Back by popular demand,
Each year, on the third Thursday of November, French vintner Boisset Family Estates flies thousands of bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau to eager wine lovers around the world, a harvest tradition celebrating the arrival of the refreshing, fruity wines. This year, however, Boisset is breaking with tradition. Instead of packaging its Beaujolais Nouveau wines from the historic wineries of Mommessin and Bouchard Aîné & Fils in glass bottles, the progressive winemaker is using plastic.
It is a move designed to protect the environment and provide "green" Beaujolais Nouveau enthusiasts with guilt-free pleasure. According to Boisset Family Estates, a case of wine in glass bottles weighs 38 pounds. In plastic, a case weighs just 22 pounds, a weight savings of more than 40%. That equates to a significantly smaller carbon footprint and a reduction in airfreight costs.
Boisset Family Estates has chosen Constar International Inc., a leader in high-barrier PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging technology, to supply the technology and pre-forms used to make its new 750-ml plastic bottles, which protect the wine flavor the same as glass. At first glance, the bottles are nearly identical to glass. However, these lightweight plastic vessels contain a proprietary oxygen scavenging technology called MonOxbar™ that keeps oxygen from permeating into the bottle, thereby protecting the flavor, aroma, and deep, rich color of the wine inside.
Constar v.p. for marketing and business development Scott Pleune says: "There is growing demand from retailers, marketers, and consumers for environmentally friendly packaging, and equally important, sustainable business practices. Boisset Family Estates has embraced this concept and found a package that satisfies the demand for sustainability without compromising the performance of the package and the integrity of the wine. Containers incorporating our MonOxbar technology are specifically designed to protect the subtle flavors of wine, beverages, and foods that are packed in PET containers."
Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to the magazine.