Bulk shipping: a new pilot project from your Society

The project moved from carbon-footprint analysis to a commercial trial with a key producer in southern France. The initial plan covered five wines: two reds before Christmas, followed by whites and a rosé from the 2025 vintage in early 2026. Bulk loads of 12,000 or 24,000 litres can be packed in the United Kingdom as lightweight bottles, half bottles, magnums or Bag-in-Box.

Technical assessment narrowed the first shipment to one red. The accepted wine passed pH, filtration, quality and stability checks. A second wine would have required changes capable of altering its character and was therefore excluded. The trial highlighted the microbiological and refermentation risk associated with transporting an entire tank, as well as the unsuitability of some small-production, maturation-dependent or locally bottled appellation wines. Three additional wines were planned for early 2026 if the initial shipment performed as expected.