Wine Bottles on Viagra

A couple of issues ago I listed some Pinot Pet Peeves. A reader wrote adding the following to the list: (1) Bottles that weigh more than the wine inside (we’re not buying glass and carrying those cases is going to rupture something) and (2) Oversized bottle circumferences (why make bottles that won’t fit in a standard size wine cellar slot?) I concur and the wine industry is beginning to work on producing lighter weight bottles. At a recent forum in London, participants from the Wine and Spirits Trade Association and Waste & Resources Action Program agreed to step up communication amongst bottle makers and retailers to build understanding of the challenges facing suppliers in obtaining lightweight glass. It is clear that measures to reduce bottle heft would save thousands of tons of packaging waste every year, not to mention the health care savings resulting from the reduced number of hernia surgeries.