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Joseph says pricey wines need weighty bottles
Wine writer Robert Joseph has spoken out in defence of heavy wine bottles, saying they are an essential way of differentiating luxury wine from commodity wine.
Speaking at the drinks business’ annual conference at the Commonwealth Club on Monday, Joseph said: “The UK wine market is dysfunctional.
"The fact that there’s so much wine being discounted in an extraordinary yo-yo fashion means consumers have no idea what the wine is actually worth, which is an unhealthy situation.
“One of the big mistakes we make is that we put cheap wine in the same packaging as expensive wine – a £4 bottle is very similar to a £100 bottle, and that doesn’t give the consumer a good enough reason to trade up.”
Joseph ruffled a few feathers at the conference by suggesting that the UK should follow North America’s lead and put cheap wine into cheap packaging and keep premium wine in heavy bottles.
"There is far more intelligence in what you’re seeing in the US, Sweden and Australia, where cheap wine goes into a bag in box or a Tetra Pak," he said.
"I disagree with the idea peddled by journalist such as Jancis Robinson MW and Tim Atkin MW of going away from heavy bottles because they’re environmentally unfriendly. There are proportionally so few of those bottles sold, I don’t really think it’s going to make a huge difference to the environment.
“For some people, paying a bit more and getting a really nice heavy bottle for a Saturday night is part of the experience. Saying you can’t do that is like saying chocolates have to come in a paper bag, rather than a box,” Joseph added.
Click here to watch the full video interview with Robert Joseph
Lucy Shaw, 02.03.2011
Agree to some extent that the packaging is important (like printing a letterhead on weighty, high-quality paper).
But why are we artificially limiting our options to just cheap plastic vs expensive glass? With 21st century packaging design expertise, I’d be willing to bet that skilled designers could come up with packaging that’s both low-impact and high-end.
I do not believe that the “luxury” in a wine is (mainly) a matter of weight…but I agree, it’s a mistake to put so different wines in the same packaging. However, don’t you think that it’s a dangerous simplification the equation light bottle = cheap wine, and heavy bottle = luxury wine?
Tom, I agree 100% Our Greener Planet PET bottles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-KtsmgKJLY) are a step in the right direction but there is plenty more to be done. When you think how long it has taken the wine trade to accept screwcaps (even for French rosé) I won’t hold my breath until any such innovations are truly embraced.
Lizzy, I agree with you too. It could be a heavy bottle – or one with some other quality cue. My problem with the UK is that we are apparently hard wired to want to save money when buying wine. Putting cheap wine in smart (or sufficiently smart) packaging that looks as though you’ve spent more, validates its purchase.
Where does Mr. Joseph park the dinosaur he rides on, when popping down to the club for lunch?
Lafite comes in a heavy bottle, right?
I wonder where Mr. Joseph tethers his dinosaur that he rides on when having lunch at the club?
Nice one Robert – I agree that this is silly diversion. If people put the same effort into pushing their government to turn up the heat on big polluter countries then we’d all be a lot better off…
Nice one Robert – I agree that this is silly diversion. If people put the same effort into pushing their government to turn up the heat on big polluter countries then we’d all be a lot better off…
Wines should remain in glass not tetra or bag in box. Besides there are amazing light weighted wine bottles on the market -some clode to 300g! Remember glass in 100% recyclable, and actually compared to the alternatives better for the environment.
I disagree with Robert Joseph for 2 reasons. Firstly, the bottle itself isn’t the only way of projecting the correct image of your wine. Label (front and back) and capsule are also influential. Secondly nobody who has the wealth to buy Lafite, Yquem or Petrus (to name just 3) seems to be deterred by the less than weighty bottle. Granted, they have long track records, but so do many of the top wines from other areas that are bottled in ridiculously heavyweight bottles with unnecessarily deep punts. I’m with Jancis and Tim.
Whilst the simple pleasure of a heavy bottle may seem innocuous, what you are effectively saying is that those wealthy enough to buy expensive wine needn’t be concerned about the environment because there are relatively few heavy bottles made. Perhaps it’s time to take responsibility for your actions.
I agree with Robert. Look at the world of packaging. Who on earth thinks that heavier wine bottles is the problem? Hand crafted wines should take advantage of superior packaging and traditional packaging, not try to look like a everyday grocery item – or they will be treated as such
The real reason to reduce the bottle’s weight is increasing profits…