Milawa's Brown family trials aluminium bottles for prosecco

Milawa's Brown Family Wine Group (BFWG) is trialling aluminium wine bottles, releasing a limited edition premium brut prosecco in the more environmentally friendly packaging. The introduction of resealable aluminium bottles has been over two years in the planning and BFWG says it's part of its ongoing focus on making delivery of its products more sustainable. BFWG head of innovation, Emma Brown, said the options for inert packaging for wine - which won't adversely affect the product - were limited, so aluminium stood out as an attractive alternative. She said they also considered the changing nature of occasions including outdoor socialising, barbecues and picnics, where the ability to pour a drink and take the remainder home became important. "We've been going through the process of testing and making sure it's up to quality standards, while also finding a supplier of 750ml aluminium bottles, as there are currently none (in Australia), so we had to look high and low to find a solution," Ms Brown said. "As soon as you open a traditional bottle of sparkling wine you have to finish it or else it will go to waste, so not being able to re-seal sparkling wine is a big barrier for the next generation who are leaning away from 750ml bottles for that very reason." Ms Brown said the aluminium bottles are currently being sourced from the USA, which has presented some logistical challenges, but they are actively looking at local production for the future. She said aluminium bottles are infinitely recyclable, able to be returned through every state's container deposit scheme for a refund, or to be put into a consumer's regular recycling stream. The aluminium bottles can also be filled on BFWG's existing bottling line in Milawa, which Ms Brown said had been a whole new challenge for the team. "It's something completely new for us and everyone has jumped on board with enthusiasm, knowing it's the right thing to do for the future of the category," she said. One of the key benefits of aluminium bottles is the reduced weight, estimated to be 40 per cent lighter than traditional glass bottles when filled. It means wine pallets are 400kg lighter - reducing carbon miles on delivery - while the benefits for the consumer are a lighter bottle to carry to a destination, which can be chilled in 10 minutes and stays colder for longer. While it's not cheap, Ms Brown said the benefits for the environment are worth investing in. "We want to continue to look at aluminium bottles outside this limited edition - for it to be an ongoing offer - and we will do it because it's right," she said. "It's considerably more expensive than a glass bottle for us to manufacture - which is a downside - but we know it will open up new opportunities for the sparkling wine category so we can't be too narrow minded about dollars and cents for us - we want to support a sustainable wine category in the future." Ms Brown said research completed prior to the product launch showed consumers, and particularly younger consumers, were willing to spend the same or slightly more than what they spent on their current sparkling wine, for a product with sustainability credentials. She said they won't know if that's true until the product is fully launched into stores, but she is confident there is an audience who is willing to pay more to do the right thing for the environment. BFWG is still experiencing double digit growth when it comes to prosecco sales in general, which is reflected across the Australian domestic wine market. Ms Brown said prosecco had made sparkling wine more accessible to people for everyday occasions, and the introduction of low and no-alcohol options was also being embraced by consumers. "Our zero-alcohol portfolio continues to grow exponentially off a very small base, and we know occasions for zero-alcohol are just going to grow, and we get great feedback on our zero prosecco from a taste point of view. "Wine's biggest downfall in zero-alcohol has been the taste perception, and where ours shines, is that it does deliver on taste and overcomes those barriers. "A recent survey indicated about 60 per cent of people are looking for a zero-alcohol wine at their work Christmas parties, so people are actively looking at moderating their consumption while still wanting to be involved in social occasions." The Limited Edition Brut Prosecco in aluminium packaging is currently available via the Brown Brothers website and cellar door, and will be available through major retailers by October, in time for spring racing season and Christmas.

Milawa's Brown family trials aluminium bottles for prosecco

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