Argentina’s first organic boxed wine goes on sale

Domaine Bousquet has released what it claims is the first organic boxed wine from South America called Natural Origins, which goes on sale in the US this month.

The Natural Origins range by Argentina’s Domaine Bousquet is the first organic boxed wine from South America to go on sale

The Natural Origins range is currently formed of two wines – a Malbec and a Cabernet Sauvignon, which are housed in three-litre cardboard boxes. A Chardonnay and a rosé are due to be added to the range this summer.

The Malbec and Cabernet will have a retail price of US$20 per box, which contains the equivalent of four standard 75cl bottles of wine.

Fruit for the Natural Origins range comes from the upper reaches of the Tupungato Valley, which benefits from large day-night temperature shifts and the intense Andean sunlight, leading to intensely concentrated, fresh wines.

While no vintage is mentioned on the box, the fruit for the reds hails from the 2019 harvest, while the Chardonnay and rosé are made with the 2020 vintage.

In addition to being organic, the boxed wines are vegan, and, according to Domaine Bousquet, once opened they remain fresh for 30 days.

The packaging features a ‘tree of life’ filled with brightly coloured leaves and a trio of human figures beneath it dancing around the tree.

“With Natural Origins, we are uniquely positioned to attract new buyers to the organics space. The cost-effective, environmentally friendly packaging enables us to deliver these wines at an affordable price,” said Labid Ameri, co-owner of Domaine Bousquet.

 According to recent Nielsen data, sales of boxed wine in the US rose by 53% at the end of March as consumers stocked up on lockdown wines.

For husband-and-wife team Labid Ameri and Anne Bousquet, Natural Origins is part of a longer-term strategy. Last year the pair shipped over 120,000 cases of Domaine Bousquet wines to the US, which is a key market for the estate.