As one of the country’s leading cities in sustainability, it might come as a shock that Seattle has just recently got on board with the environmentally sound concept of wine on tap.

Nix the case boxes, corks and labels — bottled wine has gone by the wayside for green grape crushing minds who are now focusing their efforts in eco-friendly casks of wine, similar to the likes of Pike’s brews.

Most wine kegs can hold anywhere from 22 to 30 bottles of wines but at a fraction of the weight. With a smaller carbon footprint by less manufacturing involved and re-usable kegs, even spoilage from corks or the tainting compound called trichloroanisole (TCA) can’t rain on this parade.

Mirroring traditional wine production, grapes are pressed off the skins and into juice that is aged in stainless steel or oak barrels. The major difference being is the final step of bottling that comes into play — wine producers simply change the vessel to a keg.

Producers guarantee quality and consistency courtesy of the friendly Nitrogen or Argon gases that preserve the wine as it comes out of the keg. The juice has zero contact with oxygen so the last pour should be as fresh as the first. That way, as a patron, you know you’re avoiding the four-day-old dregs left in a bottle behind the bar.

Ahead of the trends in many enological ways, popular Capitol Hill wine bar, The Local Vine, has been pouring several handles of wine next to their beer since their move from their Belltown location in October.

A few new additions to our area are sporting the new beverage system including the Bottlehouse in Madrona, The Blue Glass in Ballard, Seatown Seabar in Pike Place Market, Black Bottle in Belltown and Black Bottle Postern in Bellevue, as well as Munch Bar and Piano Bash in Bellevue also.

Lounges supporting keg wines help to reduce their impact on the environment, make a higher profit by not having to bounce blemished booze, but it’s also cheaper for you, the consumer. Wines on tap are being poured by the glass for as low as $4.

Take this out for a test drive at your local Black Bottle location: Edmonds Winery 2008 Meritage, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend for a single Lincoln out of your pocket.