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Heavy bottles do not mean better wine. But it’s easy to assume that’s the case. You pick up a hefty bottle and you think it must be something special. Producers know this, so they sell their wine in weighty glass to add perceived value. It’s a sales tactic — a bit of a sham, really, that’s not great for the environment.

The practice is limited in Ontario to some degree because the LCBO requires all 750 mL wine bottles that retail for less than $19 to be lightweight, not exceeding 460 g — with few exceptions. So inexpensive wines at the LCBO are generally in lighter bottles. But that’s not always the case with wines over the $19 threshold.

Here are four more premium wines in lightweight bottles, starting with something local.

The 2019 Flat Rock Cellars Riesling, VQA Twenty Mile Bench (Vintages Essential $19.95, winery) delivers outstanding value. The current vintage on shelf earned a gold medal recently at the 2022 International Wine Challenge in London, U.K., for good reason. It’s a beauty.

It immediately draws you in with sculpted scents of honeysuckle, sugared lime, cool stone and a touch of brine. The attack is immediate and punchy — an eruption of pineapple dressed with a squeeze of lemon juice that feels generous and energetic. That flood of flavour slowly gives way to a long, dry, stony-salty finish with a twist of lime somewhere. While still youthful, this is a serious, cellarworthy white with great tension and finesse that’s drinking beautifully now but will reward patience if properly cellared. Score: 96

Flat Rock Cellars’ use of light bottles is part of its commitment to sustainability.

“Light weight bottles emit less fossil fuels during transportation and require fewer resources to make the bottle itself,” said Allison Findlay, winemaker at Flat Rock Cellars.

“Economically, the money we save using light weight glass allows us to invest in our vineyard and continue improving the quality of the wine. The focus should be on what’s inside the bottle — if you’re relying on the weight of a bottle to indicate your wine’s quality, well, that’s a different discussion.”

Malivoire, another Ontario winery committed to environmental sustainability, uses lightweight bottles too. And the 2021 Malivoire Vivant Rosé, VQA Beamsville Bench (LCBO $19.95, winery) in its 420 g bottle is a gem that works as well as a porch-pounder as it does as an impressive dinner party pour — and every occasion in between.

It shines the palest shade of silvery, ballet slipper pink. Then it swirls with discreet aromas of wild raspberry with a touch of orange cream. A flush of elegant flavour follows, tasting lit, pure-fruited and crisp. This bone-dry expression of Pinot Noir seasoned with Pinot Gris that is less about primary fruit and more about cool steel, a soft sifting of salinity and wet stones laced with redcurrant, wild raspberry and strawberry. Finally, bitter orange zest emerges on the long finish. Quietly exhilarating wine. Score: 93

California’s Bonterra winery is well-known for its high level of environmental stewardship. And the 2020 Bonterra Organic Chardonnay (Vintages Essential $19.95) in its 400 g bottle deserves your attention.

This wooded Chardonnay with the bee and the blooming milkweed on the label starts with the captivating fragrance of baked apples and caramelized butter pastry before beaming in with a creamy-crisp entry that’s drier than the nose suggests. Each sip sings with allusions of apple compote, roasted almond, nougat and vanilla. Finally, light allusions of nutmeg, white pepper and cinnamon come to the fore and linger. Score: 90

Lovers of Italian reds will want to taste the 2019 Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico DOCG from Tuscany, Italy (Vintages $23.95). It’s a smart wine and comes in a bottle weighing a mere 450 g. But it’s sure to sell out fast — so stock up.

This Chianti Classico opens with scents of dusty red and black cherries, cracked black peppercorn, black olive and a touch of freshly-turned earth. Then, on the palate, the flavours echo everything found on the nose, all captured in a well-balanced, drinkable, medium-bodied wine. A touch of grip and gentle chalkiness underpins the fruit creating a textural dimension that makes this wine work well at the table. Savoury, expressive and classical, this smart red overdelivers. Score: 93

So next time you reach for a bottle and it’s got serious heft, remember, it’s what’s inside that counts.

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