MEDIA RELEASE 20 March 2013
New Zealand Vineyard Estate Enters into the Lightweight Category
With the release of the 2012 Mud House Chardonnay, New Zealand Vineyard Estate (NZVE) is one of New Zealand’s first wineries to partner with O-I Glass using a new lightweight 407g bottle.
“By adopting the latest light packaging option we will be reducing our environmental and social impact by reduced overall glass use, more efficient transport and health and safety benefits for our distribution partners, something I am sure they will appreciate.” said MJ Loza, CEO, New Zealand Vineyard Estates.
The lightweight 407g bottle is approximately 10% lighter than the previous bottle, with a total reduction of up to half a ton per container of wine exported. The lightweight bottle retains its premium look and NZVE is using the lighter bottle across all their brands including Mud House, Waipara Hills, Dusky Sounds and Haymaker. Wines in these new lightweight bottles will be hitting the market in the coming weeks.
The move to a lightweight bottle complements other initiatives within NZVE as part of a broader sustainability programme. “Our Sustainable Responsible Business programme recognises that true sustainability means not only looking after our business and shareholders, but also our staff, business partners and the environment, industry and communities we operate in.” says Loza.
Sustainable Responsible Business initiatives underway at NZVE include;
- Reducing power use through optimising operations and using efficient equipment and by benchmarking against other local and international winegrowers to achieve best practice.
- Accurate monitoring of water use, reducing water used throughout the vineyard and winery.
- Composting grape marc. New Zealand Extracts, one of NZVE’s sister companies in the Mud House Wine Group, adds value to this winemaking byproduct by extracting bioactives from grape skins and seeds for sale to dietary supplement, functional food and cosmetic companies.
- Involvement in ‘Greening Waipara Project’ – using NZ native plants in and around the vineyard as natural alternative to pest and disease management.
- Conversion of selected blocks at one of the company’s Waipara Vineyards to organics.
- Recent plantings of native trees and shrubs on company vineyards in Waipara.
- Matching charitable donations made by staff dollar-for-dollar.
For more information please contact NZVE CEO, MJ Loza – Ph: +61 21 993 389 email mj.loza@nzve.co.nz
About New Zealand Vineyard Estate (NZVE)
NZVE are the producers of well-known brands Mud House and Waipara Hills. Mud House’s award-winning wines are produced from New Zealand’s best grape growing soils including Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, Pinot Noir from Central Otago and Aromatics from the Waipara Valley. The extreme natural environments of the mountains, hills and valleys of the South Island give Waipara Hills wines intensity, character and complexity – wine that expresses the true soul of the south.