November 26, 2025 — The Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) marks the second anniversary of its groundbreaking Bottle Weight Accord (BWA) with news of two major new names supporting the initiative.
North South Wines, importer and distributor based in Bicester, UK, and Famille Perrin of the Rhone Valley, France, have both pledged to meet the BWA target of 420g per 75cl average bottle weight across their portfolios.
This brings the total number of signatories to the BWA to 27 and represents well over 2 billion bottles of wine produced and sold globally. Thanks to data supplied by signatories in support of the Accord, the SWR is now confident that the goal of an average weight of 420g is very close to being reached a whole year ahead of the BWA target date (the end of 2026).
Erin Williams, Sustainability Manager at North South Wines says:
“We were keen to join the Bottle Weight Accord, as it is working to address one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions in the wine industry. North South Wines are committed to working with our customers and suppliers to bring still wine bottle weights below 420g, an effort that can only succeed if the whole industry takes action… we’re proud to be playing a role in driving change.”
Famille Perrin, SWR members since 2021, not only bring decades of winemaking experience but are also producers of the UK’s best-selling wine currently – La Vieille Ferme rosé.
Famille Perrin says:
“Reducing the weight of our bottles has been an integral part of our company philosophy for over 15 years. Guided by our commitment to offer consumers more sustainable products and in line with our broader environmental objectives, we have continuously sought to reduce the impact of our packaging and contribute to a more responsible environmental footprint across the entire sector.
Joining SWR and the Bottle Weight Accord both illustrates and reinforces our belief that wine can be enjoyed in lighter, more responsible packaging.”
New Report
At the same time, the SWR is releasing the first ever report into Sparkling Wine bottle weights. The in-depth report, compiled by SWR Research Director Dr Peter Stanbury, examines the challenges in creating similar Bottle Weight Accord for sparkling wine, and sets a range of proposed targets depending on the wine styles within the bottles.
“Sparkling Bottle Weight – Towards a Bottle Weight Accord for Sparkling Wines”
Dr Peter Stanbury says:
“We have been working on research into sparkling wine bottle weight to provide an evidence base for a Bottle Weight Accord for sparkling wines to partner the existing still wine BWA. The research is now complete, and we’re delighted to launch the report. So far as we are aware, this is the first study anywhere in the world addressing the lightweighting of sparkling wine bottles. We’re pleased that SWR can lead the way, but even more pleased that we have members whose insights and information has greatly contributed to this work.”
Stanbury continues:
“The signatories of our original Bottle Weight Accord between them represent some 9% of wine sold globally. The sparkling wine category is a more complex one, as glass safety is a key consideration where liquids are under pressure. However, we are confident we can recommend targets across different sparkling wine styles which can benefit producers, traders, retailers and others, not just in reducing their carbon emissions, but also in their bottom line. Heavier glass costs more to produce, more to transport, and with taxes such as the UK government’s EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility), more to bring to market.”
Timeline for the new accord
The consultation period with SWR members following the report’s release will lead to a Sparkling Wine Accord being prepared for launch in February 2026.
There will be webinars to mark both these events on Thursday, 27 November at 0800 GMT and 1600 GMT. These are free to attend and registration is here.
About SWR
The Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR), an independent global platform dedicated to advancing sustainability in the wine industry. We are a membership organisation with more than 130 members reflecting the whole wine supply, and operating globally. Our role is to catalyse change in sustainability in the wine sector. This includes the Bottle Weight Accord mentioned here, but the SWR also focus on sustainable viticulture, labour standards and are currently developing a tool to allow comparison of the sustainability characteristics of different packaging formats.
About the Bottle Weight Accord
A key action area for the SWR is its Bottle Weight Accord (BWA), introduced in November 2023 in which partner companies commit to reducing the average bottle weight to 420g / 75cl. This accord now covers around 2 billion bottles across a wide variety of global businesses in all parts of the wine supply chain.
Participants include: Alko, Catena Institute of Wine, Endeavour Wines, Famille Perrin, Lidl GB, Naked Wines, North South Wines, Systembolaget, Terra Vitis, Tesco, Vina Concha y Toro, Whole Foods Market, The Wine Society.
