A second skin on Ruinart bottles

Violaine Basse, front Second skin, did ecology play an important role at Maison Ruinart? Ruinart in packaging design?

In packaging at Ruinartthe eco-design approach has been implemented since 2011. First, we introduced an internal eco-design index out of 20, based on several criteria. We have managed to go from 10/20 10 years ago to 18/20 today. To achieve this, we don't release new packaging unless it's beyond reproach. There are still a few points of infiltration, but the attention has been significant over the last 10 years. Another effort we've made is to source packaging components locally, to keep the supply chain as short as possible. Today, for all cuvées Ruinart and packaging components, 99% come from Western Europe, broken down into 87% from France and 39% from Champagne.
Why was Seconde was born?
The last gift boxes we innovated on were in 2015, and already featured a maximum of eco-design. They saved 200 tonnes of paper. They were the "cleanest" gift sets ever, using only certified materials. Seconde peau is the fruit of a long process of constant improvement to introduce even greater sustainability into everything we do. Ruinart. Initially, our brief was to protect the wine, and in particular our Blanc de blancagainst light. Then this second skin was extended to the entire Ruinart range, the Brut Roséand the R de Ruinart, the House's signature cuvée.
Seconde peau is a concentration of innovations. What are they?
We worked for 2 ½ years on research and innovation, not to mention industrial development and manufacturing. There was a lot of testing and improvement during that time. There were 7 prototypes before the one you can discover today. Seconde peau is made from 100% paper sourced from European eco-managed forests. What took the longest was the development of the clasp. The clasp is 100% paper, and had to be able to be opened and closed many times. It was a delicate process. The other innovation is the textured surface of the case, evoking the Crayères. Moulded paper already exists in packaging, but this is a main case, a luxury case, part of the new art of giving. It was very important for the House that it corresponded to the elegance so dear to Ruinart. Thirdly, the protection of the wines. Simple paper was not enough. We had to find an environmentally-friendly component that would not harm the recyclability and biodegradability of the paper. We used one of the components of organic sunscreen, which acts as a barrier against light, thus enhancing its opacity. And last but not least, the edges are hemmed, not just cut. They are cut with a pressurized water jet.

Who are our partners? Ruinart to design such packaging?
The manufacture of the second-skin case took place entirely at the James Cropperin England. The look and feel Pencils were also created by Pusterla 1880 and James Cropper as well. It was also very new for them to work on molded paper packaging, but with a surface effect. Both suppliers reworked the initial design several times.
How to use this Second skin?
You are invited to keep it until serving. If someone is at home with a Ruinartyou can cool it in an ice bucket, where it will keep for several hours without any problem. Weeks or months in a refrigerated cellar, too. Once you've presented it, you can open or close it up to 7 times and use it again.
Seconde peau has already won a number of awards. Is this the culmination of a lot of hard work at the Maison?
We launched Seconde peau very recently, and we receive awards almost every week. We're so delighted. We received the Packaging of the Year award from the Trophées champenois 2020. We learned that we had won the Forme de luxe award , a competition recognizing innovation in luxury product packaging, in the Box and Case category. And recently we won the Packaging Oscars. These awards are a great pleasure for the whole team who have been working on them for years, but they also testify to a very enlightened vision of the evolution of luxury today. I would like to pay tribute to the vision of our president Frédéric Dufour, who supported this project from the outset. He was a visionary!
Is the House developing a new project of this type?
Seconde peau didn't come about by chance at Ruinart. Nor is it by chance that we're the first Champagne House to have an approach like this. It's part of our leadership role to show the way. We want to minimize the carbonfootprint of everything we do. Ruinart is constantly innovating, and not just in terms of packaging. It's part of the House's DNA to look to the future, and in particular to a more responsible and aware future.