FDBusiness.com

UK wine importer Raisin Social has announced that, for the first time ever, its wine will be packaged in Tetra Pak cartons in the UK.

The company is the first to take advantage of the recent partnership between Greencroft Bottling and Tetra Pak, and is working with two prominent South African producers, Namaqua Wines and Du Toitskloof to package their wines in Tetra Prisma Aseptic 75cl cartons.

‘Wine category needs refreshing’

Speaking to Packaging News, Tetra Pak national account manager Tony Papazoglakis said: “It is fantastic news for us and fantastic news for the category. I am sure if brand owners get behind it they will benefit from that.

“The wine category needs refreshing and this is a great way to do this.”

He said that the format was common place in countries such as Chile, US and Italy but the UK had not had a tradition of bottling cartons in wine because it never had production facilities to do this. However, he said that he was confident the wine cartons would be well-received as it had a great response from consumers in a survey Tetra Pak carried out.

Durham-based wine bottling firm Greencroft has installed a Tetra Pak line in its facility.

Commenting on the launch of the Namaqua and Du Toitskloof products, Simon Halliday, managing director of Raisin Social, explained: “The introduction of these popular wines into cartons is a new and compelling offer for UK shoppers. There are clear advantages over wine in glass bottles; they are lighter, easier to use, can be resealed and easily recycled. We believe that wine in this format will become an increasingly popular choice for consumers throughout the UK.”

‘Revolutionary packaging format’

Du Toitskloof, which is expanding into the UK market for the first time, will be launching two Fairtrade wines, a mid-tier Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot red, and a Chenin Blanc Sauvignon Blanc white, both exclusively in Waitrose.

Waitrose wine buyer Katie Mollet said: “We’re proud to launch these two exclusive wines from the well respected Du Toitskloof co-op in such a revolutionary packaging format.

“The wines are not only Fairtrade, but the cartons tick all the boxes we look for as an ethical retailer. We’re thrilled to be at the forefront of these packaging innovations and look forward to our customers enjoying the benefits of wine in Tetra Pak”.

Namaqua’s initial filling production run will distribute 100,000 Tetra Pak cartons of wine to outlets nationwide, including Costcutter, Budgens, Nisa and Londis, as well as to selected outdoor and catered events.

Available from start of September, this initial distribution will reach approximately 20% of UK off-trade customers.

‘Leading names in the wine industry’

Ian Williamson, retail manager for Tetra Pak, said: “We are delighted that Namaqua and Du Toitskloof wines, both well-established, leading names in the wine industry, have chosen to launch new quality wines in Tetra Prisma Aseptic 75cl cartons.

“We are confident that the public will respond well to the new line, as customers and retailers realise the real practical and environmental benefits that Tetra Pak cartons bring”.