Australian wine brand Tread Softly has introduced a 15 per cent lighter bottle as it celebrates two-million trees planted over the last five years as part of an ongoing partnership with Carbon Neutral.
The new lighter weight wine bottle, supplied through Tread Softly's wine bottling partner Sanector, will roll out across all Tread Softly wine products, including the Pinot Noir, Rose, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Grenache, Merlot, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc as well as a complete zero-alcohol range, Everything Except.
“With less material being used, the wines are 55 grams lighter per bottle and 42kg lighter per pallet, requiring less fuel whether transported by truck or ship. By using less glass, the brand is also able to reduce the energy used to produce a bottle – another positive step towards reducing C02 emissions,” says Michelle Buzza of Sanector.
Since commencing its give-back project in 2019, Tread Softly, in partnership with Carbon Neutral, has planted a tree for every case of wine sold, resulting in two million native trees being planted to date in the Tread Softly Forest. It has planted a bio-diverse mix of over 50 species of native trees to regenerate the lands that were once cleared for agricultural use, with the aim to re-establish biodiversity in the area through a thriving ecosystem of flora and fauna. Set within rural bushland in Western Australia's Yarra Yarra biodiversity corridor, the Tread Softly Forest has seen hundreds of native species and wildlife return to their natural habitat.
“You can see the difference from the red barren landscape and right next to it is this forest being created by Tread Softly’s consumers. You can hear the birds and the animals coming back to what would have been a much harsher landscape previously. Over time, this forest will represent what it was before the land was cleared,” says Carbon Neutral’s COO, Nevin Wittber.
In planting the two millionth tree, the Tread Softly Forest has now covered over 1,212 hectares of what was previously over-cultivated and cleared land. It is expected that over the course of the next 25 years, the trees planted to date will sequester around 125,000 tonnes of CO2e from the atmosphere, the equivalent of 35,000 cars off the road annually.
Ross Marshall, managing director at Fourth Wave Wine, said “It is so thrilling to be able to contribute in such a significant way with the Tread Softly range. We knew we wanted to plant as many trees as we could to help rejuvenate our cleared and degraded landscape as well as reduce the harmful effects caused by greenhouse gas emissions. The much-needed restoration of a now huge land area has only been possible through the continued support of Tread Softly customers. This is a wonderful achievement for us all to be proud of, and we will not stop here.”
Certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, the Tread Softly sustainable range of wines are grown and made using modern vineyard and water management techniques designed to further minimise environmental impact. Appealing to consumers looking for ‘better for you, better for the Earth’ drink options Tread Softly wines range from 9.9%-10.8% ABV, compared to a more variable range of closer to 10%-15%ABV in standard table wine.
Vineyard canopy management and picking earlier still achieving optimum fruit and phenolic ripeness, the brand is able to produce vibrant and balanced wines that are naturally lighter in alcohol without compromising on flavour.
