Why pouring from paper bottles could be the future for wine drinkers

These bag-in-bottle drinks have strong eco-credentials, but there are benefits for those who sip from them, too

We’re getting used to seeing drinks in more diverse containers – cans, hard plastic mini bottles, bag-in-a-box – but what about paper bottles? The company Frugalpac has been pioneering paper packaging for wines and spirits for three years this summer, so if you haven’t come across one of its containers yet, you probably soon will.

Think of it as “bag-in-bottle” drinks. The liquid is inside a thin, food-standard-quality bag with a screw cap fitted to the top. Thick recycled paper board is moulded into a bottle shape around it, with each drink’s branding printed 360 degrees around the board.

The Frugalpac bottle’s eco-credentials are strong, not least because it is so light to transport. An empty one weighed 96g on my kitchen scales; empty glass wine bottles vary considerably, but I found an average of 485g when I weighed six from my recycling bin. Frugalpac’s paperboard is easily detached from the bag and recycled kerbside with the cap, while the thin pouch can be recycled in some areas (I took mine to a supermarket plastic bag bin). Frugalpac claims the bottle has a carbon footprint up to 6.5 times less than a similar sized glass bottle. And although glass is recyclable, the process uses a lot more energy than recycling paper board.

There are advantages for us drinkers, too. It’s more convenient to carry, of course, and won’t break nearly as easily or dangerously as glass (poolside, this is especially welcome).

The first wines to be bottled this way were from the Umbrian winery Cantina Goccia. Founder Ceri Parke tells me she had “been looking hard at our carbon footprint and this was exactly what we wanted; it looks like a bottle and feels like a bottle”.

So how well does the wine keep in this new-wave container? Parke says that it’s not “inert like glass”, so tiny amounts of air could get to the wine in the long term, but for customers buying wine that’s ready to drink, it’s perfectly fine. She’s comfortable with the Goccia reds in Frugalpacs for up to 18 months, and for whites and rosés up to a year. It’s fair to say we won’t see paper bottles of venerable clarets ageing in dimly lit cellars though.

Other wines now in these bag-in-bottles include the When in Rome brand pecorino and primitivo newly stocked in Sainsbury’s, an English bacchus (see my tasting note below) and two wines called Interpunkt, a sauvignon blanc and a shiraz, made by the South African winery Journey’s End Vineyards (currently only in restaurants and bars, including All Bar One). I like the Interpunkt Shiraz 2022, Western Cape in particular, for its bright, juicy raspberryish fruit and dash of spice.’

And there are a few spirits in these light containers, including Greenalls London Dry Gin and the Green Man gin and vodka made by the excellent Silent Pool distillery in Surrey, as well as the Flawless range of flavoured vodkas.

It feels rather strange the first time you pick up a full Frugalpac bottle and feel its extraordinary lightness. I opened one and peered inside to make sure it was full nearly to the brim. It was, and since then I’ve found the featherweight bottles are useful for bringing to picnics and festivals and on hikes or train journeys. The green credentials are very impressive, and it’s satisfying to recycle it so easily.

My only concern is, at present, the high cost. You certainly pay more for wine in a paper bottle now than you do for equivalent styles and quality in glass. The specialist machinery to make them is costly. As more machines come on stream around the world, some economies of scale may see that price go down, eventually, but for now, saving the Earth this way isn’t saving the pennies.

Puglia, Italy 13%, Sainsbury’s, £10, down to £9 until 15 August

Relatively simple but refreshing summery white from Italy’s “heel”. It’s dry with yellow pears and citrus peel notes – very portable on a picnic in this lightweight form.

Essex, England 11%, Laithwaites, £18.99 or £14.99 as part of mixed 12 bottles

Delicate English white, the bacchus grape granting elderflower, lemon and lime notes with a whiff of cut grass. Dry on the finish, pair with leafy salads, fresh tomatoes and mild goat’s cheese.

Umbria, Italy 13.5%, ewwines.co.uk, £12.50; thedrinksmith.co.uk, £12.95

A juicy, soft red, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese and merlot, with plenty of succulent plum and red cherry. Open for a barbecue of peppery sausages and pork chops; it could – should – be lightly chilled in warm weather.

Warrington, England 37.5%, Sainsbury’s, £17 for 70cl; thewhiskyexchange.com, £19.75

Venerable, traditional gin recipe (dating from the late 18th century, apparently) meets thoroughly modern packaging. Smooth, classic, well-balanced gin with bright citrus, juniper and a spicy twist, just right for G&T. This is the best-value paper bottled drink at the moment.

Surrey, England 42%, masterofmalt.com, £29.94 for 70cl; silentpooldistillers.com, £30 for 70cl

There’s a distinct forest character to this – herbaceous, leafy, barky notes mingle with classic juniper and a little rosehip juiciness. Since hedgerow fruit is ripening now, try it in a Bramble cocktail with lemon juice, sugar syrup and crème de mure, popping in a perfect blackberry and small bay leaf to garnish.