Press release.
Journey’s End Vineyards X Interpunkt launch wine range in sustainable paperboard bottles
Journey’s End Vineyards, the award-winning Stellenbosch-based winery, and new wine brand Interpunkt, founded by Andrew Ingham, have teamed up to launch an industry-leading range of wines in sustainable paperboard bottles.
Launching in select retailers later in the year, the W.O. Western Cape Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz, produced by Journey’s End, will come in paperboard bottles, highlighting to consumers that good wine can be enjoyed whilst reducing the impact on the environment.
The bottles, made from 100% recyclable paperboard outers, are five times lighter than a normal glass bottle alternative, with a carbon footprint six times lower.
As well as the evident sustainability benefits, Interpunkt also aims to make wine more engaging, accessible and inclusive, particularly for new and occasional wine drinkers, by removing the somewhat elitist and intimidating language often used on labels. The South African Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz varietals, both IPW certified, are described simply as ‘fresh and zesty and ‘juicy and easy drinking’ respectively.
Andrew Ingham, an international wine buyer with 20 years of experience in both the on and off-trade in Australia, the UK, Germany, North America and Asia, firmly believes that the consumer should be put first, and offered delicious, sustainable wines without the fuss.
Ingham says, ‘All too often wine brands are talking and selling to one group only; the wine engaged. They talk in a unique and specific wine language that only a minority understand. Yet the biggest group of wine drinkers are new to wine, occasional wine drinkers or unengaged. This is 68% of consumers! By introducing wine drinkers to a new brand in forward-thinking packaging, which also prioritises trusted, ethically and sustainably sourced grapes, I believe we can show people that good wine is for everyone, whether you know a lot about it or not. It is for sharing and enjoying, and not taking yourself too seriously while doing so. There’s a lot more wine can do to innovate and step outside of its comfort zone, I’m going to make sure we do that with Interpunkt, this is just the start’.
Finding dynamic and like-minded partners for this project was always integral to Ingham and the Interpunkt brand, and Journey’s End was approached not only for its excellent wines and acclaimed winemaker Leon Esterhuizen, but also for its own sustainable and ethical accreditations. The vineyard has twice won the Ethical Company of the Year award in The Drinks Business Green Awards in 2020 and 2021, as well as the Water Management Award in 2021, is a WWF Conservation Champion, carbon-negative and a founding member of Sustainable Wine Roundtable. The winery was also the second in South Africa to convert to solar power.
Managing Director of Journey’s End, Rollo Gabb, adds: ‘Sustainable wine production is at the very heart of what we do at Journey’s End, and we are constantly striving to make improvements. As such, we are hugely excited to be working with Andrew on this project and producing wines in a paperboard bottle for the first time. Not only is the sustainable story of the paperboard bottle hugely compelling, but the creativity of the co-branding of Interpunkt with Journey’s End allows us to continue to build on our conversation with environmentally mindful, new consumers. After 2 years of trying to find a bottler who was prepared to take the challenge, slow the lines down and adapt their equipment for the paperboard bottle, we are excited to have finally found the right partner for the job in South Africa, and we are all raring to go.’
Put simply, the Journey’s End x Interpunkt collaboration aims to create high-quality, sustainable, easy- drinking wines for casual wine drinkers, whether knowledgeable about wine or not.
Journey’s End x Interpunkt wines will be distributed by Bibendum, Matthew Clark, Walker and Woodehouse and will be available in selected retailers.
