Beaujolais Nouveau in plastic bottles? Boisset Family Estates has announced in a press release that next season's Beaujolais Nouveau wines from the wineries of Mommessin and Bouchard Aîné & Fils shipped to the U.S. will be packaged in 750ml PET bottles. They will also be debuting Fog Mountain, the first California wine in 750ml PET bottles , Boisset Family Estates is the first winery ever to announce that all Beaujolais Nouveau wines imported to North America will be packaged exclusively in lightweight PET plastic bottles. The company estimates they will save millions of pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere. The Beaujolais Nouveau wines in PET bottles weigh 22 lbs per case vs. 38 pounds for the traditional bottle. Boisset expects their Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau and Bouchard Aîné & Fils Beaujolais Nouveau to retail for $12.99 which is a dollar or two less than they would have charged. The shatterproof bottle will have a screwcap. Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be drunk immediately so there are no concerns as to how the wine might age in platic. Boisset's other interesting packaging initiatives includes wine in Tetra Pak cartons and Mommessin Beaujolais Grande Reserve in 750 ml aluminum bottles.

[via Wine & Spirits Daily]