From flat bottles and smarter packaging to eco-friendly production, the Australian wine industry is prioritising sustainability

Research from Sustainable Winegrowing Australia shows that 72 per cent of vineyards and 82 per cent of wineries were prioritising energy efficiency, 87 per cent of vineyards and 79 per cent of wineries have acted to maximise water efficiency and 72 per cent of vineyards and 89 per cent of wineries had diverted waste from landfill and adopted recycling and reuse options.

Hunter and Orange-based Tamburlaine Organic Wines has been a pace setter in this solar energy employment and environmental management. It recycles all its Pokolbin winery waste water, converts solid wastes into vineyard mulch and compost, reduces packaging and even built its cellar and warehouse in eco-friendly straw bales.

Now there's a new offbeat initiative to reshape the carbon footprint of wine from the Banrock Station and Taylors brands - wines in thin 750ml Australian-sourced recycled PET plastic bottles.

The Packamama eco-flat bottles tackle greenhouse gas outputs by being 83 per cent lighter than glass and allow twice as many bottles to fit in a standard wine case. This saves weight and reduces emissions in wine production and road transport while empty bottles are fully recyclable.

The Clare Valley-based Taylors family wine company and the Accolade Wines-owned Banrock arm have debuted four $16 eco bottle wines this month through the Coles Liquor Group. The South Australia-sourced wines are the Banrock Station 2021 Eco-Bottle Pinot Grigio and 2021 Pinot Noir and the Taylors 2021 One Small Step Chardonnay and 2020 Shiraz and are available at firstchoiceliquor.com.au, liquorland.com.au and taylorswines.com.au and Liquorland, First Choice Liquor Market and Vintage Cellars stores.

Banrock Station and the Katnook, St Hallett, Hardys, Bay of Fires, Croser, Petaluma, Houghton, Grant Burge, House of Arras and Knappstein brands are part of the giant global Accolade group that is Australia's largest wine maker and the world's fifth-largest producer by volume and, after a $A1 billion deal in 2018, is now controlled by the US Washington DC-based Carlyle private equity firm.

Accolade launched the eco-flat wine bottle two years ago in Europe as part of a sustainability drive that has included wine in cans, wine on tap and 1.5-litre bagnum sachets.

Taylors managing director Mitchell Taylor says Australia led the global change from cork to screwcap closures and Taylors was the first major producer to adopt them on all its wines and he was confident Aussies would take to eco-bottles.

TAYLORS CEO Mitchell Taylor says it is not just the climate plus of the Taylors 2021 One Small Step Chardonnay eco bottle, it's ideal for picnics or alfresco dining. The wine has green-tinted straw hues, orange blossom scents and crisp nectarine front-palate flavour. The middle shows pear, lime zest and cashew oak and the finish flinty acid.

PRICE: $16.

DRINK WITH: pizza.

AGEING: drink now.

RATING: 3.5 stars (out of 6)

THIS Banrock Station 2021 Pinot Noir comes with a recycled paper card embedded with Swan River daisy seeds for planting in your garden. The bottle contents show 12.5% alcohol, ruby hues, scents of violets and ripe raspberry front-palate flavour. The middle palate has pomegranate, herb, mint and mocha oak and a finish of dusty tannins.

PRICE: $16.

DRINK WITH: doner kebabs.

AGEING: drink now.

RATING: 3.5 stars

WITH 14% alcohol and bright purple in the glass, the eco-bottle Taylors 2020 One Small Step Shiraz features bouquet garni aromas, fleshy plum front-palate flavour and bramble jelly, spice, black pepper and savoury oak characters on middle palate. Ferric tannins display at the finish.

PRICE: $16.

DRINK WITH: smoked duck with pear, gorgonzola and honey mustard-dressed salad.

AGEING: one year.

RATING: 4 stars

IN THE NEWS:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: