I taste around 30 to 50 wines a day. Yep. With these tastings, I usually only use a glass from each bottle, which presents me with a problem of what to do with the leftovers – a curious burden. 

In the olden days, I had a roster of people I could foist the leftovers onto for their own drinking pleasure. But as my volume of tasting has increased, so too has the ability for me to create enough of a supply chain for these opened bottles. 

My own journey with this ‘waste’ now has me doing a few things to keep up my own end with upcycling. I decided early that producing near-commercial quantities of vinegar with leftovers was a good idea, and now I have a very healthy relationship with the amazing Sydney zero-waste bar Re, which finds endless uses for blends of my discarded wine. 

Related story: This refreshing Kiwi Spritz is perfect for those unfinished open bottles of wine you have chilling in the fridge 

With waste in mind, it reminds me that glass bottles, corks and general packaging of wine, is fraught with issues in terms of potential waste. It’s why I’m often drawn to alternatives in the packaging and supply of wine – indeed, in my wine retail business, returnable, reusable wine bottles and wine supplied via a keg and tap system has been part of our operations since day one. 

Keg wine isn’t new, but there’s an upswing in interest in serving wine this way, too. More bars and restaurants are realising that it’s economical, plus kegs are excellent for minimising waste.

So too, alternative packaging like casks (also not new, but now accepted in finer wine culture), cans for wine and innovative flat-pack ‘bottles’ and recyclable pouches are gaining ground thanks to their environmental benefits, particularly for transport weight and recycling. In the pursuit of thinking of alternative ways to serve up wine, we’ve a way to go, but the inroads are heartening. It’s time to rethink the outmoded way that wine is delivered to our glasses.

Try:

A Glass Of Breaking Ground Semillon ($45 for five variants)
These recyclable pouches are filled with boutique wines selected by notable Australian sommeliers. You can buy them by the five-pack, with five different wines. 

Small Things Shiraz 2021 ($9 per can)
Good quality shiraz in a can. Nice one. Good with a chill, too. Cans crush to almost nothing, are lighter weight to ship and give you a good, big glass, with nothing left over after that glass, more or less. Go forth. 

Winesmiths Organic Chardonnay 2021 ($35)
Cask wine means that there are effectively no leftovers, no wine left behind, and every glass you pour yourself can be followed by another, even after a long period of time. The packaging works a treat for sustainability credentials, too. 

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