Starting with our 2023 bottling runs, we changed our packaging to exclude the metal foil capsule at the top of the bottle.
Why eliminate the capsule? Because it’s one less thing going into land fills. And when it comes to landfills, every little reduction matters.
Plus, eliminating the capsule reduces our carbon footprint. That’s being planet friendly.
Originally, capsules were there to protect the tops of the bottles, specifically the corks, from dirt and growths of nasty things like mildew.
That was very true when wine was stored in basements or other areas not subject to environmental controls.
Today, buyers are likely to consume a wine quickly, usually within days, or, if aging is planned, it will be in a very controlled environment.
Previously, we used metal foil capsules with the belief that they were recyclable. However, few municipalities actually take them. They don’t show up on lists of acceptable materials.
Not using a capsule reduces our cost to bottle and ultimately the prices we charge to consumers. While that is not the reason why we dropped them, we know consumers are very price sensitive and appreciate all the help they can get.
We are well aware that traditionalists will complain about the altered appearance and infer that capsule-less wine bottles suggests lower quality.
But we focused on the key question. What is more important? Doing something that is no longer needed or sending one less thing to the landfill?
Yep, there was an obvious answer.