We got a news shot a few months back to say our 2010 South African wines under the Paarl Heights label would be packaged in new Burgundy-shaped Ecova bottles (pictured). First I’d heard of it, but apparently they use 25% less glass than the traditional bottle.
So the first delivery landed with us this morning (Monday) and I was only reminded again about the Ecova bottles whenever I went to lift a six box. This was after spending the previous two hours hurling other wines about, most weighing in at over eight kilograms per six.
The new Paarl Heights boxes weighed a noticeable one kilogram less, which is a welcome feeling, especially on a day like today when four pallets arrive through the door, fresh out of bond, and you’re the only person there to pack it all away. Although I’m happy I’ll have a few extra pair of hands to help out tomorrow with whatever else needs done.
On inspection, I couldn’t find much of a difference these with these bottles. They’re lighter, yes, but they seem to be every bit as sturdy as your normal wine bottle, and they clink like them too. We’ve a very unforgiving concrete floor here in the shop, so if one takes a tumble anytime soon I’ll be sure to let you know how it copes, but we are told they hold up just as well to nasty knocks and preserve the wine inside in exactly the same way as traditional bottles do.
A few grams per bottle doesn’t make a huge difference, but imagine the weight saved on shipping a container. Ecova also claim to only use recycled glass, reducing the carbon footprint at the point of production, in addition to savings during transport. Is this the ‘in between’ solution (between traditional glass and PET plastic bottles) discussed here?
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