Winery Finds That Refill Beats Recycle

 Like millions of other Americans, residents of Sandpoint, Idaho sort their recyclable waste for curbside pickup. But  there is no market for the recycled glass, the city mixes the glass back into solid waste  and disposes it at a landfill in Eastern Oregon.

Julie Meyer, Co-Proprietor of Pend d’Oreille Winery in Sandpoint  says this frustrated her and her staff so much that they decided that if they and theis customers couldn’t recycle the bottles, then they should refill them.

As a result, they produced 1.5 liter bottles with a generic silk screened label of their popular Bistro Rouge Red Table Wine.  Once purchased, the clients clean their own bottle and bring it back to the winery for a refill. And, To keep the label from deteriorating over time, the winery had a local local commercial printer, Litehouse Custom Printing , print the label directly on the bottles. 

Because it is a generic label the blend can change. Winemaker and Co-Proprtetor Steve Meyer said he loves the freedom to create wines that are fun to blend, market and enjoy with the public.

GENERIC LABEL, BONDED REFILL COMPLIES WITH TTB COLA

Meyer told Wine Industry Insight that, “Because we bottle the wine here on our bonded premise, our bottling statement remains technically correct.  This bottle carries a TTB approved COLA that is very generic.  It is labeled Red Table Wine which gives us a tremendous amount of flexibility in our blending and creative effort.”

CUSTOMERS LIKE THE CONCEPT

“Clients who we used to see occasionally are coming in weekly with a couple of bottles,” Meyer said. “And while they are in, they will often take the opportunity to have a glass of wine, taste something new or browse our gift shop.  The really fun part is when customers buy a second bottle so that they don’t have to make such frequent trips to the Winery. Our clients are very pleased with the project, and we are cementing an already strong bond with our community.”