In Gard, creative winegrowers have imagined two eco-designed vintages: a responsible bottle for divine nectar

Bruno Manzone et Eugénie Jouffrey sont fiers de leurs bouteilles éco-conçues. ALISSANDRE ALLEMAND – Alissandre Allemand

C’est cette semaine que les deux cuvées éco-conçues par les Vignerons créateurs seront mises en vente. Des bouteilles réutilisables et recyclables pour un vin toujours plus qualitatif.

Bruno Manzone, the president of the cooperative cellar Les vignerons creators (a group of cooperative cellars created in 2008 which today brings together the cellars of Bellegarde, Bouillargues and Jonquiéres-Saint-Vincent), smiles. " Apart from the communications aspect, we are reviving practices that we carried out in the 70s and 80s, particularly here in Bellegarde. We collected the six star liter bottles (returnable one liter bottle intended for table wine garnished with 6 stars at the base of the neck, Editor's note) which were recorded and refilled with wine for our customers.

It is in this same spirit that, almost fifty years later, eco-designed, reusable and recyclable bottles are making a comeback on the shelves of creative winegrowers' boutiques and among their distributors nationally. Bottles ultimately intended to contain a majority of the hectos of wine generated (around 85 per year) by the 100th of cooperating winegrowers. "We have been certified as Committed Winegrowers since 2019 and have been thinking about eco-committed bottles since around the same date. Although this certification does not impose any specifications on us, it is nevertheless important to us to implement everything possible to improve our good environmental practices."

Virtuous Flask

After very significant work carried out on the roofs (some of them centuries old) of their production sites, reduced energy loss, installed photovoltaic panels on 6,000 m2 of roof and provided frequent training to their cooperators in order to help them implement instead of other practices, from this week, the emblematic vintage Abbatiales de Saint-Gilles in AOP costières-de-nîmes will be offered in three colors in eco-designed bottles.

So concretely, what is the virtuous secret of these bottles ? Be part of a CSR approach and respond to the principles of the circular economy. These vials are topped with a 100% French natural cork stopper, certified Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). "Logically, we have removed the capsules, not so much for cost reasons, but for an environmental aspect, by avoiding plastic, the traditional Marianne having no longer been obligatory since last year&quot ;, observes Bruno Manzone.

A label made with syrah tannin

As for the label, it is created from 100% recycled paper and is placed on the container using a washable glue to facilitate removal intended for reuse of the bottle. "It is in fact water-soluble. And as the label is printed with ink based on natural pigments, the red vintage with syrah tannins for example, it will not pollute the water".

Finally, the bottle will be reusable. It is hand in hand with the company Oc’Consigne that the creative winegrowers have set up their process. This Scop, which brings together the players in the glass packaging sector, is working to reintroduce the practice of reuse throughout France. Thus, Oc’Consigne supplies to the cooperative cellar 15 bottles intended for packaging the Abbatiale vintage. It is also the company that will ensure the collection, processing and reusability of returnable bottles.

To do this, nothing could be simpler, "there are collection points everywhere in the country. In the Gard, we currently have around ten , explains Eugénie Jouffrey, responsible for communications at the cellar. "Consumers will only have to return their empty bottles to one of the identified points(including the Bellegarde cellar, Editor's note) so that they are fully taken care of until their new life". But what advantage for the consumer ? Participate to the extent possible in sustainable development and environmental protection. "The reuse of’ a bottle saves 25% energy and 50% water", recalls the young woman. "The entire bottle, but also its packaging is guaranteed to obtain the lowest possible carbon tax score".

Convinced of the initiative, the creative winegrowers are bottling this Friday, April 26, the Cuvée de la Tour, 100% Clairette de Bellegarde organically. "We hope to extend this practice to as many of our vintages as possible", announces Bruno Manzone."We are looking forward to hearing from our customers.

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