Wine in a Can, Part 2
Boisset's driving the wine
bottle-recycling bandwagon.
AP Photo
Well, more like wine in a bottle--a plastic one. Boisset Family Estates, known for producing premium wines in eco-friendly (and travel-friendly) aluminum cans, has come up with a sequel. New to the U.S. market this summer are Yellow Jersey (Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir varietals from Limoux and Minervous) and Bonus Passus (a Rhone blend), both packaged in PET (polyethylene terephthalate). Supposedly this lightweight, neutral material is 100 percent recyclable and reduces waste significantly (conserves fuel, reduces greenhouse gases).
What does it become after it's cleaned, flaked, and melted down? Recycled PET (R-PET) fiber, the demand for which currently exceeds supply, can be spun into everything from clothing to carpet, and it can also be used for produce trays, industrial strapping (replacing steel), automotive upholstery, and those waxy cartons used for shipping chicken parts. And, of course, R-PET can go back into bottles.
What's more, the Boisset camp tells us not to worry about taste. PET bottles are made with a substance called MonOxbar, which protects the wine's flavor and color from oxidation and UV rays. Keep in mind, though, that these bottles are most suitable for drinking within a year or so of filling. You don't want that 2004 Money Road Ranch Merlot gaining complexity in your cellar to be packaged in PET.
After the great comments we received about Boisset's aluminum-clad Beaujolais, the Daily Traveler is hoping you'll weigh in on this one. PET: The next big (green) thing in the wine world?
Further reading:
* Yellow Jersey Wines
* With lots to see outdoors in New York this summer, this bottle's perfect for a picnic stop
* Canadians have been on the PET wagon for a while now
* What about green inside the bottle? Food & Wine magazine's wine editor Lettie Teague has some thoughts on "the 'greenwashing' of the wine industry"
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