The new Bijou Le Chic pouches have caught the eyes of UK consumers this year after hitting the shelves in July, and those were not the only eyes drawn to the new, innovative wine format. The Bijou le Chic ‘Bagnum’ featured in the latest issue of Meininger’s Wine Business International magazine as one of five noteworthy new releases across Europe in 2019.
Innovation has been a theme throughout the wine market this year and formats like the Bijou Le Chic 1.5L pouch are leading the way. Sustainability has been a hot topic of conversation, especially with the climate change debate reaching such a crescendo of late. Thanks to the lightweight packaging and economy of space during transport, the pouches significantly reduce the carbon footprint by approximately 80% compared to heavy 75cl glass bottles. Additionally, the air-tight tap keeps the rosé fresh for 30 days once opened; more than enough time to get through the equivalent of two bottles, without the worry of the wine oxidising.
The Bijou Le Chic pouch is the only one of it’s kind on Waitrose shelves and has been an immediate success, so much so that it has quickly become the best selling wine in the Bag-in-Box format category. Meininger’s highlight the benefits of the pouch format due to the practical little handle which means that “people can take it to parties, beaches or wherever they’re going that needs some rosé”.
The rosé is 100% Grenache and a beautiful pale pink colour, bursting with aromas of wild strawberry and honeysuckle. The grapes for Bijou Le Chic are grown on steeply sloping vineyards along the foothills of the Black Mountain around the appellations of Saint Chinian, Faugères and Coteaux de Languedoc. Furthermore, Bijou have actively chosen to make the wine suitable for vegans and vegetarians by using pea-proteins during the fining process.
Bijou’s owner, Chris Ellis, explained that “we are delighted with the performance of the Bijou Le Chic pouches this year. Innovation has always been at the core of Bijou’s philosophy and this is just one example of how wine is evolving into a more sustainable industry. We have plans to expand the pouch range with a white and possibly even a red wine in the near future”.
