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According to Boisset Family Estates, a case of wine in glass bottles weighs 38 pounds. In plastic, a case weighs just 22 pounds, a weight savings of more than 40%. In order to reduce the carbon footprint of the wine, the company has chosen to break with tradition and package this year's Beaujolais Nouveau in PET.

Boisset has chosen Constar International Inc., manufacturer of high-barrier PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging technology, to supply the technology and preforms used to make its new 750ml plastic bottles. The winemaker has endeavoured to make the PET bottle as similar to glass a possible.

The lightweight plastic vessels contain a proprietary oxygen scavenging technology called MonOxbar that keeps oxygen from permeating into the bottle, thereby protecting flavour, aroma and colour of the wine inside.

Constar Vice President for Marketing and Business Development Scott Pleune commented: "There is growing demand from retailers, marketers, and consumers for environmentally friendly packaging, and equally important, sustainable business practices.

"Boisset Family Estates has embraced this concept and found a package that satisfies the demand for sustainability without compromising the performance of the package and the integrity of the wine. Containers incorporating our MonOxbar technology are specifically designed to protect the subtle flavours of wine, beverages and foods that are packed in PET containers."

According to Boisset Family Estates President Jean-Charles Boisset, his winery is the first ever to announce that all of its Beaujolais Nouveau wines imported to North America will be packaged exclusively in lightweight PET plastic bottles. "We are committed to reducing the wine world's carbon footprint," he said.