“Wine in a tube”: Waitrose boosts shelf life by 10 ten days with recyclable packaging

16 Apr 2020 --- High-end UK grocer Waitrose has unveiled an eco-friendly tube packaging for wine. The launch comes in collaboration with Italian Orion Wines and features a bag of wine within a tube. The novel packaging format is 100 percent recyclable and contains the equivalent of three glass bottles of wine. Once opened the wine stays fresh for roughly ten days longer than it would with traditional 75 cl bottles.

The Waitrose launch is the latest in packaging innovation in the wine space which has been accelerating recently. Examples include Amcor’s bespoke, recyclable closures and Winerytale’s augmented reality (AR) app, which offers personalized smartphone-scannable labels. Waitrose also notes that alternative wine formats are becoming increasingly popular with shoppers. 

The tubed wines are made by Alessandro Michelon, Head Winemaker at Orion Wines and are both organic and vegan. Already popular with Waitrose shoppers in its bottled format, the Maree d’Ione Fiano from Puglia has aromas of green apple, pear and almond and is touted as delicious served with grilled sardines and roasted vegetable dishes.

The Terre di Faiano Rosso, Puglia, a blend of Negroamaro, Primitivo and Cabernet Sauvignon, is a new addition to the range, from the same winemakers as the top-selling Waitrose red, Terre di Faiano Primitivo, the retailer notes.

Waitrose is also launching two new wines from “bag-in-box experts” When in Rome.“This is an important step forward in our efforts to become the leading sustainable retailer in the UK. These Italian wines offer customers the possibility to enjoy wine in an environmentally sustainable way. The demand from our customers for more sustainable products and packaging, as well as organic and vegan wine, continues to rise and we feel these wines are the perfect addition to our range,” comments Waitrose Buyer, Marien Rodriguez.

Do as the Romans do
Meanwhile, Waitrose is also launching two new wines from “bag-in-box experts” When in Rome, an Anglo-Italian wine brand. The new additions were chosen in collaboration with Waitrose Weekend wine writer, Phillip Schofield. The eco-friendly 2.25 L box is the equivalent of three bottles of wine and made with a recyclable inner bag. 

The two high-quality, artisan wines, a Falanghina (white) and a Nero di Troia (red), are both sourced from independent Italian vineyards. For his box wine collection, Schofield has chosen a classic Italian Falanghina produced by wine cooperative Antica Hirpinia from their vineyards just outside Taurasi, in the Campanian region of South West Italy. It has delicate aromas of acacia and orange blossom and tickles the taste buds with green apple, quince and lime flavors, offering a crisp, minerally finish.

The red, a Nero di Troia, is an organic wine from La Cantina di Andria, which is locally known as “il Vignuolo”, is a cooperative winery made up of 40 producers covering around 200 hectares spreading over the hills of the Castel del Monte region of Puglia. The winery boasts it is a “real powerhouse” of a red, rippling with blackcurrant, plum and red cherry notes. Its firm structure finishes with complex hues of violets, star anise and fig.

“We asked Schofield if he would be keen to choose his own Italian craft wine, which he was really excited by, so we took a number of samples from across Italy and let him choose his favorites. Having someone like Phillip on board to support the box wine category demonstrates the size of the opportunity we have in the market to educate consumers that there is another way to enjoy high quality wine that doesn’t have to be bought in a bottle,” says When in Rome CEO and Co-Founder, Rob Malin. 

Waitrose is making strides toward increased environmental sustainability. Currently, it offers 17 different bag-in-box wines, as well as several canned versions. Within the first half of 2020, Waitrose has pledged to remove black plastic taps from the wine boxes and replace them with easily-recycled white plastic. 

Moreover, tapping into the zero alcohol trend, the retailer also launched a non-alcoholic aperitif wine, dubbed Æcorn. Sales of no- and low-alcohol drinks have been on the rise for the past five years with Waitrose reporting a 180 percent rise in sales year-on-year. More specifically, Waitrose’s online platform has seen searches for non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs increase by 2,140 percent and 82 percent respectively, compared to last year.

Edited by Kristiana Lalou

This feature is provided by FoodIngredientsFirst’s sister website, PackagingInsights.

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