Things are getting ugly as makers of Franzia boxed wine near Ripon ramp up for Christmas
The makers of Franzia boxed wines near Ripon have joined another trend: the ugly Christmas sweater.
Fans can buy them online for $45 or $50, including versions with battery-powered lights that blink. Franzia also is selling a chardonnay in stores with a sweater pattern on the box, for a suggested $17.99.
The promotion fits with the company’s penchant for poking fun at itself while also conveying that boxed wine is a good value. A 5-liter container holds as much as 6.7 standard wine bottles and stays fresh for a few weeks after opening.
“At Franzia, we are always looking to provide new ways for our fans to show off their enthusiasm for the brand,” marketing manager Katie Hoefs said in a news release Tuesday. “This holiday season, we are taking things to the next level by not only designing a limited-edition holiday chardonnay box that’s wrapped and ready for gift giving, but also creating a matching holiday ugly sweater with blinking holiday lights.”
Franzia pioneered boxed wine in 1985 and remains the top-selling brand in the United States. It is made at the site on Highway 120 and Murphy Road where Teresa and Guiseppe Franzia founded a winery in 1906. The Wine Group, based in Livermore, now owns the plant and the Franzia trademark.
Inflatable boxes, too
The Christmas campaign also features branded robes, socks and other clothing, along with an inflatable wine box that stands 5 feet tall.
Franzia just got done with a promotion involving Halloween costumes that look like wine boxes. The “patriotic” section on the merchandise webpage is mostly red, white and blue apparel and accessories. And it stocks a backpack that can fit a wine box for a hike.
Other major wineries in the Modesto area have boxed selections. They are made of cardboard and an inner plastic pouch, both of them coming under California’s deposit program in 2024 to encourage recycling.
This story was originally published November 2, 2022 at 10:34 AM.
