Tetra Pak vies for picnic market

By Dita De Boni

Beach-goers and wine affectionadoes are being wooed with a handy new retail product for their chilly bins this summer.

Tetra Pak wine in 330ml and 1L cartons - introduced in the last six weeks to liquor outlets and some supermarkets - are being touted as the answer for holiday consumption as glass is banned from more beaches.

Tetra Paks containing wine have been introduced to New Zealand before - around 15 years ago a similar concept failed on the retail market and two years ago a poor quality Argentinian wine in packs was a bust.

But Ponsonby-based Concerto Merchants' trade and marketing manager Helen Wilkes believes sales of $50,000 for the wine in October will at least triple through November and grow again as Y2K celebrations kick off.

"We've had a lot of interest from vendors in places like Whitianga and Waihi Beach, as well as the hospitality industry ," she says.

The retail packs are currently being tried in Foodstuffs chains in the South Island and Wellington and several liquor chains.

Previous attempts at the same idea have not dissuaded Concerto.

Catering company Service Catering have also been trialling the Tetra Paks at liquor stalls at Eden Park.