TURNER, Ore. — Machines hummed, glass gently clinked and there was a buzz of excitement May 23 as Willamette Valley Vineyards poured wine into refillable bottles for the first time.

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About 16,800 bottles created by Revino, based in Newberg, Ore., were packed with whole cluster Pinot noir.

That’s a small percentage of Willamette Valley Vineyards’ production, but Terry Culton, director of winemaking, said he wants to use more refillable bottles in the future.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Culton said.

The bottles can be reused up to 50 times, said Revino CEO Keenan O’Hern, who was on hand to watch the proceedings.

New to the industry

Standardized refillable wine bottles are new to the American wine industry this year thanks to Revino, and Oregon is the primary state that will have wine going into them, O’Hern said.

About 60 wineries will fill 720,000 Revino bottles with vino in 2024. O’Hern thinks about 10% of bottles will trickle back to vineyards and tasting rooms in the initial year.

The May 23 bottling was enough to cover Willamette Valley Vineyards’ direct-to consumer sales of whole cluster Pinot noir, and bottles will be available later this year.

Culton said he wanted to ensure a large portion of Revino bottles would be returned, and DTC was the best option.

Other countries refill wine bottles, but most lack a standardized system like Revino is trying to build, O’Hern said.

He expects Revino to expand to other states, especially on the West Coast.

Oregon offers the chance for Revino to show proof of concept. It’s also where the company’s founders call home, and the state’s outline sits on the bottom of every bottle.

Bottle design, advantages

About 75 wineries helped Revino with its design. Weight was redistributed from the bottom of bottles and put on the sides to increase durability during the recycling and washing process.

A ridge on the neck, which O’Hern described as a leaf motif, will make them easily identifiable and sortable by AI technology in recycling systems.

“It’s consumer identification on the shelf, as well,” said Adam Rack, COO of Revino.

In the long run, using refillable bottles will save wineries money compared to buying new glass every year, O’Hern said.

Localizing the glass industry reduces shipping costs and creates a consistent price by insulating the product from supply chain issues, he added.

The wine industry also already touts sustainable farming practices as a selling point.

“Care for the land and the environment has always been a cornerstone of the Oregon wine industry that leads the country in sustainable, organic and biodynamic producers,” said Gina Bianco, executive director of the Oregon Wine Board.

“Revino’s passion is helping to take that commitment to the next level,” she added, in an email.

Glass represents about half of emissions created by the wine industry, and Revino bottles offer an 85% reduction compared to single-use bottles, according to the company.

Encouraging bottle reuse

Wine bottles aren’t included in Oregon’s first-in-the-nation bottle bill and curbside recycling doesn’t exist in many communities.

About 16.2 billion glass containers are used in the U.S. annually but only 30% are recycled and those generally are crushed.

In a way, Revino’s new product is a return to old ways.

Before World War II, many beverages and foods were delivered in reusable bottles. Disposable bottles and aluminum cans took over the market and refillable glass is rarely used today.

Callie Edwards, reuse development director for Revino, said she said he hopes other industries turn to refillable glass instead of plastic or single-use glass.

“Brands in other spaces do want this. All the market forces have moved against it for so long, it’s going to take us a while to get back to that reuse economy again,” Rack said.