Journey’s End Vineyards, the award-winning boutique estate situated on the mountain slopes above Sir Lowry’s Pass Village in the Helderberg basin, and new wine brand Interpunkt, founded by Andrew Ingham, have teamed up to launch a pioneering range of wines in sustainable paperboard bottes – the first in South Africa.
Launching exclusively, on 31st May 2023, in select Checkers, Checkers Hyper supermarkets, as well as in Checkers LiquorShop stores (RRP 119.99), the W.O. Western Cape Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz, produced by Journey’s End, is packaged in paperboard bottles, highlighting to consumers that great wine can be enjoyed whilst reducing the impact on the environment. The bottles, made from 100% recyclable paperboard outers, are five times lighter than a normal glass bottle alternative, with a lower carbon footprint.
As well as the evident sustainability benefits, Interpunkt also aims to make wine more engaging, accessible and inclusive, particularly for new and occasional wine drinkers, by removing the specialist and potentially intimidating language often used on labels. The South African Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz varietals, both IPW certified, are described simply as ‘fresh and zesty’ and ‘juicy and easy drinking’ respectively.
Andrew Ingham, an international wine buyer with 20 years’ experience in both the on and off-trade in Australia, UK, Germany, North America and Asia, firmly believes that the consumer should be put first, and offered delicious, sustainable wines without the fuss. Ingham says, ‘All too often wine brands are talking and selling to one group only; the wine engaged. Yet the biggest group of wine drinkers (68%) are new to wine, occasional wine drinkers or unengaged. By introducing wine drinkers to a new accessible brand in forward-thinking packaging, which also prioritises trusted, ethically and sustainably sourced grapes, I believe we can show people that good wine is for everyone.’
Finding dynamic and like-minded partners for this project was always integral to Ingham and the Interpunkt brand, and Journey’s End was approached not only for its excellent wines and acclaimed winemakers Leon Esterhuizen and Mike Dawson, but also for its own sustainable and ethical accreditations. The vineyard has twice won the Ethical Company of the Year award in 2020 and 2021 at The Drinks Business Green Awards convened by the UK liquor trade magazine, as well as the Water Management Award in 2021. Journey’s End is also a WWF Conservation Champion, carbon negative and a founding member of Sustainable Wine Roundtable. In addition, the winery was the second in South Africa to convert to solar power in 2014.
Managing Director of Journey’s End, Rollo Gabb, adds: ‘Sustainable wine production is at the very heart of what we do at Journey’s End. As such, we are hugely excited to be working with Andrew producing wines in a paperboard bottle for the first time in South Africa. After 2 years of trying to find a bottler who was prepared to take the challenge, slow the lines down and adapt their equipment for the paperboard bottle, we are excited to have finally found the right partner for the job in South Africa, and we are all raring to go.’
Put simply, the Journey’s End x Interpunkt collaboration aims to create high-quality, sustainable, easy-drinking wines for casual wine drinkers, whether knowledgeable about wine or not.
Journey’s End x Interpunkt wines will be available, from 31st May 2023, in select Checkers, Checkers Hyper and Checkers LiquorShop stores.
