Bonny Doon Vineyard is becoming the first US winery to release its wine in Frugalpac’s paper Frugal Bottles. It will also see Whole Foods Markets become the first US supermarket chain to sell our paper bottles.
Bonny Doon Vineyard’s Carbon…Nay! is a pink wine made from Central Coast, cool climate vineyards. The blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvèdre will be available in Whole Foods Markets nationally on May 1 with a $16.99 retail price.
The move comes a month after Aldi became the first supermarket chain to release its own brand wines in our Frugal Bottles.
The Frugal Bottle has a 6x lower carbon footprint than an average glass bottle and is made from 94% recycled paperboard.
Asked about the packaging, Bonny Doon Vineyard founder and industry punster Randall Grahm responded, “We’ve done enough carbon dating, now may be the time to breakup. #breakingupishardtodoon.”
Starting as a flat paperboard, the Frugal Bottle is printed and die cut. The bottle has a food grade PET pouch to hold the wine which is held inside the bottle made from recycled paperboard. Both parts are easy to separate and recycle once the wine has been consumed. The closure is a screw cap, and the full 9-liter case weight is 24 lbs vs an average 40 lb case of glass bottles.
The paper bottles were filled at the Monterey Wine Company, in King City, California who have built the first bottling line in the US to assemble and fill the Frugal Bottle. They have also purchased a Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine so the bottles can be made at their factory in California.
Andrew Nelson, President of WarRoom Cellars, parent company of Bonny Doon Vineyard said:
“We’re honored to carry on Bonny Doon Vineyard’s inspiring tradition of wine exploration
“We’re grateful to be a trusted pioneer in the US by Frugalpac and to work with Whole Foods Market to bring this low carbon footprint and planet earth preserving package to consumers nationally. The Dooniverse beckons us all to explore.”
Kara Chavez, Principal Category Merchant of Adult Beverage at Whole Foods Market added:
“We have been proud supporters of Bonny Doon Vineyard at Whole Foods Market for decades and are honored to be launching their latest innovation in the US.
“The new packaging aligns perfectly with our own efforts to create a more sustainable and transparent wine industry, and what our customers are growing to expect from key leaders in this space.”
Frugalpac CEO Malcolm Waugh commented:
“To see our Frugal Bottles going on sale in Whole Foods stores across the US is a big moment for our paper bottle revolution. We’d like to thank Bonny Doon Vineyard and WarRoom Cellars for having faith in our planet-friendly bottle and Whole Foods for becoming the first American supermarket chain to stock Frugal Bottles.
“We’re seeing a growing demand across North America for our low carbon paper bottles and Monterey Wine Company, who have bought one of our Frugal Bottle Assembly machines to make them stateside, are in a great position to help US drinks brands decarbonise.”
Ever the pioneers of innovative wine packaging, in 2002 Bonny Doon Vineyard switched entirely to screwcap closures and held an official funeral for the cork in New York City’s Grand Central Station… “A heartfelt wake for the old Stinker.”
Additionally, in 2008, Bonny Doon Vineyard was the first US winery to include ingredients on their labels, and today Bonny Doon Vineyard is the largest US producer of orange wine (an emerging wine category made by fermenting white grapes on their skins).
Images of the Bonny Doon bottle can be downloaded here.