Yealands plastic bottle Full Circle is a winner

Full Circle by Yealands Estate - New Zealand’s first wine sold in a plastic bottle – has won a silver medal at the Royal Easter Wine Show 2010.

Yealands recently won 10 medals overall including Gold for Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2009 and Silver for both Peter Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2009 and Yealands Riesling 2008.

Owner and founder, Peter Yealands, is particularly pleased with the silver for Full Circle saying the award proves that quality wine can be found in plastic (PET) bottles.

“Wines entered into competitions are all tasted blind, so the judges who tasted Full Circle did not know they were trying wine from a plastic bottle. This award proves that the oxygen scavenger technology works and the only flavours coming out of the PET bottle are those true of our unique Awatere Valley characteristics.”

“We’re keen to push the boundaries in our quest to be green but not to the detriment of the quality of our wines. We’re proving our critics wrong and we’re pretty chuffed about this silver medal,” said Peter.

And it’s not just wine critics giving Full Circle the thumbs up – consumers are too.

The initial Full Circle pilot has been so successful that Yealands is about to start the fourth round of bottling, and the product will now be stocked in New World and Pak n Save supermarkets nationwide.

Peter says that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, which is best consumed young and usually within a day or two of purchase, is the perfect varietal for plastic bottles.

The PET bottles weigh just 50gms compared to 500gm for a standard glass bottle and is easier to recycle which makes it better for the environment.

Consumers have been enjoying the benefits of the lightweight bottle which is a smart option for campers and boaties, and for festival-goers where glass is prohibited.

“When you look at the energy used in moving heavyweight glass around the world and within New Zealand, there is a lot of energy wasted that could be minimised with plastic bottles like Full Circle that are 89 per cent lighter than a traditional glass bottle,” says Peter.

Full Circle Sauvignon Blanc 2009 shows lifted notes of wet stone and blackcurrant with vibrant fresh herbs and a long mineral finish making it a perfect match with pasta and seafood. It has a recommended retail price of $16.95.

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Notes to editor:

The Full Circle bottle:
The 750ml bottle weighs just 51gms (compared to 500gms for a standard glass bottle) and is smaller than glass bottles making them a convenient alternative when space is at a premium.

Full Circle bottles use a new DiamondClear™ technology with ‘oxygen scavengers’ to significantly reduce the amount of oxygen. This means the quality, taste and aroma of the wine isn’t affected when consumed within the recommended 18 month period.

The new bottles are 89% lighter, generate 54% less green house gas emissions and use 19% less energy to produce than traditional 750ml glass bottles. Made from Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – Full Circle bottles can be recycled at depots and curb side collections.

About Yealands Estate
Yealands Estate is New Zealand’s leading environmentally sustainable winery based in the Awatere Valley, Marlborough. Developed by entrepreneur Peter Yealands, the privately owned winery features advanced green technology in every aspect of design and function.

It received carboNZero certification from Landcare Research in April 2009 and in doing so was the largest winery in New Zealand to achieve this status for its organisation and wine products.


A month later, it was awarded the category trophy for small to medium businesses at the ’EECA’ awards - the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Awards, held by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). Yealands wines launched to great acclaim in August 2008, and have collected more than 100 awards to date, which goes to show that being green also means making a great drop. www.yealands.co.nz