Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/735024
{ SOMMjournal.com } 123 Located in Paterson, Washington, Snoqualmie Winery boasts the state's largest USDA-certified Organic vineyard. The new eco- friendly capsules represent a natural progression in the winery's investment in eco-friendly packaging. According to Cary Kloster, Senior Director of Marketing for Snoqualmie Winery, Snoqualmie introduced the AGL capsules as an innovative means to strengthen Snoqualmie's pioneering efforts in environmental sustainability. "With our existing portfolio of ECO wines made with organic grapes, as well as our commitment to sustainable viticultural prac - tices and lessening our carbon footprint, the AGL capsule was a natural fit," he says. "Beginning in the vineyard and carrying through to the winery and our packaging, it's our belief that investing in these practices is the best way to highlight the wines," he continued. Joy Andersen, Snoqualmie's winemaker and a local leader of the sustainability movement, concurs: "I'm delighted that Rivercap's Absolute Green Line capsule is now a part of the Snoqualmie wine package," she says. "The AGL capsule provides a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the winery's commitment to fostering a sustainable environment—one which will showcase the purity of fruit that Mother Nature intended." Kloster says that Snoqualmie's 2014 reds and 2015 whites will be the first wines to feature AGL capsules. In addition to the capsules, the winery's packaging includes several other eco-friendly elements, including ECO glass bottles that are among the lightest (397g) in the industry, labels and printed materials produced from 100% post-consumer waste, and corks and labels certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and Rainforest Alliance–certified corks. Like a breath of fresh air, Snoqualmie's packaging is sleek and clean, with labels that feature a visual of the mountain pass that serves as the gateway to Washington wine country—a symbol of the interconnectedness between nature and Snoqualmie's ability to produce its acclaimed wines. "We are always seeking new ways to be more sustainable," says Kloster. "The Absolute Green Line capsule is not just a 'feel good' product. It's also effective and visually striking. Over the years, Snoqualmie has implemented several steps to reduce our carbon footprint, beginning in the vineyard and car - rying through to the winery and our packaging. The AGL capsule is the last piece that completes our eco packaging puzzle." Eco-Conscious Capsules "AGL polylaminate capsules consist of a layer of polyethylene [plant-based plastic] between two layers of aluminum," says Jonathan Jewell, Global Marketing Director for Rivercap's U.S. distributor, Cork Supply. "AGL capsules replace the oil-based polyethylene with polyethylene made from sugarcane. Sugarcane is a renew - able resource, and like all plants, it absorbs greenhouse gases during cultivation, converting CO2 to oxygen. The production of each ton of plant-based polyethylene absorbs 2.15 tons of CO2, thereby reducing the presence of CO2 in the earth's atmosphere. This, together with the transition away from solvent-based inks to water- based inks, means that the Rivercap AGL capsule reduces its CO2 emissions by 80 percent*." For a company that sells more than 800 million cap- sules in more than 40 countries worldwide, the decrease in environmental impact is potentially substantial. Jewell estimates the annual produc- tion of Rivercap Absolute Green Line capsules would save the emission of 520 tons of CO2. *In Rivercap supply & transformation process without aluminum. PHOTO COURTESY OF RIVERCAP Snoqualmie winemaker Joy Andersen is a local leader of the sustainability movement. PHOTO COURTESY OF SNOQUALMIE WINERY PHOTO COURTESY OF SNOQUALMIE WINERY Rivercap's Absolute Green Line capsules.