The transport of wine

Question 1

The transpiration of wine

Answer 1

Historically transported in animal skins, terracotta and for centuries in barrels

Today, the main options are to transport in glass bottles or in larger containers i.e. bulk wine

Premium and super-premium wines continue to be bottled in the winery ands transported in cases of individual bottles. For every day wines there has been an increase in transportation in bulk and bottling near the final market especially when very long journeys are involved

Road and rail is used to move vine in containers within Europe, container ships carry wine from Australia, South Africa etc to final markets in the northern hemisphere give rise to very large scale and high quality bottling plants near final markets

The majority of exported wine is transported in bottle, but wine transported in bulk counts for 30-40% of the volume

Question 2

Two types of containers to transport wine in bulk

Answer 2

Flexi tank:
Single-use, recyclable bag that fits into a standard container, coated with a barrier to prevent taint from external sources and reduce oxygen ingress

ISO tank:
Stainless steel vessel built to the ISO standard that can be reused many times and may have additional insulation

Insulated thanks with temperature control are also available, but at an additional cost

Question 3

Disadvantages of shipping wine in bottle

Answer 3

• Smaller amount of wine vs bulk shipping, higher cost
• Financial and environmental cost of shipping the weight of the glass and wine
• Potential damage to the wine, high fluctuations temp during transit and potential spoilage of labels and packaging during transport
• Shorter shelf life of inexpensive wine because bottled earlier than if the wine were bottled in or near the final market

Question 4

Advantages of shipping wine in bulk

Answer 4

• More environmental friendly, one container can hold 24000-25000 bottles in liquid rather than 9000-10000 filled bottle, reducing the carbon footprint of the wine
• Also cheaper because of the above
• A greater thermal inertia of a whole container filled with wine, meaning less fluctuation in temp, reducing the risk of high temp during transit, reducing the risk of loss of fruit and oxidation, especially in long and slow transportations through the tropics
• Strict quality control, key parameters of a wine (so2,rs) can be measured at the point of filling the container, and when emptying it upon arrival
• If necessary the wine can be adjusted at the point of bottling close to the final consumer
• The shelf life can be extended as this is calculated from the time of bottling; particularly relevant for bag-in-box which has a relatively short shelf life

Question 5

Disadvantages of shipping wine in bulk

Answer 5

• The loss of the direct relationship with the producer
• The transfer of business and employment opportunities from the producing market to the countries close to the final market
• Only financially viable for larger brands, those who sell three or more containers per year