Toast the New Year with Green Champagne in Biodegradable Packaging

For New Year’s many people will be toasting champagne at midnight. For 2015 you can drink to the new year out of a bottle kept chilled inside packaging made from potatoes. French designer Cédric Ragot has developed an innovative packaging for Veuve Clicquot that is completely biodegradable. Called Naturally Clicquot, the isothermal design can keep a chilled bottle cool for up to 2 hours.

The packaging is made from potato starch and paper and because of this, Naturally Clicquot’s packaging is 100% biodegradable. Even the label is made using recycled paper. A promotional video about the design that addresses the problem of packaging waste can be viewed on the Veuve Clicquot website. This innovatively packaged champagne will cost about $58 but is a unique, eco-friendly buy.

If looking for other tasty, eco-friendly champagnes to toast to the new year here are a few “greener” options.

Vranken Pommery: obtained environmental certification for their practices of waste management, sustainable growing, water conservation and energy conservation.
Domaine Carneros: certified by California certified organic farmers in 2008. This vineyard uses photovoltaic solar power for energy.
Leclerc Briant: this biodynamic winemaker uses only natural products for repellents and compost for fertilizers.
Champagne Fleury: a biodynamic winery using compost as fertilizer since the 1970’s. Organically grown grapes and no pesticides.

Pommery, my first pick, can be found online at BevMo.com and its Brut Royal champagne will cost about $40 if you’re a club member otherwise it’s about $60. Pommery can also be found on wine.com prices vary from $130 for a vintage bottle to $54 for POP. Perhaps Pommery’s “greenest” bottle would be POP Earth, but it is sold out on wine.com. The Earth champagne reflects the brand’s commitment to using sustainable practices. Earth’s bottle used lighter glass, 1.85 lbs. instead of 2 lbs., reducing energy cost during shipping. Earth’s label is also made from recycled materials and printed with water soluble ink.

So welcome in the new year with an alternative champagne and toast to a greener year. Cheers!