Summer, Sangria, and Tetra Pak; Portable, Eco-Friendly Packaging Just Right for Warm-Weather Sipping

The Bandit packaging is made of Tetra Prisma, which is comprised of 70% paper, a renewable resource, thus reducing the packaging waste associated with bottled wine by 90%.

14/07/09 It could be the perfect summer storm: warm weather to make you thirsty for something cool, fruit-and-spice flavors of premium-quality Bandit Sangria, and packaged in handy, portable, packable 500ml or 1 Liter TetraPak containers to make it available anytime, anywhere.

The Thieves aren't above stealing the occasional idea -- in this case, a longstanding Spanish and Portuguese tradition of mixing red wine, fruit juice, spice and a touch of sweetness. What the Thieves have done is blend their version from premium California wine -- Zinfandel, Syrah, Chenin Blanc and natural cranberry and grapefruit flavors -- and bring it to the market in convenient, lightweight, eco-friendly containers -- at a refreshing, summer weight alcohol level just over 10%. The new Sangria joins the popular Bandit offerings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio to round out the summer convenience lineup.

"No bottle, no opener, 96% wine, 4% packaging; and less energy use," says Thief Charles Bieler. "It's packaging for every occasion, and for a green planet." Aseptic packaging is widely used in the food and beverage industry but was missing from the US wine market until the Thieves brought it on in 2002. Now wine in Tetra Paks is no longer a novelty entry -- it's a fast-rising category, growing faster than table wine as a whole, faster than box wine, right in sync with the Bandit brand and the Sangria category, up almost 12% in dollar volume in the last 12 months.

The Bandit packaging is made of Tetra Prisma, which is comprised of 70% paper, a renewable resource, thus reducing the packaging waste associated with bottled wine by 90%. It is far more efficient and lightweight to transport than bottles, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and saving fuel. If all the table wine in the US came packaged this way, it would be the equivalent of taking 377,000 cars off the road. From cradle to grave, wine in Tetra Paks generates 79% less carbon dioxide per serving than bottled wine.