The aluminium wine bottle is designed for convenient transportation and resealability, meeting sustainability needs at the same time. Therefore, the opportunity is twofold, said Head of Innovation & Insights Emma Brown.
“New consumers are not only interested in wine – their values have evolved and they’re looking for more sustainable options. The aluminium bottle opens up new occasions for sparkling wine as well,” Brown told FoodNavigator.
“Aluminium is 40% lighter than our current glass wine bottles. While the heavier medium weight bottle that we use for our regular prosecco is pretty outstanding, it is cumbersome to carry, so we saw a really big consumer requirement for more informal, everyday occasions – such as enjoying sparkling wine at picnics, music festivals, camping, and other outdoor activities,” Brown told FoodNavigator.
“Furthermore, as soon as you open a sparkling bottle, it’s difficult to reseal. Aluminium allows resealability and chills really fast – around 10 minutes in an esky or cooler – making it really handy if you’re picking it up on your way to a party.”
Additionally, the aluminium bottles are environmentally friendly. In Australia, consumers can return the bottles under the Container Deposit Scheme, receiving ten cents per container. Recycled aluminium is commonly reused across construction, infrastructure and automotive applications.
The winery is conducting a limited Australian trial of the aluminium prosecco bottle to gauge consumer and retail readiness for the format.
Retail feedback signals openness to aluminium wine formats
Early online sales and feedback from major retailers including Coles suggest consumers are receptive to the aluminium format, according to Brown.
“We purposely did a limited edition to test whether the market was ready for something this out of the box,” Brown said.
She added that the wine category can be rather traditional, so some innovations need time for the market to accept.
“The wine category can be quite traditional and Brown Brothers has often brought innovations to the market that may have been a bit too early,” said Brown.
“This limited edition trial will help us understand whether consumers are ready for aluminium 750ml bottles. It’s certainly something we’re considering for future wine bottling.”
Brown said export markets may be more receptive, given consumer familiarity with aluminium packaging in beer and spirits across Asia and the US.
“Beer and spirits have been sold in aluminium across Asian and American markets for some time, so there is a level of familiarity in export markets that could be a significant advantage,” Brown said.
“Across mainland China and Singapore, there is a contemporary wine audience, and we are also looking at opportunities in the US market.”
She added that lightweighting sparkling wine bottles is technically challenging due to CO₂ pressure, and aluminium offers a viable alternative.
Apart from its practical benefits for different occasions and its high recyclability rate, it alleviates logistical and transport issues as it is lightweight.
“From a logistics perspective, the 40% weight reduction translates to around 400kg per pallet. That’s meaningful for both transport emissions and costs, particularly for exports,” Brown said.
“When exporting by ship or transporting product across Australia, the weight reduction is substantial from both an environmental and cost perspective. It has also allowed us to add an additional layer to the pallet.”
She added that lighter cases also reduce occupational health and safety risks for warehouse and retail staff, making handling and merchandising easier.
In essence, this limited edition trial reflects broader experimentation within the wine sector as producers weigh sustainability goals against usability, logistics and consumer acceptance, with packaging innovation becomes increasingly central to market differentiation and export strategy.
