Australian family winemaker De Bortoli Wines has developed three sustainably produced wines under its new label, 17 Trees. The range is packed in recycled bottles supplied by O-I Glass and labels from Multi-Colour Corporation, as the winemaker aims to become a zero-waste wine company.
17 Trees is a vegan-friendly wine range, which is built upon De Bortoli’s first sustainability project in 2008 – a commitment to plant 17 trees for each company vehicle to offset the carbon effects of its fleet.
The 17 Trees wines are packed in lightweight wine bottles made from recycled glass supplied by O-I Glass, while the recycled paper for the labels, supplied by Multi-Colour Corporation, was created from natural fibre-based pulp, sourced from sugar cane waste.
Its label design was developed in-house, with the De Bortoli team using inks that were “made with the best practices for low environmental impact,” as well as gold foiling on the label, “with the foil production complying with the strictest environmental regulations”.
De Bortoli Wines managing director Darren De Bortoli told Food & Drink Business 17 Trees is a brand with a purpose and builds on De Bortoli's serious commitment to sustainability.
“With a growing trend amongst consumers to live a more sustainable life and opting for conscious consumption, 17 Trees aims to deliver sustainably produced and vegan friendly wines, in addition to the opportunity for consumers to do their bit for the environment with every bottle purchased,” De Bortoli said.
“Through initiatives including wise water management, energy efficiency and improved waste management over the past 15 years we’re demonstrating our commitment to a future where great wine and a healthy environment can be enjoyed by everyone.”
De Bortoli has further partnered with not-for-profit organisation Trillion Trees to plant native trees for a sustainable future, and help to rebuild the Australian bushland following the 2019/2020 Australian bushfires where 11 million hectares of land was burned.
Every six bottles of 17 Trees sold will go towards planting one tree in Australia, giving consumers the opportunity to “enjoy drops while supporting essential tree regeneration projects”.
As part of the launch, De Bortoli will also release 17 stories detailing its sustainability initiatives and journey to producing environmentally-friendly wines. The stories will outline the finer details of wine production at De Bortoli and how the wine company has opted for a cleaner, greener future, which can be accessed through the winemaker’s website.
The 17 Trees range features three vintage wines – Shiraz, Pinot Grigio, which will be available online, and the export-only Chardonnay.
