Mead 101: Bees, Flowers & Responsibility

PRLog (Press Release) - Sep 02, 2009 -
Chicago, IL Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery partners with Novelty Group, LLC to offer bottle closures designed to give back to the environment and consumers.

Wild Blossom Winery & Meadery recently began topping their bottles of Pomegranate-Nectar Mead with the Novelty Bottle Closures filled with wildflower seeds, offering their customers a memorable product with the promise of environmental sustainability.

The Novelty Bottle Closure is a patented synthetic bottle topper featuring a hollow interior that can hold a charm or a promotional item.  “Filled with wildflower seeds, the Novelty Bottle Closure proved to be the ideal pairing for a product that depends on the survival of bees,” said Jon Mitts, co-inventor of the Novelty Bottle Closure with business partner, Brad Joubert.

“Mead production doesn’t require cropland, cultivation, irrigation, pesticides or fertilizers. It just requires wildflowers and happy bees. To ensure happy bees, each Wild Blossom Pomegranate-Nectar Mead bottle closure includes enough wildflower seeds for each consumer to grow more than 100 of their own wildflowers. Simply remove the clear cap on the closure and plant the wildflower seeds in your favorite outdoor area. Keep moist and shortly you will have your own little patch of wildflowers, bees not included,” said Joubert.

This sustainable product is good for the earth because the natural process of making honey is good for the environment,” said Greg Fisher, owner of Wild Blossom Meadery &  Winery.  “Each bottle of mead requires a honey bee to visit two million flowers. This act proliferates seed production through the pollinations of wild flowers.  More seeds lead to more flowers, and more flowers help the bees and the environment.”

Fischer's winery can be considered more than environment-friendly because mead, the world's oldest fermented beverage, is made with fermented honey instead of grapes.

“Since there is no farming involved – no crops to grow or harvest – the carbon footprint for making mead is tiny," Fischer said. “And since bees are needed to pollinate flowers to make honey, it made perfect sense for us to fill the Novelty Bottle Closures with wildflower seeds. With this cap and the cooperation of the consumer, we can put back into the environment what we take out. By encouraging our customers to plant the seeds, we increase environmental awareness and keep those bees busy.”

Even from a marketing standpoint, Fisher believes the closures are worth the investment. “Wineries fight for shelf space by changing the shapes of bottles and designing eye-catching labels. It has become increasingly difficult to stand out in the wine market. The seed-filled specialized bottle closure not only aligns us with our interests to preserve the planet, it helps differentiate our product from the competition,” said Fisher.

Novelty Bottle closures can be purchased at select retail stores and online at http://www.noveltyclosure.com. Closures may be purchased in bulk or for individual use, with or without wine glass charms.

Novelty Bottle Closures were designed by Novelty Group, LLC and are produced and distributed by Beltappo Inc, a leading synthetic wine closure manufacturer.

To learn more about Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery, please visit http://www.wildblossomwines.com.

Note to media: If you are a news reporter or a blogger curious about Novelty Closures or Wild Blossom Mead, please contact us for product samples.  Product images are available for immediate download through our media link at http://www.noveltyclosure.com.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/10329557/1