Paper bottles and Chilean wine recommendations (From York Press)

Paper bottles and Chilean wine recommendations

11:18am Saturday 19th November 2011 in Tipping's Tipples By Mike Tipping

In Tipping’s Tipples this week, MIKE TIPPING has news of the paper wine bottle – and three recommendations from Chile still happily contained in glass.

IT’S A dangerous business being a wine scribe. I’m at risk of doing myself an injury every fortnight when carrying the glass recycling box to the front of the house. But this could all come to an end with the advent of the paper wine bottle.

The paper bottle weighs around one tenth of its glass counterpart, meaning transport costs will be hugely reduced. It features a similar bag to those found in wine boxes, so the drink is kept fresh.

“All you need to do is rip out the plastic lining and put the paper outer casing in the bin or on the compost heap,” says Martin Myerscough, the bottle’s inventor.

GreenBottle, the British company behind the product, is in talks with a leading supermarket chain and says the eco-friendly bottle will be on the shelves early next year.

And here’s a thought, it’s just possible that one day this column could be printed on newsprint, made from recycled paper wine bottles.

Meanwhile try the following wines, which come in traditional, tried and tested, albeit rather heavy glass bottles. All three wines this week hail from Chile.

Join the chardonnay renaissance and tuck into Viña Leyda Reserva Chardonnay 2010, from the country’s Leyda Valley. This wine is a steal at the price and is both good to drink on its own or with chicken and fish dishes. Fruit-driven, with long flavours of pineapple, toffee apple and citrus, a pronounced minerality and zesty acidity, this unoaked example is made with grapes grown in cool conditions, close to the Pacific Ocean.

Gewürztraminer can make somewhat overpowering wines, sometimes one glass is quite enough. Yali National Reserva Gewürztraminer 2010, made with fruit from the Colchagua Valley, is in a lighter, easy-drinking style. It’s a very floral wine, suggesting rose petals and jasmine, with lychee, some citrus notes and a nice balance of acidity. Pair it with a Thai curry.

Or if you are looking for a red that goes well with a spicy lamb curry, I can suggest Casa Silva Reserva Carmenère 2009. Rich and concentrated, this wine has buckets of varietal character. It’s positively bursting with flavours of blackcurrant, plum, green pepper and tomato leaf, all held in place by some smooth tannins.

Wine list

• Viña Leyda Reserva Chardonnay 2010, £6.50 from The Wine Society 19/20.

• Yali National Reserva Gewürztraminer 2010, £6.79 each when you buy two at Majestic 17/20.

• Casa Silva Reserva Carmenère 2009, £8.95 at Field & Fawcett 17/20.