Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine
Feature Story
Boisset Leads the Way in Innovative Packaging
PET Bottles, ‘Bag-in-Barrel' Packaging and Beyond
Story by Larry Walker
There was a time when wine packaging was all about eye candy. Of course, wine marketers still want the product to look good on the shelf, but alternative packaging that makes environmental sense is taking center stage, often in unexpected ways.
One of the most wide-ranging and striking alt-packaging programs has been undertaken by Boisset Family Estates, a French company with headquarters in Burgundy and offices in California. In 2005, Boisset launched the French Rabbit brand in Tetra Pak's "Tetra Prisma" container. Today, the brand's sales total 250,000 cases worldwide. Green Rabbit, French Rabbit's organic sibling-also packaged in Tetra Pak containers-hopped into Canada last fall and will debut in the United States by summer.
The company has expanded beyond Tetra Pak containers to offer wines packaged in aluminum and PET plastic bottles. Last fall, Boisset shipped all of its Beaujolais Nouveau wines-about 25,000 cases-to North America from its Mommessin and Bouchard Aine & Fils wineries in 750ml PET bottles. According to Jean-Charles Boisset, president of the company, the move reduced the weight of the air-shipped wine by 42% and reduced freight costs by 33%.
Boisset is hoping that other French producers will switch to PET containers-not for the cost savings, but for the sake of the environment. If all of the 2008 Beaujolais Nouveau shipped to North America were packaged in PET containers, he said, there would be an estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of more than 2 million pounds.
Boisset has used PET packaging for several other wines, including its Yellow Jersey and Louis Bernard's Côtes du Rhône Passus. They were the first 750ml PET wines to be marketed in the U.S.
Reducing Environmental Impact
Jean-Charles Boisset told Vineyard Winery & Management that the focus on alternative packaging naturally followed the company's approach to vineyards and wine production.
"We realize very clearly that without the health of our vineyards, our soil, our air and our climate, we will be unable to craft the high-quality wines that express the terroir that Boisset, and France, have long been known for," he said.
Boisset added that transforming the company's vineyard practices to reduce their impact on the environment didn't go far enough. (All of Boisset's estate vineyards are certified organic or soon will be.) "We also realized that we had to focus on the larger environmental impact that wine packaging has on our global -environment.
"We can have a very dramatic impact on our environmental footprint by reducing the energy required to produce, package and ship wine, by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with shipping wine and by reducing packaging waste. Imagine: French Rabbit has no cork, no label, no capsule, no glass-only a very thin, very resource-efficient cardboard container made from renewable materials," Boisset said.
At this point, Boisset is passing along its cost savings to the consumer. For example, a case of the nouveau Beaujolais in PET bottles weighs 22 pounds; in glass bottles that jumps to 38 pounds, a 42% savings in shipping weight. The suggested retail price on the 2008 Beaujolais was $12.99. Boisset estimated that if produced and shipped in traditional glass bottles, the price would have been $14.99.
Eventually there may also be bottom-line savings for Boisset, but for now, Jean-Charles Boisset said that is not really the case. "It depends, of course, on the package itself-Tetra Pak vs. PET vs. aluminum," he said, "and presently, any added value to the bottom line is primarily generated by logistical savings such as shipping. Certain formats are indeed more expensive presently than glass."
He added that creating alternative packaging "has required significant investment in R&D and consumer/trade education that trump any short-term gains generated by cost savings in shipping or packaging. We hope that in the long run, as volumes increase for each category of alternative packaging for wine, that costs will come down, but that is a long-term outlook and not presently the case."
Changing Attitudes
Boisset said the attitude of the wine trade toward alternative packaging is changing, though some have been slow to adapt. "The wine world is not always quick to change," he said. However, he added, "There have been those who have immediately embraced alternative packaging, who quickly realized the benefits for the environment and the -consumer."
Consumers have been much quicker to embrace alternative packaging, Boisset said. "They are less bound, perhaps, by preconceptions and having seen innovations in so many other parts of the store, they appreciate the convenience and value." As for the environmental option, Boisset said, "More and more people in today's world are really conscious of their personal impact on the environment and the choices they can make to minimize that impact."
The company is especially pleased with the way consumers have taken to French Rabbit in the Tetra Pak. "We're very optimistic about the others, as well," Boisset said, "but they have not yet been out as long and we're still receiving market feedback."
Premium Packaging Innovations
However, Boisset isn't waiting until all the returns are in. Most alt-packaging to this point has been used for inexpensive wines. Boisset has broken through the "value wine" category, rolling out the barrel (literally) with a premium California North Coast wine-a DeLoach Russian River Valley pinot noir-packaged in a 10L bag, which is then placed inside a small wooden barrel. Set for release this spring, the package is designed for on-premise, wine-by-the-glass programs and promises to be a big hit in the current economy, as premium wine drinkers downsize from full bottles to -glasses.
The DeLoach "bag-in-barrel" wine also has strong environmental appeal, as it replaces 12 glass bottles with one plastic bag. It also uses less energy to transport, there is no waste from breakage, and the bag is made from recycled materials. And when the barrel runs dry, it can be opened and another bag of wine placed inside.
For most part, the DeLoach wines will continue to be cork-finished in traditional bottles. However, Stelvin screwcap closures were used for the DeLoach Old Sonoma Stage Pinot Noir and the winery's sauvignon blanc.
Next on the premium launching pad is a Fog Mountain Merlot packaged in a 750ml PET bottle, which will soon be on the wine list in JW Marriott hotels throughout the U.S. According to Boisset, this will be the first California wine released in a 750ml PET -container.
The company has also developed a 390-gram glass bottle, well under the standard weight range of 450 to 650 grams, which will be used for the Louis Bernard Cote du Rhone. The wine will be released in Canada later this year, and it will likely be in the U.S. market by early in 2010. (A 750ml PET bottle of Louis Bernard is currently available at some U.S. retail stores.) The new lightweight bottles, supplied by St. Gobian, will come with a screwcap closure.
Boisset's Mommessin Beaujolais Grande Reserve is now on the market in a 750ml aluminum bottle from Alcan and comes with a technological innovation-the CooldotTM-a spot that changes color when the wine is at the perfect temperature for drinking. (Beaujolais is best served slightly chilled.) On the environmental side, the bottle has a product-to-packaging ratio of 87:13, compared to standard glass with a 60:40 ratio.
Which Packaging for Which Wine?
With so many alt-packaging possibilities, the decision of what wine to put in what package took some interesting twists. For example, why put French Rabbit wine in a Tetra Pak rather than bag-in-box? Simple, Boisset said: French Rabbit went into Tetra Pak because the box has "ears!" The upper flaps of the container can be lifted away from the package, like lifting a rabbit's ears, so the air can be squeezed out of the carton. This can help preserve the wine for a few extra days and improve the wine drinker's experience.
Yellow Jersey in a PET bottle makes sense, Boisset explained, because PET is often recycled into polyester clothing, such as bike jerseys, fleece clothing, etc. And there is a good chance that some of those jerseys will be yellow. Get it?
According to Boisset, there are also winemaking considerations for each type of packaging. For the most part, wine in alternative packaging is made for early consumption, but beyond that, each package has its own winemaking parameters that relate to the wine's source, grape variety and producer. As with most winemaking, there are no easy recipes here.
At the end of the day, glass bottles are not going to go away anytime soon. At this stage it is still doubtful that anyone looking into alternative packaging expects to see a PET container or a Tetra Pak on the table at an upscale restaurant. But for wine-by-the-glass programs, picnics, and informal dining, alternative packaging appears to be gaining ground.
Jean-Charles Boisset has proven that it makes environmental sense. Now it's up to the trade and consumers to give alternative wine packaging marketing credibility.
Larry Walker is based in San Francisco, where he writes on wine, spirits, and travel, contributing to a number of international consumer and trade publications. His latest book is Wines of the Napa Valley, published by Mitchell-Beazley.