Lightweight glass is a win for wine

Clos Du Val’s dedication to sustainability is immediately apparent upon arriving at their stunning property. Eye catching examples of their strategy include rooftop solar panels supplying most of their energy, and the diverse cover crops and drought-tolerant plants that foster biodiversity and create pollinator habitat.

However, their impact extends beyond these visible elements, Clos Du Val is committed to drastically lowering their carbon footprint while upholding the exceptional quality of their wines. One key initiative is the shift to lightweight glass and the elimination of capsules for their Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé. 

As Olav Goelet, third-generation owner and CEO of Clos Du Val states, “For years, wine quality has been wrongly associated with heavier bottles, but we are proving that a lighter bottle is just as reliable for preserving the quality of our wines – while also being kinder to the planet.”

“For years, wine quality has been wrongly associated with heavier bottles, but we are proving that a lighter bottle is just as reliable for preserving the quality of our wines - while also being kinder to the planet.”
Olav Goelet
Owner and CEO of Clos Du Val

The new Verallia-supplied bottles are 30% lighter than those previously used, achieving a 34% reduction in carbon emissions from glass production alone. Building on the success of the lightweight glass for the Sauv Blanc and Rosé, Clos Du Val has expanded the use of Verallia’s lightweight glass to their Cabernet Sauvignon and Estate Wines.

Carmel Greenberg, Winemaker at  Clos du Val Winery remarked, “As a winemaker, my job is to protect, maintain, and enhance the quality of our wines from grape to bottle. Using Verallia’s lightweight glass, I trust our quality is preserved, while gaining the benefit of reducing waste, reducing emissions, and being sustainable.” 

“As a winemaker, my job is to protect, maintain, and enhance the quality of our wines from grape to bottle. Using Verallia’s lightweight glass, I trust our quality is preserved, while gaining the benefit of reducing waste, reducing emissions, and being sustainable.” 
Carmel Greenberg
Winemaker at Clos Du Val

Lightweight glass offers multiple benefits: it requires fewer natural resources for production, lowers transportation costs and emissions both to and from the winery, and decreases the risk of employee injuries from handling heavier loads. Furthermore, like all glass, it is infinitely recyclable!

Lightweight glass is not only a smart-climate choice, LCBO has set bottle weight limits for imports of 420 g (non-hock) and 460 g (hock) and in 2023, Sustainable Wine Roundtable launched a Bottle Weight Accord, with signatories including Naked Wines, Whole Foods, and Systembolaget, to reduce bottle weights to 420 g by the end of 2026. Additionally, Jancis Robinson lists the weights of all bottles she reviews, and Karen MacNeil will not review heavy bottles. Verallia is reimagining glass for a sustainable future. How will your bottles weigh in? 

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