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Tips for Buying Eco-Friendly Wine
By AngelaColley(view all posts by AngelaColley)
at 2:00PM Monday January 30, 2012
under
Product Review
As an occasional wine drinker, I never gave much thought to the
environmental impact my mid-level, whatever was on sale, bottle of wine
had on the environment. But a few months ago an article on pesticides
used in U.S. wineries prompted a mini-freak out and I temporarily
stopped buying wine.
That was until I found organic wine sold in environmentally friendly box packaging. Thankfully, there is good wine out there that doesn't hurt the planet.
That was until I found organic wine sold in environmentally friendly box packaging. Thankfully, there is good wine out there that doesn't hurt the planet.
If you buy organic fruits and vegetables, why make an exception for what you drink? Several wineries, both U.S. and international, sell organically produced wine. To create an organic wine, a winery uses grapes, refined sugar, and flavor enhancers that were grown without the use of pesticides. The wine-making process is also chemical free.
Best of all, some organic wines taste better than traditional bottles. For example, Badger Mountain's Pure Red Merlot has a crisp taste with a hint of spice, and Silver Thread Vineyard's Pinot Noir has a light taste that outshines most traditional brands I've tried.
When it comes to cost – organic wine does not differ much from other wines on the market. True, the cost runs the full gambit from downright cheap to top of the line, but you can find good deals when your local grocery store or liquor store runs sales.
Box or Bottle?
I've always bought my wine by the bottle under the assumption that box wine isn't as high of quality as bottled wine, but that is quickly becoming just a myth as more top shelf wineries switch to box wines.
Bottom line, box wine is better for the environment than the bottled variety. For example, a standard size bottle of wine would emit 5.2 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions traveling from a winery in California to a store in New York. But a box of wine holding the same amount of liquid, would emit about 3.5 pounds of carbon dioxide traveling the same distance, according to the New York Times.
And the boxes take fewer resources to create, biodegrade faster, and are easier to recycle than glass bottles.
Reusing the Container
Whether you buy your wine by the bottle or by the box, you can stretch your environmental savings a bit further by reusing the container. For example, wine bottles make great candle holders, or centerpieces. You can even add some Christmas lights to the inside of a wine bottle to make a cute lamp.
Wine boxes have two containers – the outside box and the plastic bag used to hold the wine. You can use the box to store papers, or knickknacks. You can also cut off the top and use a wine box as a gift bag. The plastic bag inside is great to use as inflatable packaging material.
(photo courtesy of Chewy Chua at Flickr)
Best of all, some organic wines taste better than traditional bottles. For example, Badger Mountain's Pure Red Merlot has a crisp taste with a hint of spice, and Silver Thread Vineyard's Pinot Noir has a light taste that outshines most traditional brands I've tried.
When it comes to cost – organic wine does not differ much from other wines on the market. True, the cost runs the full gambit from downright cheap to top of the line, but you can find good deals when your local grocery store or liquor store runs sales.
Box or Bottle?
I've always bought my wine by the bottle under the assumption that box wine isn't as high of quality as bottled wine, but that is quickly becoming just a myth as more top shelf wineries switch to box wines.
Bottom line, box wine is better for the environment than the bottled variety. For example, a standard size bottle of wine would emit 5.2 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions traveling from a winery in California to a store in New York. But a box of wine holding the same amount of liquid, would emit about 3.5 pounds of carbon dioxide traveling the same distance, according to the New York Times.
And the boxes take fewer resources to create, biodegrade faster, and are easier to recycle than glass bottles.
Reusing the Container
Whether you buy your wine by the bottle or by the box, you can stretch your environmental savings a bit further by reusing the container. For example, wine bottles make great candle holders, or centerpieces. You can even add some Christmas lights to the inside of a wine bottle to make a cute lamp.
Wine boxes have two containers – the outside box and the plastic bag used to hold the wine. You can use the box to store papers, or knickknacks. You can also cut off the top and use a wine box as a gift bag. The plastic bag inside is great to use as inflatable packaging material.
(photo courtesy of Chewy Chua at Flickr)
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