By Ian Neubauer
South Australian winemaker Banrock Station is aiming to reduce its environmental footprint with the release of two varieties of wine in Tetra Pak containers.
Branded Ecomate, the Tetra Pal containers are composed of aluminium, polyethylene and paper, weigh only 3 per cent of a traditional glass wine bottle and reduces waste by up to 90 per cent.
Banrock Station PR manager Sheralee Davies said the Ecomate range reflected heightened environmental consciousness and changes in consumer behaviour premeditated by these concerns.
“Consider this: how many people five years ago would have picked up a bottle of wine with a screw cap instead of a cork?” she said. “I think across the board we are seeing a desire for responsible and environmentally friendly packaging and processing.” she said.
Banrock Station first released its Ecomate range in Canada in 2007 and in the UK last November, where the range is being trialled by supermarket giant Tesco. “We conducted quite a lot of research into the viability of this product and on the basis of that we are confident,” Davies said. “The demand from the UK for green products is massive.”
Davies said one research method employed by the company was the blind taste-test, where subjects were blindfolded and asked to compare the taste between a wine bottled in glass and the same wine in a Tetra Pak. The results indicated subjects could not identify a preference for wine packaged in glass.
“It’s about getting the product into the hands of consumers,” she said. “We have made sure the wine is the same.”
One-litre Ecomate Shiraz Mataro and Colombard Chardonnay varieties retail in Australia for $9.99. The range is now available at independent off-premise outlets in South Australia, with national distribution scheduled for March.