Toronto Business Pioneers a Sustainable New Approach to Traditional Wine Industry

Fashionable, sophisticated … but expensive, excessively taxed, and environmentally questionable to boot? Toronto wine aficionados facing this exact dilemma can now raise a glass to a cheaper, more sustainable way to indulge in their favourite grape thanks to one pioneering local business.

Wine Butler, which has locations in Toronto, London, Kitchener, and Mississauga is leading a modern, pocket-friendly, and incredibly sustainable new approach to an age-old industry. With a multi-million-dollar investment in cutting-edge equipment and a keen understanding of the sustainability challenges facing consumers and wineries alike, it has set out to make hand-crafted artisan winemaking accessible, affordable and planet friendly. Central to this mission is the ability to re-use bottles that would typically end up in landfill – without compromising on taste.

Research shows that the humble wine bottle is the single most significant contributor to a winery’s carbon footprint, with some estimates suggesting that bottles alone account for 60% of the industry’s total emissions. From Bordeaux to Cabernet, Merlot to Pinot, the average 750ml wine bottle generates around 5 pounds of carbon dioxide during the manufacturing process. Traditionally a single-use item, over three billion of these wine bottles go to landfills in North America annually. Wine Butler’s creative approach shows that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Recognizing that sustainability and affordability are front of mind for the majority of today’s consumers, Wine Butler is a bottle your own business which allows Toronto’s millions of wine drinkers to cut the cost of their favourite tipple and hygienically re-use wine bottles – it’s a cheaper and greener way to enjoy great quality wine.

If everyone in North America switched to bottling their own wine, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by about two million tons; the equivalent to retiring 400,000 cars from local roads. Wine Butler’s commitment to making great quality wine more eco-friendly is also kinder to the pocket.

Thanks to its unique licensing, relationship with leading vineyards, extensive investment in technological innovations and the fact clients don’t have to continually repurchase bottles, its prices are 70% less than those available at retail locations. These savings come at a time when many Ontarian residents’ budgets are constrained due to inflation and higher interest rates.

Mark Whalen, CEO of Wine Butler, said, “Winemaking is coming of age. Our modern approach includes automatic bottle washing sterilizers, automatic corkers, four head bottle fillers and automated appointment-scheduling – plus unprecedented access to high-quality grapes and award-winning wines. This is not the wine your uncle made in his basement!”

Designed as a shared experience, Wine Butler can be enjoyed with family and friends – and makes a great gift for the festive season. With 40 wines to choose from, sourced from the world’s most iconic winemaking regions, guests can pick their preferred style of wine and then mix, bottle, cork and seal over the course of two visits. Each batch makes 28 bottles and all processing steps, including fermenting, racking, and filtering taken care of by the Wine Butler team. Guests can then return to bottle their own wine when ready.

For more information, visit: www.winebutler.ca

For more on sustainability and the wine industry, visit: https://www.winebutler.ca/wine-and-sustainability