10,000 bottles of wine including 1,200 from the Château Maris estate, a Languedoc wine, will go to sea on November 10 on the sail cargo ship Grain de Sail. Direction the United States.
Here is an astonishing project which will highlight two societal issues linked to agro-food and the environment: next Wednesday, November 10, 1,200 bottles of organic Languedoc wine will go to sea from Saint-Malo on the cargo sailboat. Grain de Sail heading to the United States.
Distinguished by Wine Spectator magazine
Château Maris is the first European domain to be BCorporation certified and has been qualified by Wine Spectator magazine as “one of the five most environmentally friendly wineries in the world. “. Premier cru recognized in Languedoc in 1999, the estate is located in the heart of the Minervois, between Toulouse and Montpellier and covers 45 hectares divided into a multitude of plots on the hill above La Livinière. Château Maris has been established in the United States since the 90s where it takes advantage of the growing craze for organic wines. In the next 5 years, American consumption of organic wines should indeed increase by 14.3% to reach 8.7 million cases. Transporting 1,200 bottles (out of 10,000 on board) on a cargo sailboat makes sense for Robert Eden, co-owner of the estate.
“This first crossing with Grain de Sail marks the start of a great adventure for Château Maris. For us it is about respecting the whole cycle and not just part of it. We believe in the future of this type of transport that we wish to participate in developing because there is a collective responsibility of companies on the subject ”, he assures us.
Grain de Sail in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York
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The first merchant marine sailboat under the French flag, Grain de Sail took 10 years to hatch under the leadership of the Breton company led by the brothers Olivier and Jacques Barreau, experts in renewable energy. In service since November 2020, the Grain de Sail, majestic as well as eco-friendly with its three sails, sails twice a year to America, releasing seventeen times less CO2 per tonne than a container ship.
Wine, coffee and chocolate
Grain de Sail exports organic French wines to the United States and imports coffee and chocolate from Latin America back to France. “The alignment of values between Grain de Sail and Château Maris was obvious. This estate is recognized for the quality of its wines and for its strong commitment to sustainable development, and we are delighted to work together, ”said Matthieu Riou, wine and spirits export director at Grain de Sail.
Sailing freighters or the installation of sails on container ships is a real trend to limit CO2 emissions. Projects are multiplying both abroad and in France. Michelin even imagined an astonishing inflatable wing sail for ships.
In the meantime, the Grain de Sail is already operational. IT will take 30 days to reach Port Elizabeth in New Jersey in New York Bay.
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