Alentejo presents 390 g regional bottle prototype as testing continues

A collective bottle still under development

Wines of Alentejo (CVRA) presented the initiative in London on 19 October 2026. Developed with glassmaker Verallia under the Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Programme (WASP), the bottle was shown as a plastic model with a proposed weight of 390 g. Its final specifications remained subject to industrial testing; Harpers reported bottling and stress tests through the end of the 1st quarter of 2027 and a market launch planned for the end of 2027.^{2 · 3}

The project took 4 years and made Alentejo the 1st Portuguese wine region to develop a collective lightweight bottle. A working group of 7 producers and cooperatives was described as representing about 80% of regional production. The longer-term ambition is 50 million bottles a year, but uptake depends on successful testing, commercial availability and broader producer participation.^{2 · 3}

The common design is meant to pool purchasing volumes, secure competitive terms from the manufacturer and make lighter packaging more accessible to smaller producers among Alentejo’s 245 wineries. Adega de Borba, for example, produces around 8 million bottles annually. No definitive unit price or producer-level savings calculation was presented, and Verallia cautioned that using less glass does not automatically make a bottle cheaper.³

Environmental case, commercial constraints

Less glass can reduce raw-material use, manufacturing energy, freight weight and packaging-related fees. Peter Stanbury of the Sustainable Wine Roundtable said glass may account for as much as half of wine’s carbon footprint, while approximately 3 billion bottles are covered by its Bottle Weight Accord. Harpers said the design was intended to work with existing bottling lines and logistics.^{2 · 3}

Verallia initially proposed 390 g and 310 g options, but the working group chose 390 g after considering market perception, appearance and compatibility with packaging and distribution systems. Luís Sequeira cited research in which 72% of respondents did not associate heavier bottles with better wine, while 8% did.³

Cost pressures were part of the case: Adega de Borba reported a 98% year-on-year rise in a recycling-related packaging fee, and The Wine Society said bottle-weight reductions had saved it about £150,000 annually. The prototype also anticipates evolving EU packaging rules, although the actual environmental result will depend partly on production energy and recycled-glass content.³

Testing durability and recycled content

Testing is intended to establish reliability, compatibility with filling equipment and economic viability. Participants also raised breakage risks in multi-stage distribution: a broken bottle wastes wine and requires replacement materials and transport, while manufacturing quality, design and handling—not weight alone—affect breakage. The bottle will be made at Verallia’s Portuguese plant, relatively close to Alentejo.³

Clear flint glass for white and rosé wines poses a separate recycled-content challenge. Helena Ferreira of Adega de Borba said producers may need to reconsider clear glass when its use is driven by marketing, even though flint and coloured bottles can be made at the same weight. WASP, launched in 2015, had 727 members and 30 certified producers, representing 25% of Alentejo’s vineyard area and 36% of its wine production; certified members reported up to 30% lower water use and 20% lower energy use on average over the previous 5 years.^{2 · 3}

8 talha wines tasted in London

The programme concluded with a tasting led by Jimmy Smith and João Barroso of 8 wines fermented in traditional clay talhas, a method dating back about 2,000 years. The author’s 3 highlights were Adega Cooperativa de Vidigueira Vinho de Talha 2025 — White (13.5% ABV); Adega de Borba Talhas de Borba 2025 — White (12.5% ABV); and Adega de Borba Talhas de Borba 2025 — Red (13.5% ABV). All 3 were seeking UK distribution.³

Also tasted were Rocim Vinho de Talha 2025 — White (12% ABV; UK importer: Hallgarten & Novum Wines); Cartuxa – Fundação Eugénio de Almeida Vinho de Talha 2019 — White (12.5% ABV; UK importer: Mentzendorff); Rocim Fresh from Amphora Nat'Cool 2025 — Red (12% ABV; UK importer: Hallgarten & Novum Wines); Adega José de Sousa Puro Talha 2017 — Red (14% ABV; seeking UK distribution); and Quinta do Paral Talha Tinto 2023 — Red (15% ABV; seeking UK distribution).³