The Covid -19 outbreak is a health and personal disaster. One can but hope that that no-one else will suffer from the virus but I fear that worse is to come. My condolences are offered to anyone who has suffered. It could easily be me next, my wife or a member of my extended family, in the UK or France. I already know someone who has died of the virus.
For the wine industry this is also a disaster. It is an industry that thrives on personal contact, whether it is in the vineyard, the winery or the wine shop. Drinking a bottle of wine with friends with a good meal is part of conviviality, this is now gone, and we will all be leading lives in separation for perhaps months to come. Soon we will be denied the simple pleasures of visiting a cave or a wine store to discuss and taste the wine and buy it.
The future looks bleak. It is possible that automation and artificial intelligence will be used to achieve economies across the industry to save it.Wine making and delivery and vineyard work will be become de-personalised. At least, I shall be sharing my wine with friends and family. The good times will return one day.
We are all affected by the struggle against the virus, but, even so, most of us are lucky enough not to be involved in a real war which is much worse.
Tonight my wife and I will drink a glass of wine to wish good luck and good health to all those involved in the industry wherever they are.
Thursday 19 March 2020
Monday 9 March 2020
Climate change and bottled wine
The wine industry is now having a finger pointed at it over carbon emissions. There is now criticism coming in from many directions about the carbon footprint of transporting wine in bottles and by road. Some winemakers are bottling their wine in lighter bottles to reduce the carbon footprint of transporting wine.
I am all in favour of innovation regarding the production and use of lighter wine bottles. But some environmentalists want the wine industry to go further to transport wine in bulk and "bottle" the wine in boxes and cans.
I already use "bag in the bottle" wine for drinking at home with a meal. I had a glass last night with my wife. But, at the weekend my wife and I enjoyed a bottle of Bersan Irancy Red; bottled in 2012 and left on its side to mature for 8 years. The bottle lasted us two evenings as we don't drink that much. The wine was fantastic and improved in the bottle.The bottle cost us about 8 Eur in a French supermarket. If we suddenly change "bottling" techniques so that all reasonably priced wine is sold in bulk in "bag in the box" containers filled locally, then we will lose the opportunity to buy and store wine for it to improve in the bottle.
The market for "glass bottled" wine will be reserved exclusively for the top priced brands. Wines which are reasonably priced and which have been produced and bottled on the wine estate will probably disappear.
Hopefully, I will be long dead before climate change fundamentalists kill off the majority of estate bottle wines.Only the very rich will be able to enjoy a rib of beef with a bottle of Bordeaux. Climate change must be controlled but wine producers are not the biggest generators of CO2.
Wine lovers, in the main, are fully aware of the problems associated with climate change. Climate change could easily destroy wine production and this is why we approve of innovation to reduce the carbon footprint of wine production and consumption. We are all prepared to make our contribution to reduce carbon emissions from all our activities. However, please do not deprive wine lovers of their estate bottled wine and the wholesome food which goes with it.
https://harpers.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/25501/Trade_should_stop_bottling_it_on_carbon_emissions.html
I am all in favour of innovation regarding the production and use of lighter wine bottles. But some environmentalists want the wine industry to go further to transport wine in bulk and "bottle" the wine in boxes and cans.
I already use "bag in the bottle" wine for drinking at home with a meal. I had a glass last night with my wife. But, at the weekend my wife and I enjoyed a bottle of Bersan Irancy Red; bottled in 2012 and left on its side to mature for 8 years. The bottle lasted us two evenings as we don't drink that much. The wine was fantastic and improved in the bottle.The bottle cost us about 8 Eur in a French supermarket. If we suddenly change "bottling" techniques so that all reasonably priced wine is sold in bulk in "bag in the box" containers filled locally, then we will lose the opportunity to buy and store wine for it to improve in the bottle.
The market for "glass bottled" wine will be reserved exclusively for the top priced brands. Wines which are reasonably priced and which have been produced and bottled on the wine estate will probably disappear.
Hopefully, I will be long dead before climate change fundamentalists kill off the majority of estate bottle wines.Only the very rich will be able to enjoy a rib of beef with a bottle of Bordeaux. Climate change must be controlled but wine producers are not the biggest generators of CO2.
Wine lovers, in the main, are fully aware of the problems associated with climate change. Climate change could easily destroy wine production and this is why we approve of innovation to reduce the carbon footprint of wine production and consumption. We are all prepared to make our contribution to reduce carbon emissions from all our activities. However, please do not deprive wine lovers of their estate bottled wine and the wholesome food which goes with it.
https://harpers.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/25501/Trade_should_stop_bottling_it_on_carbon_emissions.html
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