As I am writing this, we are on the advent of summer and all it has to offer us.
Something I have written about a lot is our consumers concern about how our beverages are made, just like our food supply. The use of herbicides and pesticides, not being good stewards of the land, etc. began to creep into the minds of the population. I wondered if those same people are also concerned with how our products are packaged and how said packaging impacts our environment. I don’t want to get into a debate about climate change, but I do want to discuss how we can all help our environment. Living in the smallest state in the union, we certainly have our challenges when it comes to our central landfill. I feel as if we all need to be cognizant of the fact it is filling up. So, how can we help?
For centuries, beverages were primarily packaged in glass bottles. That was great for a time; after all, glass is recyclable to a certain extent. Canning food has been around since 1810 then, in 1934, beer was put in a can. Cans were also recyclable, they weighed less, which provided a great savings on shipping costs which include CO2 emissions reduction and using less fossil fuels to transport them. Cans have been great, and they’re no longer limited to your favorite beer or soda.
In 2004, Sophia Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola’s daughter, packaged a sparkling wine in a can, called Sophia. I bought a case for Portside at 22 Bowen’s to see what would happen. Sadly, not much. The consumer at that time was not ready to embrace something as radical as wine, let alone sparkling wine, served in a can. It did enjoy enough success to continue and are still available.
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I think the millennials have embraced the many positive aspects of canned beverages, including wine. Canned cocktails, seltzers, and wine are now prominent and there is one local company who is doing it really well and for all the right reasons. Anchor & Hope is a startup négociant in Rumford, R.I. Négociants are businesses that source their fermented wine from growers and then package and sell them in the open market under different labels. I had a chance to visit with the owners, and learned just how conscientious they are about the environment. All the wine they bring in is grown at a minimum sustainably, with some biodynamically. They ship the fermented wine from Oregon, California and Germany in large totes and once in R.I., they package.
They clearly use bottles as it is still the preferred method of selling wine, and under screw caps, but what I found more interesting is they are packaging several varietals, including those from Germany and one from Mendocino, in 250 ml cans. Why? Well for starters, shipping costs to the distributor are dramatically reduced. They are convenient and take up less shelf space. And, aluminum is the second most widely recycled material in the world behind asphalt, taking less energy to recycle than glass. 250 ml is basically an 8 ounce glass of wine. Some wineries can in 187 ml which is about 6 ounces. Now, what is great about this packaging is they are perfect for outdoor activities, especially at facilities that ban glass or on boats where most boaters shun the use of glass. They also can stay in the cooler or refrigerator until needed, one glass at a time, so your wine is always chilled.
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Anchor & Hope isn’t the only company canning wine, but I found it neat that they are a Rhode Island company, backed by the knowledge and experience of the owners’ winemaking roles at vineyards in Germany and California, and are doing their business not solely for wine but for the good of the planet. By the way, shipping fermented juice across the country or the ocean is nothing new; it has been done for years, more for the reduced shipping costs than intertwining the additional benefits of reducing carbon emissions. They also put some varietals in the ultimate earth-friendly package, aluminum kegs for draught. There are several restaurants in Rhode Island offering draught wine, and more should do so. There are several alternative wineries shipping in kegs, such as Acrobat, Angeline, and Yes Way Rosé. Yes Way are also packaged in cans.
Now that we seem to be on the other side of the pandemic, planning for Father’s Day festivities are underway and it is the first day of summer as well. This article may be too late for tomorrow, but I urge all to give these alternatively packaged wines serious consideration as they will allow you to enjoy a glass of wine where previously you may not have been able to do so and feel as if you did some good. There are a lot of options out there in addition to the local brand Anchor & Hope, including high-end and familiar brands. More consumers than ever are paying attention to their carbon footprint and to recycling. It is not that hard to be a part of the solution, rather than be part of the problem!
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My Monthly PSA. Restaurants are wide open, as well as all our small businesses, hotels and caterers, that is the good news. However, labor is a problem so as you enjoy one of our many wonderful restaurants, be patient, they are doing the best they can with the staffing they have. Summer is here, make it the best you CAN, wine helps!!!
Len Panaggio is a wine consultant and former corporate beverage director for Newport Harbor Corp. Send feedback and suggestions to lcp23223@gmail.com. The Wine Press runs each month in The Daily News and online at newportri.com.
June 20, 2021 at 12:00AM
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WINE PRESS: Looking for a wine option this summer? Reach for a can. - newportri.com
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