Maison Ruinart think outside the box for Champagne Market

Maison Ruinart, the very first champagne house founded 290 years ago, has proudly announced at VINEXPO PARIS 2020, a long-term project to reimagine the packaging for its R, R vintage, Rosé and Blanc de Blancs cuvées. Representing more than two years of R&D, the new cases will replace the Maison’s existing champagne boxes. Set to revolutionise the gift-box and cases market, the packaging is eco-designed, uses zero plastic and is 100% recyclable. It will be unveiled at the VIVATECH trade show in Paris in June 2020, and will be rolled out gradually in Western Europe from the 4th quarter.

Maison Ruinart’s partnership with prestige paper innovator James Cropper and luxury packaging expert Pusterla, has been a real step change project focused on reimagining the packaging solution as an eco-responsible innovation.

Like a second skin made of paper, it follows the lines of the bottle’s emblematic curves and allows the integrity of the Ruinart flavour to be preserved until tasting. Itsraw and sophisticated form and texture nods to Crayères, the Maison’s historic chalk-pit cellars in Reims, classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The perfecting of this chalk-like texture – with the richness, depth and finesse of its embossed details – represents a true technological feat.

Frédéric Dufour, President of Maison Ruinart says: “With this ‘second skin’ case Maison Ruinart confirms its pioneering role in champagne, and its ambition in terms of social and environmental responsibility. This disruptive project embodies the Maison’s firm commitment to more sustainable development for its packaging across all stages of the development and marketing of our products, from the tending of the vine to the consumer experience.”

The ultra-light case has been crafted from natural wood fibres sourced from sustainably managed European forests. Set to revolutionise the gift-box and cases market, the packaging is also eco-designed, uses zero plastic and is 100% recyclable.

Phil Wild, James Cropper CEO, said “We are incredibly proud of this disruptive piece of work from our moulded-fibre division COLOURFORM™. The case represents another step in Maison Ruinart’s holistic approach to development which respects the environment. Marking a departure from the familiar visual codes and forms associated with the boxes used for champagne bottles, the new second skin breaks the category’s traditional offering. It embodies Maison Ruinart’s vision in a more sustainable, contemporary product, which the House hopes will inspire other players.”

Roberto Marini, Pusterla CEO commented, “It’s a truly breathtaking piece of innovation which delivers a magnificent result we are extremely proud of. The second skin is 9 times lighter than the preceding generation of boxes and allows for a 60%reduction in the packaging’s carbon footprint. It underlines the commitment of Maison Ruinart to their sustainable vision. ”

Ever since its founding in 1729, Maison Ruinart has dared to innovate. The very first champagne house, it was also the first to market a rosé champagne in 1764; the first to acquire the millennial chalk cellars ideal for ageing wines; the first to collaborate with artists in 1896, by commissioning Alphonse Mucha to design an “advertising campaign” to promote its wines, as well as the first to use wooden cases for the transport of its bottles in 1769.

A total of seven prototypes were considered before achieving the final result, obtained by experimenting with different technological advances in the art of paper making, moulded to precisely follow the contours of the bottle in a single piece. The absence of edges, made possible thanks to the precise, high-pressure waterjet cutting of the hull’s contours (a process specially developed for Ruinart), gives it its unique elegance, as does its closure system, activated by a snap button moulded directly into the case.