World’s first paper wine bottle developed in US

US wine maker Truett-Hurst Inc is releasing what it says is the world’s first paper wine bottle, branded PaperBoy – a development that may have vino-keen packagers in the Asia Pacific sitting up and taking notice.

The product is a molded outer shell in the shape of a wine bottle, made from recycled cardboard with a plastic liner.

Truett-Hurst says the package is 85 per cent lighter than a glass bottle and that while the case weight for filled glass bottles is around 16kg, its paper bottles are approximately 10.7kg by the case – a weight reduction of 34 percent that reportedly saves more than seven tons per truckload of wine.

The packager also claims that the paper bottles insulate more effectively and recycle more readily, with the cap and neck also recyclable and the plastic liner suitable for waste to energy programs. The 12-pack cartons are produced from recycled paper.

Phil Hurst, president and CEO of Truett-Hurst, says, “We are thrilled to be a pioneer of this earth-friendly, high-quality, innovative package. It could create an entirely new category in wine.”

Truett-Hurst says it aims to deliver more transportable wine to ‘eco-conscious wine lovers on the go’, recommending its paper bottle to campers, hikers and fishermen, as it collapses when empty to be recycled on return.

Virginia Lambrix, Californian winemaker and supplier, says, “Wines that will be consumed almost immediately do not need a heavy, environmentally and economically expensive glass bottle and cork.

“We would rather apply the savings that PaperBoy affords toward more expensive, better-crafted wine so that both the customer and the environment win. We believe that if the quality of the wine exceeds a customer’s expectation then new, cutting-edge packaging will become more mainstream.”

The wine will be sourced from the Mendocino and Paso Robles growing regions and crafted by Lambrix, with 2012 red blend and chardonnay as the two introductory varieties.

Designer Kevin Shaw of Stranger & Stranger, packaging designer for wines, spirits and beers, also worked with Truett-Hurst and Green Bottle, a UK-based paper bottle manufacturer, to develop the package and Paperboy branding.

Shaw says, “This is a product that is unashamedly different and it was important that the name was iconic to own the medium, and that the branding was bright, strong and fearless.”

Paperboy will be released nationwide in the US.

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