MeadWestvaco Develops Wine Multipack

ATLANTA, Georgia—MeadWestvaco, a developer of multiple packaging solutions, recently partnered with Tetra Pak, a food and beverage processing and packaging company, to create consumer-friendly multipacks for wine in Tetra Prisma containers. MeadWestvaco’s Cluster-Pak wrap-style carton was chosen to showcase the unique, octagonal shape of the Tetra Prisma container and made its market debut for an array of wine brands earlier this year. Currently sold in the United States for brands such as Three Thieves, MeadWestvaco’s multipacks for wine hold four, 250 ml Tetra Prisma single-serve containers and provide consumers with the portability and easy storage they desire.

“MeadWestvaco and Tetra Pak have a long history of creating exceptional packaging that meets both the needs of our customers and the consumers,” says Jeff Kellar, vice president of strategic business development at Tetra Pak. “With consumers drinking more wine than beer for the first time in the United States, it is only natural that we offer a multi-pack of single-serve wine containers for easy consumption and on-the-go portability. We drew on MeadWestvaco’s expertise to deliver an innovative multipack design and are excited about our packaging partnership to create a brand new product offering in the wine category.”

The migration from glass bottles to single serve tetra packs and other boxed wine was initiated several years ago when wine manufacturers began seeking a more affordable packaging alternative that would help alleviate spoilage and breakage, as well as provide for easy transport and consumption. Many vintners turned to the flexible, shatter-proof packaging from Tetra Pak and its sterile filling and sealing process that preserves the integrity of any wine at a fraction of the cost of glass. Since then, boxed wines have grown increasingly popular, and value-added packaging such as MeadWestvaco’s multiple-packaging solutions and aseptic packages from Tetra Pak, are helping wine producers differentiate themselves on store shelves.

“Our packaging solutions allow wine manufacturers to more affordably target consumers who are looking for a convenient, easy-to-transport, single-serve multipack,” says John Perkins, vice president, business development americas, MeadWestvaco Consumer Solutions Group. “The single-serve category is growing steadily, and the introduction of a multipack of single-serve wine will effectively grow this emerging market niche within the overall wine market. It’s also important to note that with MeadWestvaco’s Coated Natural Kraft (CNK) paperboard multiple packaging and the unique, paperboard-based containers from Tetra Pak, wine marketers are able to package and distribute their products with improved billboard and consumer features.”

The partnership between MeadWestvaco and Tetra Pak extends beyond wine packaging and into many other beverage categories. In years past, the companies have teamed up to launch packaging solutions for the energy drink and dairy markets. The companies’ customers include major dairy producers such as Nestlé and functional beverage manufacturers like EAS.

“Through our partnership with Tetra Pak, we are able to create multiple packaging solutions for beverage manufacturers who want to offer consumers a more convenient, fresh, and protective alternative to glass or plastic bottles and aluminum cans,” says Perkins. “MeadWestvaco is always proud to partner with Tetra Pak to bring innovative new multipacks to market, and we are pleased to have once again developed a carton that complements such a ground-breaking container and meets the demands of consumers, as well as the needs of the customer.”