Medical journal debates smaller wine bottles for responsible drinking

Why does wine have to come in 75cl bottles? That’s the debate being raised by the British Medical Journal, which suggests that putting wine into smaller bottles could help to cut alcohol consumption and related health problems.

Dr Trish Groves, the journal’s deputy editor, said, ‘I like a glass of good wine with my supper. But, once two of us have had a glass each, it’s hard to know what to do with the rest. It’s all too tempting to finish the bottle there and then to avoid waste. Coupled with the news that wine is getting stronger, it's no wonder Britain's middle-aged middle classes are getting wasted.’

In a timely move, Waitrose is this week launching Vin a Deux, a range of eight wines in 50cl bottles, which the supermarket says is ‘a comfortable size for two people to share’ and caters ‘for responsible drinking habits of the future’.

Wine buyer Nick Room said, ‘Drinking “a deux” will dispense with unfinished bottles of wine or “feeling the need” to finish off a full bottle.

The new 50cl range, with bottles costing from £3.99 to £6.99, joins Waitrose’s 25cl ‘solo glass’ format wines.