Revelshine: California Wine Packaged in Aluminum Bottles

Jake Bilbro is a fourth-generation winemaker from Sonoma. He learned winemaking from his father Chris, founder of Marietta Cellars, before he went on to purchase Limerick Lane. He appreciates the importance of sustainability and also enjoys outdoor sports — his love of the outdoors is something else Jake learned from his father. Revelshine brings together Jake’s winemaking experience with his desire to bring quality wine in sustainable packaging to the great outdoors. He established Revelshine with a group of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts.

Revelshine wines are packaged in 500ml aluminum bottles that are, according to the packaging “infinitely recyclable”. They are easily transportable, lightweight and, unlike glass bottles, unbreakable. The aluminum bottles are also double insulated to keep the wine cool longer and they are resealable. Today we are tasting three Revelshine wines, which we received as tasting samples.

Revelshine California White Wine — light golden with aromas of ripe pears and melons. the flavors follow the aromas with pears and citrus supported by juicy acidity. 12.5% abv. SRP $11.99, 500ml.

Revelshine California Rosé Wine — translucent medium salmon with aromas of berry bramble. Flavors are mainly citrusy with vague berry flavors in the background supported by good acidity. 12.5% abv. 500ml.

Revelshine California Red Wine — medium ruby with aromas of ripe boysenberries, blackberries and earth. Flavors include mixed berries, plums and earth supported by good acidity. Tannins are surprisingly firm and gauzy. 13.5% abv. SRP $11.99, 500ml.

According to the technical sheet, all three wines are made with grapes sourced from Sonoma and Mendocino. The white wine is Chardonnay based, the rosé Grenache based and the red wine Zinfandel based. None is vintage dated.

There is nothing in the flavor profile of these wines that gives them away as bottled in aluminum. The white wine is generous in flavor, the rosé fresh and beautiful in the glass, and the red wine is fruit-forward with ample tannins.

Aluminum’s recyclability (essentially 100%) compares favorably to glass bottles’ recyclability (70% of glass bottles end up in landfills according to Revelshine), and the containers are comparatively lightweight. That lighter weight is convenient for the consumer who wants to carry a bottle of wine to the beach, or on a hike, and aluminum bottles are much lighter to transport. Revelshine estimates that switching to aluminum bottles from glass bottles could reduce the carbon footprint by 40%. It’s definitely something we all should consider.

Revelshine has partnered with 1% for the Planet and Protect Our Winters (POW) to donate a percentage of its profits to support the environment.

Revelshine wines are available for purchase on the Revelshine website, at Sprouts Farmers Market stores in California and select retailers in Denver, Colorado. I found both the white and red wine on the shelf at our local Sprouts Market.

Thanks to BACKBONE Media for organizing our tasting.

Cheers!