South African wine producer The Company of Wine People has announced plans to launch wines in Tetra Pak packaging under its Arniston Bay brand.

The range will consist of a Chenin Blanc, a Pinotage Rosé and a Cabernet Merlot, rsp £6.49, and will hit shelves in the next two months. The new-look packs would sit alongside rather than replace its eco-friendly pouches launched last May, stressed the company.

“The Tetra Pak packaging serves a different purpose to the pouches because it is smaller and a lighter option to carry around,” said brand and trade marketing manager Felicity Billington. The move would also help revive the static wine box category, she said. “The wine box category has remained static for the past 20 years and this will provide much-needed rejuvenation.”

Reinforcing its commitment to the pouch format, Billington said the company also planned to launch wines in a three-litre pouch in the next few months and add a Cabernet Sauvignon to its 1.5-litre range.

“You won’t see a Premier Cru in a pouch anytime soon but the snob factor about wine pouches is gone and they are becoming more popular,” she said. Arniston Bay sales have leapt 22% by value over the past 12 months [Nielsen MAT to August 2008]. The company attributed its performance to the growing popularity of different and more environmentally friendly formats.

The growth in sales of South African wine – up 13% in value and volume in 2008 [Nielsen MAT 31 July 2008] – has been attributed to the success of brands such as Arniston Bay.

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