CalNaturale wine introduces new carton packaging

Organically grown grapes and the ultimate in green packaging have been combined in the development of CalNaturale, the newest product being introduced by cutting-edge manufacturer, California Natural Products (CNP) of Lathrop, CA. The company will bring CalNaturale Cabernet Sauvignon - a premium wine made with grapes grown organically in the Paso Robles Appellation and packaged in a flexible carton - to the marketplace in late summer 2009. CalNaturale becomes part of the organic wine category which saw an increase of 30% in 2008.

CalNaturale will be sold in 500 ml and one liter prisma Tetra Pak cartons, offering two environmentally friendly choices to the consumer. While the liter prisma Tetra Pak is 19% lighter with 33% more wine than the traditional 750 ml glass bottle, the production and handling of the flexible packaging consumes less than half of the greenhouse gases, waste and energy than glass. As a comparison, one truckload of empty Tetra Pak cartons is equivalent to 26 truckloads of empty glass bottles. In addition to producing a small carbon footprint, 70% of the packaging used with the product comes from renewable resources. These sustainability benefits have played a key role in the expansion of the number of wines now being sold in Tetra Pak flexible packaging, which grew 49% in 2008.

CalNaturale will add a new dimension to the Super Premium wine segment of the market with its desirable product/package combination. The Tetra Pak carton is lightweight, unbreakable and requires no special tools to open. The consumer will also find it portable, convenient and completely re-sealable. At the store level, case packs for CalNaturale will be smaller and lighter, requiring less energy to move and less space to stack than traditionally packaged wines. Upscale graphics on the unique container create an eye-catching package for the wine which will be positioned on the shelf alongside traditional and organic wines.

The CalNaturale 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is the first and only California wine packaged in a Tetra Pak carton from organically grown grapes certified by CCOF. The wine is a classic example of the exceptional Cabernets coming from Paso Robles, located in California's highly acclaimed Central Coast region. With each lot slowly fermented and patiently aged, consumers will find CalNaturale Cabernet full-bodied, very approachable and easy to pour from its portable package.

But just how does wine in a Tetra Pak container taste? Confirmed taste tests conducted with professional wine judges and winemakers concluded no statistical difference in taste between wine bottled in the Tetra Pak carton versus the wine served from a 1 liter bottle.
California Natural Products was started by Pat Mitchell in 1980 as an R&D Company and began producing product in flexible packaging in 1994. Since collaborating on the first launch of wine in Tetra Pak cartons in the U.S. in 2004, CNP has packed over 2 million cases. This includes custom packing for some of California's leading premium wine producers and the largest wineries in the world.

"We are excited about the introduction of our own brand into the marketplace," said company Executive Vice President, Rodney Tipton. "With CalNaturale, we are using our experience as a bonded winery "bottling" in flexible packaging, to bring this exciting new product to the table." CNP prides itself on being environmentally responsible and looks forward to adding to the line of CalNaturale premium varietal wines in the future.

Source: California Natural Products