 Entrepreneur: Greg Stokes is Chief Executive Officer of Barokes Wines. He is also the architect and co-inventor behind the globally patented Vinsafe® wine packaging system which enables the delivery of premium quality, stability and longevity in the can (Vinsafe®), is revolutionising wine consumption and opening new markets for wine geographically and demographically, thereby increasing the overall consumption of quality wine.
Opportunity: The idea of producing premium quality wine that could be canned was conceived by Greg in 1996 after an incident where a glass bottle of wine accidentally fell into a jacuzzi, almost breaking. Necessity breeds invention! From this incident the idea of packaging premium quality wine in a safe, convenient, portable, and environmentally friendly container was conceived and the research into the Vinsafe® system commenced.
Greg’s view was that wine should be more accessible and that people’s lifestyle should drive the product and not the other way around. The aim was to develop a wine offering for a broad spectrum of consumers with various levels of knowledge of wine but a desire to enjoy wine without the traditional baggage surrounding wine consumption.
Ventures: Convenient quality is what Barokes offers consumers. Innovation, uniqueness and functionality are key product features which consumers are prepared to pay a premium for. Barokes is currently ranged in five star hotels around the world, including the JW Marriott (Hong Kong), The Westin (throughout Asia), Conrad Hilton (Singapore), Sheraton Group (Calgary and Asia) and the Stamford Group in Australia. Barokes is also an
approved standard mini bar product for the Starwood Group Asia Pacific.
In less than six years, Barokes has become a significant brand in the Japanese market. Barokes is now widely available in all sectors of the market throughout Japan and was recently voted the 2nd most popular wine brand by Japanese consumers, after E&J Gallo (the world’s largest wine producer). An extraordinary achievement for a small Australian.
A recent win in the European Patent Office, which validated Barokes EU patent for Vinsafe® against challenges mounted by ten large global companies (including the three global can manufacturers), is expected to result in further licensing throughout Europe and Asia.
Community: Greg is a keen advocate for sustainable solutions to environmental issues. Through ongoing R&D of Vinsafe®, a key aim has been the promotion of aluminium can packaging, which is one of the three Vinsafe® elements. As an early exponent of life-cycle management, the focus on raising the profile of the aluminium can packaging to a premium packaging format has been a key objective due to its environmental benefits and impact on improved sustainability. Aluminium is the only 100% recyclable in a closed loop packaging currently available for wine.
 Greg Stokes featured in Qantas Talkabout
It's in the Can
Wine in a can? Can do. This small Victorian company has potentiallyy revolutionsed the wine market with a container that is both convenientand recycable...
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