BLOG IN A BOTTLE

The Facts:
Glass jars have been around since the 1800s but it wasn’t until the after 1900 that home canning was encouraged and seen as a way to provide better diets, preserve flavor, food longevity and reduce the cost of living. By the end of the century, the decline of the family farm, the low cost of commercially canned foods and the widespread use of freezers had made home canning more of a hobby than a habit.

The Trends:
In the new millennium, we have other things on our mind. With the growing concerns over global-warming, as well as our valid worries over food safety, the relationships between food, flavor, health, packaging and sustainability are now at the forefront of our thoughts.

A trend among consumers is emerging: the desire to live a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. This has been seen in the rapid rise of organic food and farming, the return to popularity of home-cooking and preserving, and an increasing awareness and interest in our foods’ sources and ingredients.

More and more of us are realizing that the future of our planet may very well depend on where we get our food, what we choose to eat and how we decide to store it.

The Research:
Commissioned by FEVE (the European Container Glass Federation), the InSites study asked over consumers in 17 countries across Europe what they thought about various packaging materials.
In a nutshell, the survey reveals:

-          65% of consumers prefer glass because it preserves taste,
-          63% perceive that it is safest health-wise,
-          50% say it is the most environmentally-friendly.

The same kind of survey was carried out in the States in 2006 with the same results:

'Glass is Life' Awareness Campaign, USA

Furthermore, glass is the only packaging material rated “GRAS” or “generally regarded as safe” by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
(Newton Marketing & Research of Norman, Oklahoma)

Clearly, consumers agree that glass is their preferred packaging for consumer health and the environment.

Nutritious and Delicious
The InSites survey goes on to show that the preference for glass is particularly high when it comes to certain food and drink categories where flavor is everything, such as spirits, wines and beers. More than that, glass also preserves the natural aromas, tastes and textures, making it the perfect material to store fresh and perishable products as fruit juices, smoothies and tomato-based sauces.

Glass is the material of choice for chefs, in particular, Geir Skeie who knows that glass is a true food lover. The purity of glass ensures that food retains its great flavour.
WATCH THE VIDEO:

Recipes and Instructions
Why not give it a go? Here are some handy links to get you started:

Canning, The Epicurious Way
Canning Safely, Weck
Home Canning, Kaufmann Mercantile Blog
Meyer Lemon Marmalade Recipe, Kaufmann Mercantile Blog
How to Can, Fresh Preserving
Food in Jars Blog
Recipes, Saving the Season
Preserved Fruits and Sweetmeats, Jennie June’s American Cookery Book, by Jane Cunningham Croly. Google Books.
Kitchen Lighting Made From Weck Canning Jars, The Kitchn
Weck Canning Jars, Katy Elliot

Photo by: Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images

Don’t you just love a good bottle of wine to complement that magnificent dinner you just cooked? But have you ever considered how much you may drink, what the effects of excessive drinking are and which factors determine your personal consumption limit?

That’s where Wine in Moderation comes in; an initiative of the European Wine Sector aimed at promoting moderation and responsibility in wine consumption.

Not only do they advise and educate people on the modern drinking guidelines and the Art de Vivre of the unique wine cultural heritage, but they also invest time in preventing excessive consumption and misuse of alcoholic beverages in Europe.

According to us the perfect partner to promote our game “Pass the Bottle”.  If you haven’t participated yet, do it now and take a shot at winning a real glass bottle filled with something delicious.

Simply select three friends and start passing the bottle. If you’re the one who empties the bottle and succeeds in recycling it, you’re crowned recycling champion and win a real bottle of your choice.

Only game winners over 18 years may choose and receive a bottle of delicious wine to reward them for their recycling effort. Youngsters under 18 receive a bottle containing a non-alcoholic drink.

So tell us, what are you waiting for?! Start passing the bottle and have a drink. But remember to do it responsibly.

International designer Karl Lagerfeld is officially a true Friend of Glass! He has extended his creative design experiences with a new range of crystal glasses for Orrefors. With years of experience designing fashion, perfumes and accessories, the Orrefors collection represents Lagerfeld’s first foray into glass design.

Available in white, black or clear glass, the range features champagne flutes and coupes as well as wine, water and liqueur glasses. Known for his practicality, Lagerfeld has also created monogrammed coasters for each type of glass to ensure no condensation or spilt wine will spoil your table setting.

Watch the video to find out more about the designs and why Karl Lagerfeld believes there is no place for plastic glasses in your home!

Orrefors by Karl Lagerfeld from Orrefors on Vimeo.

Friends of Glass in Spain recently participated in the 3rd World Congress on Climate Change and Wine, which discussed the future of the wine sector in the current climate change.

We’ve long been fans of glass wine bottles – not only because it’s classy, but also because it’s good for the environment.

Each ton of recycled glass saves 1,200kgs of raw materials, 130kg of fossil fuels and aroung 100kgs of greenhouse gas emission. All in a day’s work for the friendly glass bottle.

Here’s a video montage of the event, also attended by former secretary general of the United Nations (and Nobel Peace Prize winner), Kofi Annan.

P.S. If you live in Spain, let’s be friends!

The wine aficionados said it. And now consumers in the UK have said it, too.

According to the recent ‘UK Packaging Report’, consumers in the UK still overwhelmingly favour the 75cl glass wine bottle for almost all drinking occasions, particularly in social settings.

Alternative packaging has more relevance in outdoor settings, according to the research.

Says Richard Halstead, COO of Wine Intelligence:

“Consumers remain wedded to the glass bottle because it fulfils all their emotional notions of what wine represents, which easily overcomes any functional disadvantage such as weight or breakability.”

Your views on wine in glass?

Via: Wine Intelligence

Okay, okay. So we may be getting a little carried away with the idea of recycling, but stick with us: it works!

Here’s how to perfectly open a wine bottle if you’ve left the all-important corkscrew at home. Of course, if you’ve also left your shoes at home, then you’re somewhat in a pickle.

A few weeks ago, we brought you news that ‘Wine is better in glass’, based on a study conducted by the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences in Bordeaux – fellows that you can rightly assume know a thing or two about the best way to keep (and indeed, drink) wine, based on generations of experience.

However, the lively discussion about the best packaging material for wine continues.

A recent article in South Africa’s Business Day, claimed that plastic bottles ‘are not inferior’ for wine. The country’s Wine and Spirit Board recently approved the use of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic wine bottles.

“The PET bottles are also fully recyclable and have a much lower carbon footprint than glass.” reads the article.

Not so, say FEVE, the European Container Glass Federation.

They’ve submitted a response to the article (which you can read in full here). Here’s a summary:

What makes good packaging?

Good packaging should be as inert as possible: although the article claims that if  ’filled under good manufacturing practices there is no leaching of any kind’, this oversimplifies the problem as plastic materials, like all other materials, always leach elements. Glass, on the other hand, does not.

Good packaging should preserve a product’s original taste: glass doesn’t leach, nor does it react chemically with the content; it is the only packaging material that fully preserves the original taste of food and beverages.

Good packaging should not poison the environment: recent studies show the harmful effect of plastic waste in the ocean, caused by direct injuries or by toxic releases of bisphenol A (BPA). Glass, given its high recycled rate and inertness, has no adverse effect on the environment.

Good packaging should be fully recyclable: the article claims that PET bottles are fully recyclable, but are they recycled or incinerated? And if recycled, it is probably not in a closed-loop system (bottle-to-bottle), meaning that they will, at the end of the day, end up in landfills. Glass is 100% recyclable; over and over again – without any loss of quality.

Good packaging should be locally made and recycled: plastic, for instance, is made from oil sourced in the Middle East, which is transported to China (or elsewhere), where PET pellets are made. Those pellets are then transported to other regions to make the pre-bottle, and when the finally bottle is disposed, it is mainly re-transported back to China for energy recovery. Glass on the other hand, is made from local raw materials, is produced in a local glass factory and is locally recycled.

The reasoning and arguments laid out in FEVE’s response are clear. Spread the word about what’s good for you. Your family. And the environment. And enjoy a glass of wine as it should be.

Glass bottle: good for the wine (and for you)

Wine in glass bottles stays fresher for longer. So says a study conducted by the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences in Bordeaux.

Some retailers in the UK are increasing the amount of plastic wine bottles, claiming that the contents can be stored for as long as a year.

Not so, says the study, which says that wine stored in polyethylene bottles starts to oxidize within 6 months. Good news if you like to drink vinegar. Bad news if you don’t.

Further evidence in the study revealed that wine stayed far fresher in glass bottles, particularly red wine.

Scientists tested both red and white Bordeaux wines, which were packaged in a variety of glass, PET and bag-in-box packaging. After different intervals, they tested the level of oxygen, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide in the wine, as well as taste and colour intensity.

There was little or no change to these levels in the glass-bottled wine, but noticeable changes were found in the plastic and boxed wine.

Says spokesman Rimy Ghidossi:

“A lot of contradictory information has been circulating in recent months regarding different packaging solutions suitable for wines.

‘It is now necessary to establish the truth, based on scientific information and quantitative data, to determine the legitimacy of each package, as its main function is to preserve the flavour and characteristics of its content.”

There you have it. Glass is good. For wine, as well.

Via the Mail Online

We knew it: Twitter must be a Friend of Glass!

The company has recently announced that they will launch 2 glass bottles of wine, in support of the American Room to Read organisation – a non-profit that helps improve literacy rates in small poor countries.

The wines – a 2009 Fledgling Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, will cost $20 (around €13), or $240 (€160) for a case of 12.

Although the wine is only available in the States at the moment, each case sold will provide around 60 local language school books and promote education in the world’s poorest regions.

More about The Fledgling Initiative.

Via: Viral Blog

Imagine that your glass wine bottle is lighter. Now, not because you’ve emptied the contents in the most civilised fashion, but because the glass itself has been manufactured to be lighter in weight.

That’s exactly the Big News from the Australian Packaging Association, who recently dished out their Annual Packaging Award to a glass manufacturer whose glass wine bottle is up to 28% lighter than standard wine bottles!

We may not necessarily notice the difference in our shopping bag, but the glass, designed and manufactured by O-I Australia, has major logistical and environmental benefits.

By reducing the weight of their wine bottles by anything between 18-28%, they can save almost 20,000 tonnes in glass packaging per year.

That translates into a further 20% reduction in energy use and a CO₂ saving of over 11,130 tonnes per year.

On top of which, there’s a saving of 12% in water usage. And of course, the reduced carbon footprint in freight distribution to packers and customers around the world.

It’s fantastic to see that glass manufacturers continue to find ways to make nature’s favourite packaging material even more green and lean.