‘Bottle shock’ for wine lovers as Delta moves to canned wine

Delta’s latest change to its in-flight offerings is sure to generate strong feelings among wine snobs.

The US carrier this month began stocking wine in aluminum cans – moving away from the plastic bottles it has offered previously – for economy passengers on certain cross-country flights.

The shift, which will expand to all domestic flights later this year, is intended to reduce Delta’s annual plastic use by as much as 250,000 pounds, the airline said in a statement Tuesday.

It’s part of a broader effort by the airline to move to more sustainable materials, including bamboo cutlery and bedding made with recycled PET bottles, while a new business class amenity kit eliminates single-use plastic items such as zippers and packaging.

The changes will reduce onboard single-use plastic consumption by about 4.9 million pounds annually, Delta said, or roughly the weight of 1,500 standard-sized cars.

Domestic first-class and all cabins on international flights will continue to have wine options beyond the canned version, according to the airline.

Oenophiles may object to wine in a can, but Delta’s picks – Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay from Imagery Estate Winery – have their fans.

“If you’re in economy and you’re expecting to have a statement-making wine, you’re in for a huge disappointment,” said Henry Harteveldt, travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group.

“But if you want some wine that will be pleasant and probably inoffensive, this will do the trick.”