Wine related articles
Claret by the carton tests the tastes of wine drinkers
LOUISE BARNETT
A NEW type of wine packaging usually associated with milk or orange juice is set to hit shops in the UK.
Boisset, a French manufacturer, plans to launch its Tetra Pak cartons early next year. And it claims the screwtop containers keep its French Rabbit wines fresher for longer than glass bottles. Tetra Paks containing merlot, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay from the Languedoc Roussillon region of France were launched by Boisset in Canada earlier this year.
The French producer says the eco-friendly containers use 90 per cent less packaging than wine bottles and take up a third less space during transport.
The unbreakable cartons provide 100 per cent protection from ultra-violet light, which can damage wine, the wine-maker said.
Boisset aims to launch the same three wine varieties, plus a pinot noir, at UK stores in January. The retail price has not yet been decided.
The president of the company, Jean-Charles Boisset, said the Tetra Pak's planned UK launch followed its success in Canada.
He said that the new type of packaging - known as an "eco-pod" - was convenient to store, good value for money and easy to recycle.
"I think consumers are ready for something new and eco-friendly, because most of us buy wine and then drink it in the next few days," he said.
Guy Woodward, the deputy editor of the wine magazine Decanter, said he believed that the Boisset launch would be the first Tetra Pak wine on sale in the UK. "I think people initially are going to be quite surprised when they see it and sceptical about the wine quality," he said.
"Having said that, the company behind it is extremely well respected and a massive player.
I think it is a case of them trying to make wine a bit more of a mass-market drink, rather than being seen as elitist."
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