Boutinot launches ‘Camper Vin’ BIB wine

Boutinot is embarking on a vinous road trip this summer with the launch of a 2.25l bag-in-box wine called Camper Vin.

Boutinot’s first Camper Vin bag-in-box wine is a Chenin Blanc from the Swartland (Photo: Boutinot)

The Greater Manchester-based UK agent and importer said the Camper Vin wine, which comes in a box designed to look like a model VW camper van, was created to created to “bring innovation to the fastest-growing sector of the UK wine market”, and “to capitalise on the current camping craze and festival fever”.

According Nielsen, the 2.25l bag-in-box sector hit £153m in value in the year to 23 April 2016 – an increase of 15% on the previous 12 months.

At the equivalent of three 75cl bottles, Camper Vin will be available to the off-trade at an RRP of £15. The first edition is a 100% Chenin Blanc produced by the Boutinot team in South Africa from bush vine grapes planted on sandy, granitic soils in Swartland.

“Bag-in-box used to be essentially table wines in larger quantities, but with today’s vinification techniques more premium styles are making it into this portable, great-for-the-outdoors format,” said Boutinot’s Robin Naylor, who has overseen the initial launch.

“With our own production and winemaker contacts around the world, the door is completely open to introduce further styles, varietals and origins that are quality-led and still commercially viable.”

Launching towards the end of August, Boutinot’s Camper Vin will be supported by a dedicated website with stockist search facility, consumer PR and social media campaigns targeting festival-goers and lovers of the great outdoors.

“Camper Vin is about bringing something new to the boring old bag-in-box and aiming for maximum visibility, so we have worked hard at the design integrity of the box itself – even down to ensuring the wine pours from where the Camper Van’s trademark spare wheel is,” Naylor added.

“When you consider that, in addition to general outdoor drinking opportunities, there are over 1,000 UK festivals listed on eFestivals this year, the average age of the festival goer is 36 and there are 130,000 Camper Vans and motorhomes on the UK roads, you can see that a portable, funky Camper Vin with quality wine is going to have some appeal.”

The drinks business reported last month on the growing trend for good-quality bag-in-box wine. Kirsty Tinkler’s BIB pop-up bar in Dalston, east London serves wine exclusively from BIBs and is running throughout the summer.