From the vine to the glass, a Central Coast winery is serving wine in a new, lighter package: a paper bottle.
Monterey Wine Company in King City is using a Frugalpac machine — the only one of its kind in the United States — to form bottles out of recycled cardboard. The machine folds and molds a flat piece of colored cardboard into a bottle-shaped shell that holds a flexible, recyclable liner. The finished package is five times lighter than glass and looks like two pieces of cardboard joined together.
Winery representatives say the paper bottle offers environmental benefits. Shannon Valladarez of Monterey Wine Company says the paper option reduces the carbon footprint by about six times compared with glass. Production of paper bottles also uses far less water — roughly one quarter of the water required to make a glass bottle — and the package is easier to transport because it’s much lighter.
Quality control director Rohit Deshpande has tested the paper bottles to make sure they preserve the wine’s characteristics. Deshpande reports he detects no off-flavors from paper or plastic and believes the bottles can safely hold wine for at least 15 to 18 months — comparable to many bottles sold for near-term consumption. He notes, however, that the paper format isn’t intended for cellaring; it’s designed to compete on retail shelves for everyday and mid-tier wines rather than for long-term aging.
The packaging process: the machine pinches, folds and molds the cardboard shell, then inserts and seals the inner liner that contains the wine. The resulting unit is recyclable, and Monterey Wine Company says it can produce up to 2.5 million paper bottles a year.
Valladarez emphasizes the shape of the paper bottle as an advantage over boxed wine: the bottle-like form can sit on a shelf and compete visually with higher-level wines. For consumers prioritizing lower environmental impact and easier handling, the paper bottle offers an alternative to traditional glass — uncorking a greener option for wine lovers. Joy Benedict, CBS News, King City, California.