At Domaine du Deffends, we made this decision two years ago. Since then, our bottles have been sold without a foil cap. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, though some people still miss it. For a long time, the cap seemed like a given. It was part of the bottle’s design and often bore the famous Marianne, the “cap representing duties” (CRD), certifying payment of excise taxes. A requirement that became a habit, then an aesthetic standard. The first major change came in 2019. As of June 1 of that year, the CRD was no longer required on wine bottles of three liters or less. It may be replaced, when necessary, by an accompanying document. The regulations therefore allow for the sale of a bottle without a capsule. However, for several years, few producers took the plunge. In the minds of many industry professionals and consumers, the capsule remains associated with a properly finished bottle—or even with a certain level of quality.
Nevertheless, a few winemakers are leading the way. Starting in 2021 and 2022, some wineries began selling their wines without capsules. Laurent Habrard, a winemaker in Crozes-Hermitage, removed the capsules from all his bottles and launched the “Stop Capsules” initiative. At the end of 2023, Michel Chapoutier gave the movement national prominence by announcing that his winery would gradually phase out aluminum capsules, starting with its biodynamic and organic lines. His idea is to replace the capsule with a “bandule,” a portmanteau of “bandelette” (strip) and “capsule.” This thin strip of paper wraps around the cork. It signifies the bottle’s integrity and reassures markets unaccustomed to seeing a fully exposed cork, all while using significantly less material. The motivations are both ecological and economic. The capsule does not seal the bottle or protect the wine; it is the cork that fulfills this function. The capsule is essentially decorative, except when it still serves as a mount for the CRD. However, its production requires aluminum, plastic, adhesives, ink, energy, and transportation for an object that will be discarded just seconds after the bottle is opened. Added to this, following the health crisis, were a sharp increase in the price of aluminum and a considerable lengthening of lead times.
Of course, removing the capsule alone is not enough to transform a wine’s carbon footprint. The weight of the glass bottle and its transportation remain much more significant issues. But eco-design is precisely about scrutinizing every element of the packaging and eliminating what is not essential. The movement is gaining momentum, particularly among organic, biodynamic, and “nature” wineries. A bottle without a cap is beginning to be seen not as an unfinished product, but as a symbol of simplicity and environmental consistency. Even the Champagne region is changing. After considering making the cap a mandatory requirement in its specifications, the industry ultimately abandoned this plan in 2025. Champagne houses and winemakers therefore remain free to keep it or do without it. We are thus witnessing a gradual reversal of conventions. In the past, the capsule was reassuring. Today, its absence can become a sign of commitment.
When we stripped down our bottles, we simply chose to remove an element that was no longer essential. Two years later, the movement is gaining momentum, and this design already seems much less unusual. Following the trend of streamlined bottles, recycled labels, water-soluble adhesives, and the return of the deposit system, wine, too, is beginning to shed the superfluous
At Domaine du Deffends, our bottles are already uncapped. We do not reggret it.
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