Ordering a beer recently at the bar of an Auckland restaurant, I spotted a couple of upmarket-sounding wines – Terroir Project Sauvignon Blanc and La Famille Bourgogne Blanc. The sauvignon blanc was certified organic; the Bourgogne blanc was a chardonnay from Burgundy, France. Both wines were stored in kegs and poured from taps.
In the US, suppliers of keg wines – who view themselves as “disruptors” – say their sales are surging by more than 25% per year. After being filled and transported to a retailer, the 20-litre kegs are connected to a refrigerated dispensing system. The wines, protected from oxidation by an inert gas, usually nitrogen, are poured on demand, like tap beer.
Selling wine in reusable stainless-steel kegs achieves environmental benefits by eliminating the need for cartons, bottles, screwcaps, corks, foils and labels. A study from the University of California found that reusing a wine keg 100 times, compared with selling the same amount of wine in single-use glass bottles, would reduce the carbon footprint by 95%.
When keg wines sold by the glass began to flow here in 2011, some winemakers declared there were too many variables that could affect the wine’s quality, but others disagreed, arguing it’s all about perception. Things are changing slowly. US wine writer John Sumners reported recently: “Packaging traditionalists, snobby oenophiles, and hesitant winemakers continue to pump the brakes on kegged wines’ surge into what should theoretically be a large slice of the on-premise [restaurant] market.”
Young drinkers are more open to the idea, reports John Olney, head winemaker at Ridge Vineyards in northern California. Ridge’s Three Valleys Zinfandel, crafted for early consumption, is distributed in kegs. Retailers point out that tap wines allow you to pair small glasses with different foods, avoiding the cost of a bottle.
Decibel, in Hastings, promotes its “fine but fun” Hawke’s Bay wines as ideal for “a backyard BBQ, a zero-waste wedding, or simply a really good party.” If you buy two 20-litre kegs, the dispensing system is rent-free. The wines – Decibel Sauvignon Blanc, Giunta Crunchy Red and Giunta Malbec Nouveau – cost about $3 per glass.
Wine of the week
Blackenbrook Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2024
★★★★
If you like punchy, vividly varietal sauvignon blanc, try this. Estate-grown at Tasman, it is full-bodied, with vibrant passionfruit, peach and lime flavours, strong and zesty. (13.5% alc/vol) $20-$22
