New supplier for PaperBoy product
Healdsburg, Calif.—Truett-Hurst Inc., the 209,000-case publicly traded wine company announced a new supplier for one of its most innovative wine packages. Ecologic Brands Inc. will begin manufacturing PaperBoy packaging at its 60,000-square-foot plant in Manteca, Calif.
Truett-Hurst launched PaperBoy last year. As Wines & Vines reported in the January 2014 issue. In that story, CEO Phil Hurst described the product as, “the world’s first paper wine bottle: basically a bag-in-box liner encased in recycled cardboard with a screwcap.”
When Truett-Hurst issued its first quarter financial forecast in March, it also announced that the original manufacturer, GreenBottle of London, England, was in administration, the British equivalent of bankruptcy. Truett-Hurst began hunting for a new supplier but warned that the change might lead to temporary shortages of PaperBoy. The winery took a one-time, $400,000 charge to cover the transition.
Although the original PaperBoys shipped to California from the U.K., the package’s 85% lighter weight compared to standard glass saved 7 tons of shipping weight for every truckload and great fuel economy.
PaperBoy is now available in 45 states, with 2012 Paso Robles Red Blend and 2012 Mendocino Chardonnay, both retailing at $14.99.
Earlier this month, Truett-Hurst Inc., also announced a $750,000 agreement to supply wine to Fullerton, Calif., based Houdini Inc., which operates the catalog and gift basket company Wine Country Gift Baskets. The agreement calls for Truett-Hurst to develop three unique brands for Houdini's holiday season gift baskets.
