Thinking about the wine of the future, but making it outside the box today. Because now is the time to meet the evolving needs of consumers and the market. Going beyond the constraints of tradition, but doing so with a coherent and, above all, clear message: in terms of planning, but also in terms of communication. This is how Mack & Schühle Italia has shaped the Grapur project, its latest 100% sustainable and circular innovation, which, after its launch phase in the first half of 2025, is now being tested by consumers.
Grapur: an inclusive approach to talking about wine to new consumers
“The Grapur project was born from a detailed market analysis that highlighted the growth of low-alcohol products,” begins Fedele Angelillo, CEO of Mack & Schühle Italia, describing the genesis of the initiative, which brought to market a red and a white wine that meet the need for more informed and environmentally friendly wine consumption. “This trend was later confirmed by the international operators we work with, from the United States to Germany, including the United Kingdom. In discussions with our partners, it emerged that another parameter, maximum sustainability, was equally crucial. Thus, by analyzing the numbers, listening to customers, and then adding these factors together, the Grapur project took shape.”
Grapur’s idea aims to lead Italian wine into the future. With a low alcohol content—just 9% ABV—without dealcoholization, a reduced calorie content, and organic and vegan certifications, it’s a product that meets the needs of a new generation of consumers, while also embodying a concrete commitment to sustainability and circularity, thanks to partnerships with some of the most important packaging players.
“Grapur speaks about wine to new consumers, a generation often unfamiliar with this product,” continues Fedele Angelillo. “We therefore started with an inclusive approach that chooses to appeal to the broadest possible audience, leaving aside for the moment concepts that could complicate the sharing of the message, such as specific characteristics such as DOC and IGP.”
A project currently in its infancy, but already considering possible future evolutions, in line with its future distribution. “Later,” explains the sole director of Mack & Schühle Italia, “we will delve deeper into the grape varieties, but for our debut, we have chosen the path of maximum simplicity with a White and a Red.”
Mack & Schühle Italia’s 100% sustainable and circular project meets the needs of a new generation of consumers
In Grapur’s case, DOC and IGP aren’t just about wine. But this choice is also the result of more strictly contingent dynamics. “When we talk about low-alcohol wines, the regulations still don’t allow us to market DOC wines with an alcohol content of 9% ABV. Therefore, our initial choices, while on the one hand the result of a carefully considered strategy that envisions an evolutionary path over time, on the other hand, were also forced by regulatory logic that tends to exclude.” Yet, the issues Grapur introduces are increasingly crucial in today’s market scenarios.
The project developed by Mack & Schühle Italia is a concrete demonstration of how innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand in the world of wine. It’s not just a product that meets new consumer needs, but a virtuous model that involves the entire supply chain, from the selection of grapes to the use of materials with a low environmental impact. “The Grapur project has created truly synergistic partnerships, including in terms of communication,” emphasizes Fedele Angelillo. “These aren’t just supply relationships, but partnerships that also help exponentially increase the impact of the sustainability message we want to convey.”
Collaborating with leading companies to send a strong message: the future of wine cannot ignore environmental and social responsibility. “Sustainability has a cost, but it also brings multiple benefits, which are increasingly recognized in the market, and this leads to investments being repaid,” explains the CEO of Mack & Schühle Italia.
“With the Grapur project, we chose to team up with the best in the packaging industry: from Verallia to Vinventions, including UPM Raflatac, Ondulkart, and Luxoro. Ours is an example of how crucial it is for companies to think in terms of planning and to reflect on how certain costs, in the profit and loss statement, often become secondary in practice when integrated into a message to the consumer that is consistent from start to finish.”
In practice, the two white and red Grapur offerings are presented in a distinctive 300-gram Bordeaux AIR bottle by Verallia, an ultra-lightweight bottle designed to minimize environmental impact at every stage, from production to transportation to disposal. This commitment to maximum sustainability is further reaffirmed by the Nomacorc Ocean closures and Ocean Action labels, made using plastic waste recovered from coastal regions and destined for the oceans as a raw material. While the former are produced by Vinventions, the latter were developed by UPM Raflatac and enhanced with Luxoro finishing. Finally, the packaging is supplied by Ondulkart: the low-flute corrugated cardboard is made from recycled paper and water-based inks.
“The response, both internationally and in Italy, has been extremely positive from the trade during these months of presentations,” emphasizes Fedele Angelillo. “Now we await the feedback from consumers.”
Grapur: A new award-winning product to meet the challenges of 2025
Grapur presents itself to the general public with a significant calling card, which crowns the efforts made by Mack & Schühle Italia in its launch in the first half of 2025: the Red Dot “Best of the Best” award in the Sustainable Design – Packaging category and the Red Dot “Product Design” award in the Packaging – Beverage section. This dual recognition, achieved in one of the world’s most prestigious international design awards, reaffirms the value of a project capable of combining aesthetics, functionality, and environmental awareness. “It was a surprise and we were very pleased to receive such a valuable double recognition for an idea born and developed entirely in-house at Mack & Schühle Italia,” comments Fedele Angelillo.
A true breath of optimism and a push to continue improving and innovating, especially at a time when obstacles are the order of the day. “Italy, in its infinite fragmentation, does not help simplify the message when it comes to wine,” Angelillo continues.
“Today, the market needs to be open to evolving tastes and consumption patterns. Therefore, while it is important to protect the Italian excellence of DOC and IGT wines, we must also address changes that are plain for all to see. We are reacting too slowly, especially in regulatory and bureaucratic terms, on several fronts, starting with requests to lower the alcohol content: we need to be more decisive in our actions.”
The call from the head of Mack & Schühle Italia is to continue discussing the history and value of Italian wine, but interpreting them in a modern, more relevant way. This is the recipe for addressing the challenges looming on the horizon. “The first three months of 2025 were positive, reflecting the US market’s rush to stockpile before the tariffs went into effect,” concludes Fedele Angelillo. “However, already today, at the end of the second quarter of the year, we are beginning to see the first significant slowdowns, warnings of what we fear could be a second half marked by further slowdowns, the result of American uncertainty, the decline in purchasing power of European consumers, and the inherent difficulties of the Italian market. Only educating the public about wine consumption, starting from the basics, can help reverse the downward spiral and restore relevance and momentum to our sector.”
