Wine “handbags” target fashion savvy consumers

Bag-in-Box wine is the least sexy wine packaging solution on the planet, but the much-derided sector is set for a makeover as db.com reports that a trend is developing for boxed wine fashioned into the shape of chic handbags in a bid to boost BIB's unglamourous image.

Keen to appeal to fashion savvy consumers, Swedish company Vernissage has released a trio of on-the-go boxed wines shaped to look like designer handbags. Created by Stockholm-based graphic designer Sofia Blomberg, the so-called Bag-in-Bag wine is made at the Nordic Sea Winery in Sweden run by Takis Soldatos.

The Vernissage range features a Chardonnay/Viognier blend, a Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, and a Syrah rosé from grapes grown in the Vin de Pays d’Oc. The wines are packaged in a handbag corresponding to their colour – white, black and pink, finished with a black cord handle and a pop-out spout at one end.

Developed by Blomberg to make the wine inside easy to carry, the handbags are on sale in Europe, and will go on sale in the US next month. Italian producer Cantina di Soave has also launched a line of boxed wine from the Veneto region fashioned to look like pastel-coloured handbags with a carrying strap and a side tap.

The three-strong range, produced entirely from recyclable materials, includes Volére Pinot Grigio, Volére Merlot/Pinot Noir, and Volére Rosé. The chic trio, each holding 1.5-litres of wine, has been taken on in the US by MW Imports, a division of Mionetto USA, with an rrp of US$12.99 per purse.

The enthusiastic reception the bags have received is encouraging, illustrating that consumers are willing to embrace eco-friendly wine packaging alternatives to the conventional 75cl glass bottle. What do you make them – clever or crass? I’d love to hear your thoughts.