In this episode, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe interviews Master of Wine Melissa Saunders about progressive wine packaging. They discuss the use of bag-in-box (BIB) packaging for fine wine, dispelling the stereotype that these containers are only for cheap beverages.
For Melissa's Master of Wine Research Paper, the final part of the certification process, she studied alternative wine packaging. What she learned while writing it was so compelling that she founded Communal Brands, a bag-in-box import company that partners with high-quality producers to bring great wine to consumers with a drastically reduced carbon footprint.
Melissa lives in upstate New York, runs marathons, and is an attorney specializing in alcohol beverage law.
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Read Melissa's 2021 GuildSomm article about her MW Research Paper process and findings.
Learn more about Communal Brands.
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Master of Wine Melissa Saunders is the founder and CEO of Communal Brands, a producer, importer, distributor, and innovator of eco-conscious wines. She also runs Wine Queen, a consulting business through which she educates, advocates, and develops packaging strategies to reduce the wine industry's environmental impact. Melissa is an attorney with alcohol beverage law expertise, a published author, a marathon runner, and a mom. She lives in upstate New York.
Learn more about Wine Queen.
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