First British-made sparkling wine bottle enters production
The UK’s first British-made sparkling wine bottle, a collaboration between packaging firm Croxons and glass manufacturer Encirc, has completed its first production run with nearly a million bottles produced.
The Sovereign bottle – as it is known – was unveiled back in February, as Harpers reported.
It is produced with amber-coloured glass – a contrast to the green traditionally connected with European sparkling winemakers. The bottle will weight 835g, with around 49% of its glass content recycled.
It was developed with the English and Welsh sparkling wine industry in mind, marking what Croxsons called “a significant milestone” for producers looking for a domestic alternative to imported glass.
Until now, producers have mostly relied on imported bottles from Europe, with Croxsons adding that having such an alternative will strengthen the resilience of the supply chain, improve availability, and reduce reliance on overseas imports and the risk of border delays.
Sustainability was also a major consideration during the bottle’s development, with the potential to cut transport distances by around 575 miles per shipment – compared to sourcing bottles from continental Europe.
For a producer ordering 100,000 bottles, this could be equivalent to around 4.6-7.7 fewer tonnes of CO2 emissions (excluding channel crossings, pallets and packaging).
The reduction in road miles used for transporting the bottle means it also has the potential to improve the sustainable credentials of English and Welsh sparkling wine.
Commenting on the first production, Tim Croxson, CEO of Croxsons, said: “After almost two years of collaboration to bring the concept to life, this first production run represents the culmination of a huge collective effort.
As the industry continues to evolve and strengthen its international reputation for quality, we believe it is important that the supply chain evolves with it.”
Wine production in the UK has grown massively in recent years, with vineyard acreage more than doubling over the past decade. There are now over 1,000 vineyards and over 200 wineries across the country, with sparkling wine production remaining the dominant category.
Due to this growth, demand for specialist bottles has increased as well, with the Sovereign the first domestically-produced bottle to meet this growth.
WineGB’s CEO, Nicola Bates, called the bottle “a defining moment for the sector”, adding that “if many adopt the bottle, it has the potential to help our category stand out on the shelf and gives English and Welsh wine instant recognisability, such as with a Riesling bottle”, due to its distinctive colour.
Following this successful production run, Sovereign is now available to English and Welsh sparkling wine producers, with Croxons already working with wineries such as Three Choirs and Ridgeview.
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