The first major wine packaging innovation of the 21st century was presented today by Ervideira (a wine producer in the region of Alentejo) and Corticeira Amorim at El Corte Inglés, in Lisbon. Called Helix, this cork-glass solution is specially designed to be used in the popular premium, fast turnaround still wine segment. This innovative glass / cork binomial concept allows consumers to easily open the bottle - just using their thumb and forefinger to remove the cork stopper from the bottle.
The Helix concept was recently presented to the international wine industry during the world's main wine fair in Bordeaux. As of today, Helix will be used in bottles under the brand name "S de Sol" and "Lusitano", which are the first wine brands worldwide to make use of this product.
Carlos Jesus, Corticeira Amorim's Head of Marketing & Communication said: "After four years of R & D in conjunction with our partners at Owens-Illinois, it is our great pleasure to make the global launch of the Helix concept in Portugal. At a time when innovation is so critical to our country, Helix is the proven example that the collaboration between companies allows the development of true competitive advantages for such important economic sectors as cork, wine and trade."
According to Duarte Leal da Costa, Ervideira's Executive Director, "Corticeira Amorim is the world's leader in the cork industry and is highly committed to innovation, and Ervideira is recognized both nationally and internationally for being a pioneer and a company open to new products and new ideas. We have accustomed our consumers to innovative products boasting a high quality level. We are very pleased with this innovation which, while maintaining a premium and eco-friendly image, has definitely added a convenience factor to the fast turnaround white and red wine segment."
Susana Santos, Head of Communication at El Corte Inglés, stresses the importance of welcoming innovative products, especially if the additional advantages that they offer are the result of research by Portuguese companies (as is the case) and are used in national products of excellence (as is also the case). "It is a privilege to host the world premiere launch of this product. In fact, whenever our suppliers innovate and design new products, our customers are indeed the ultimate beneficiaries, what makes us really very happy."