Who could imagine in the early 2000s that wine in Bag in Boxes (or BiBs) would become a trendy product? Jean-Paul Lafage, creator of the range of wines in BiBs “Collection Verre après Verre” [collection glass after glass] and inventor of the ‘Bibattitude’ truck, has something to do with this ...
Born in Bordeaux in a family of meat wholesalers, Jean-Paul Lafage is self-taught, “with a passion for wine growers wines” and who started his carrier in wine as a sales agent until he discovered wine in BiB during an aperitif at a friend wine merchant’s in the middle of the 90s. This so convenient packaging that does not spoil the quality of the wine is a real discovery for Jean-Paul. Considering the statistics that only 10% of the French open a bottle in the week although 90% say they love wine, he decided with his wife Sophie to start marketing AOC wines in BiBs through their trading company Sopardis.
In the early 2000s this type of packaging was barely available on the French market and nobody believed in it in Bordeaux. Jean-Paul Lafage spent many years trying to convince the Bordeaux interprofession of the usefulness of this packaging for the AOCs of Bordeaux and finally created a range of wines in Bag in Boxes “Collection Verre après Verre”.
In a few years time ‘Collection Verre après Verre’ has become a real signature for fine wines in BiBs: strict selection of the wines, bottling at the estate, the best components for the container (Smurfit Kappa ‘Vitop’ taps, 90-micron double sheet bag) and an elegant box with the label of each estate. The range ‘Collection Verre après Verre’ now comprises 28 wines in 3-litre BiBs, in the three colours, mainly from Bordeaux, but also from the AOCs Buzet, Bergerac or Côtes du Rhône and IGP wines chosen for their gustatory quality.
Jean-Paul Lafage went even further and considering that bottling is essential to guaranteeing the perfect quality and preservation of the wines in Bag in Boxes, he developed the first truck equipped with an automatic ‘bagging’ unit he called ‘Bibattitude’. 5 years and €700,000 have been necessary to see Bibattitude, a genuine concentrate of technology, start producing in 2009 with a capacity of 5,000 BiBs a day. Used for the bagging at the estate of all the wines of ‘Collection Verre après Verre’ but also for service provision, this machine now is the only truck tool so effective for an unquestionable quality of the final product.
“Beside its technical qualities, the Bag in Box is an outstanding promotion tool. Whether you are a cellar shop or restaurant owner the BiB enables for a budget cost to propose your to taste the wines on the sales point and thus let them make their own choices.”
Jean-Paul Lafage – CEO of Sopardis.
And to promote the qualities of the BiB container among the consumers what best way than tasting? The shop, restaurant and wine bar Vinomania proposes in Cenon (Gironde) et in Blois (Loir-et-Cher) an original concept: three 4-cl glasses presented by a sommelier in pairing with starters or dishes cooked onsite in a relaxed and warm atmosphere. And everyone can leave with a Bag in Box of the ‘Collection Verre après Verre’ range fully informed about the wine it contains.
Valérie Massot Germe
99, avenue Jean Jaurès - 33150 Cenon - Tel: + 33 (0)5 56 86 15 40
Mail : vinomania.cenon@gmail.com - Contact : Marion LAFAGE
Facebook : Vinomania Cenon - www.vinomania-bordeaux.com
12, rue du Poids du Roi – 41000 Blois - Tel: + 33 (0)2 54 90 17 66
Mail : pat.41@laposte.net - Contact : Patrice CHESNEAU
Facebook : Vinomania Blois Cave/Restaurant/Bar à vins
www.sopardis.fr
Vente en ligne : www.vin-au-verre.fr
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