Leading experts from the world of wine and packaging have come together to debate what makes glass still their number one favourite way to package wine.
BBC TV’s Saturday Kitchen wine expert Olly Smith, ethical and circular economy broadcaster and journalist Lucy Siegle, and author and wine columnist Dr Jamie Goode took part in a lively online discussion which will be premiered on the Friends of Glass YouTube channel this coming Wednesday 14th October, 2020, at 12 noon GMT.
The experts brought their own personal and professional perspectives to the debate, which touched on topics such as the meaning of true recyclability, the unique chemistry of wine and why it needs special packaging, and the joy of drinking wine that has been laid down for several years.
Touching on the enduring special relationship that wine has with the glass bottle, Jamie Goode explains: “I think we’ve all been taking glass for granted. The wine industry has been able to grow the way it has thanks to the glass bottle. Glass has made wine more accessible, easier to keep, buy and drink in good condition. I find it interesting that we’ve never really had this conversation before – it’s like we’re suddenly realising that glass is actually really cool!”
Commenting on the growing trend to use more recyclable materials in food and drink packaging, Lucy Siegle says: “Often packaging can only be recycled once. I call this semi-circular. Glass however is a material that can be remade over and over again. Get the process right and bottles can become bottles in a closed loop. This is the type of true circularity worth aiming for”.
Olly Smith acknowledges that glass is unique in being able to keep wine so fresh and intact over time “I love the journey that wine makes in a glass bottle. I’ve tasted some wines that stretch back hundreds of years and yet are still drinkable, thanks to being stored in glass. Glass enables wine to be a liquid form of time travel!”
The #SpeakUp4Glass video will be promoted across social platforms during October and November, giving a welcome reminder about the special qualities of glass bottles in the run up to the festive season.
Victoria Adams, Communications Manager at British Glass comments: “As the experts in this video explain, there are many reasons why wine and glass bottles have made such a brilliant partnership that has endured for hundreds of years. Add to this the very modern need for materials that are 100% and endlessly recyclable, and this is a partnership that is set to continue for as long as people continue to want to drink and enjoy wine at its best”.
