that I won’t be buying another bottle of this wine until their supplier uses more environmentally-friendly bottles. As customers, this is one way we can change the damaging policy of a few producers. If you, too, feel strongly, can I urge you also to boycott extra heavy bottles and let your wine merchant know the reason so that they can pass the message back through the chain?
Wine talks and tastings 