The Transport of Wine Over Long Distances

VENITA SIMCOXAugust 2012

Wine is bulky, heavy and perishable. Transport of wine over long distances (or under difficult conditions) is challenging and can be

expensive and risky. Discuss the reason that wine has been transported, and the way carriers have met these challenges over

time.

The Early Days

Grape residue found on a 9000 year old terra cotta pot in China has been argued to be the worlds first known wine.

The majority of experts believe that wine as we know it today was discovered in Europe, tracing its origins to the Caucasus Mountains, near Georgia, close to 5000 years B.C.

Ancient Vessel Amphora

Invented by the Canaanites.

Created mainly in ceramic, rare instances of metal, stone or glass.

Thin neck for pouring, a handle either side (designed to be carried by two people) and a long pointed base.

Used for storing and shipping wine, held in racks with specifically designed holes.

Vessel Progression

Wood barrels were introduced sometime around 50 B.C. and were gradually recognised as a better alternative over terra cotta jugs for both storage and transport.

Adopted by the Romans, the Gauls are credited with their invention.

Not until the 17th century were glass bottles introduced.

Early Transport

Journeys overland were long and treacherous as much of Europe was plagued with war.

Where possible, wine was transported over the water on large wooden sailing ships.

This fifteenth century illustration of the King of France riding into the harbour at Sluys in Flanders shows the rounded wine ships, or cogs, used in the wine fleets of the Middle Ages. The largest cogs could hold over 200 barrels

Modern Times

Although the technology involved in all aspects of wine making has greatly evolved, the main method for long distance transport has stayed the same; shipping.

Motor Vessel Old Wine, a wine tanker built in 1964

Transporting wine via air freight, although considerably faster, is significantly more expensive and the available space onboard is limited.

Supply and Demand

Consumers want diversity, quality and affordability in the wine they purchase.

Producers want their wine to reach as many markets as possible.

These simple ideas drive the supply of wine both domestically and internationally, forcing suppliers to continually search for cheaper, more effective ways to transport their product.

Challenges

Many issues are faced by the wineries in making transport decisions.

Cost Quality control Timing Breakages/spoilage Environmental concerns

Bulk vs Bottled

Shipping wine in bulk, although it has long been associated with cheap, low quality wine, has many benefits.

Less prone to experiencing large temperature variations during transit.

Cost effective - A flexi tank holds the equivalent of 32,000 bottles compared to a standard container that carries approximately 12,000 bottles.

Better for the environment.

Refrigerated Containers

Whether you choose bulk or bottled, you have the option of a refrigerated container.

Cost: Significantly more expensive. Quality: Greatly diminishes chance of

product spoilage due to temperature variance.

Alternative: Vin Liner

Shipping wine as a consumerOn a lesser scale, there are many options and issues to consider when shipping wine in small quantities.

Packaging materials Air or sea freight Taxes Cost Travel time

Packaging

Corrugated cardboard boxes Heavy duty travel cases Polystyrene/Styrofoam Wine Skin

Environmental Concerns

In today's society, the issue of environmental impact is a growing and valid

concern.

Carbon Footprint Food Miles Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles

Carbon Footprint

Defined as the amount of greenhouse gases caused by an organisation.

Growing number of wine producers are embracing carbon reducing programs.

The New Zealand Wine Company (producers of Grove Mill and Sanctuary Wines) are the first winemakers to achieve CarboNZero certification.

Food Miles

“The theory is that the further food has to travel to market, the worse its impact on the environment will be and that ecologically conscious buyers will always select the option with the lowest miles travelled”. (Graham, 2007)

Debate over the use of food miles to protect domestic markets.

Does not take into consideration other factors, including transport methods.

PET Bottles

Lighter: Weigh approximately 50g compared to a 750ml glass bottle

Environmentally friendly: Fully recyclable and as they are smaller you can fit more into a container, reducing fuel and carbon emissions.

Durable: Less likely to incur breakages than glass, making them ideal for outdoor events.

Moving to the Future

Growing market for bulk wine shipments, especially to the United Kingdom.

Emphasis on reducing carbon footprint.

Consideration of alternatives to glass.

Data logging to track temperature variations during transit.

References

. Travel case, transport solution for wine & champagne. Retrieved August 10th, 2012, from http://www.winetrvlcase.com/?en-productlist-255-1.html.

. Flexi Tank Operating Image Gallery. Retrieved August 7th, 2012, from http://www.interbulkgroup.com/liquid_bulk_solutions/flexi_tank_operating/image_gallery.html

. U-Haul Moving Supplies: Wine Shipping Kits. Retrieved 10th August, 2012, from http://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Boxes/Kitchen-moving-boxes/Wine-Shipping-Kits?mid=169

. Vin Liner. Retrieved August 12th, 2012, from http://www.vinliner.com/whatis.html . VittfarneGeorgien_155. Retrieved August 6th, 2012, from

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/VittfarneGeorgien_155.jpg Hernandez, M. (2007). OLD WINE: Ship Photos Retrieved August 9th, 2012, from

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/showallphotos.aspx?imo=6409636#top_photo Johnson, N. (2010). Healing the Earth with Science. Retrieved from

http://icicp.blogspot.co.nz/2010/04/healing-earth-with-service.html Just what is Wine Skin? Retrieved 8th August, 2012, from http://www.wineskin.net/wineskin Mohan, A. M. (2011, September 15). Lightweight PET single-serve wine bottle Retrieved 9th

August, 2012, from http://www.greenerpackage.com/source_reduction/lightweight_pet_single-serve_wine_bottle

Wikipedia. Amphora Retrieved July 29th, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphora

Images - click on photo in slide to activate link

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http://www.snooth.com/articles/the-history-of-wine-part-ii-wine-storage-barrels/?viewall=1 Hartley, A. (2008). Bulk Shipping of Wine and its Implications for Product Quality Retrieved August 2nd, 2012, from

http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/Bulk%20shipping%20&%20wine%20quality%20May'08.pdf Johnson, H. (2004). The Story of Wine. London: Mitchell Beazley. Kemner, R. A Brief History of Wine Retrieved August 2nd, 2012, from

http://www.thewinecountry.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=Z1_5history&Store_Code=TWC Loftus, M. (2007, 1/7/2007). From Vine to Table. National Geographic Traveler, 24, 24. Macdonald, C. (2009, 1/7/2009). Thinking Inside the Box. E: The Environmental Magazine, 20, 12-14. Meyer, D. (2002). A Study of the Impact of Shipping/Transportation Conditions and Practices on Wine. Wynboer. Retrieved from

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protein stability during storage and transport. Australian & New Zealand Wine Industry Journal, 23(2), 40-44. Srinivas, H. And now Food Miles Retrieved 8th August, 2012, from http://www.gdrc.org/uem/footprints/food-miles.html truebador. (2007). Globe of the Ancient World Retrieved July 29th, 2012, from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/738954 Varriano, J. L. (2010). Wine: A Cultural History. London: Reaktion Books. Wall, T. (2009). How wine industry logistics operators can best prepare their transport operations to maximise efficiency. Australian

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