Pouring the Future: Graham Nordin on Sustainable Wine Packaging

Want to go to Tuscany with Laurie in October of 2026? email laurie@thewinecoach.com for a brochure and join us for an info session on 9/28 to find out more REGISTER HERE 

Summary

Graham Nordin of Latitude Wines uncorks his inspiring path into the wine world, rooted in family traditions and a deep respect for education in the craft. He reveals how Latitude Wines is shaking up the industry with Frugalpac’s eco-friendly packaging—proof that sustainability and great taste can share the same bottle. Along the way, Graham pops a few persistent wine myths, reminding us that great wine doesn’t have to break the bank and is best enjoyed with good company. He wraps things up with his go-to summer sips—light, bright, and perfect for sunny days. 

Takeaways

• Graham’s wine journey began early, planting the seeds of a lifelong passion.
• Latitude Wines in partnership with Frigalpac is rewriting the rules with sustainable, game-changing packaging.
• Eco-friendly wine packaging is no longer optional—it’s the future.
• Learning about wine pulls back the curtain, making the industry less intimidating.
• Summer calls for wines that are light, crisp, and unapologetically refreshing.

Wines Tasted

Collective Good Sauvignon Blanc

Collective Good Pinot Grigio

Collective Good Red Blend

Collective Good Cabernet

Read more about Collective Goods wine debut and see if you can purchase at a Target near you HERE

Transcript

Laurie Forster (00:29)
Have you ever heard of a paper wine bottle? Well, today we're gonna talk all about this innovative packaging called the Frugal Pack with Graham Norton of Latitude Wines. And I'm gonna introduce you to him in a second, but just a couple of reminders of upcoming events in September. On September 24th at 7 p.m. is my virtual wine tasting, Fall in Love with the Rhone Valley. And we're gonna have an evening of some of my favorite wines from the Rhone.

I'll let you know what wines to get. You'll dial in on Zoom and we are going to have an amazing evening. Check that out at thewinecoach.com slash events, where you'll also see my information session on September 28th at noon Eastern time, where I'm going to tell you all about my upcoming tour, Tuscany Treasures in October of 2026. I would love you to join us. We are going to explore Brunello's. We're going to explore Chianti Classico.

and of course, super Tuscans and luxury, excellent meals. We're gonna have a fabulous week and I want you to join me. Check everything out on thewinecoach.com, click events, and you're there. All right, let's go ahead. We're gonna bring in Graham Norton. He's the VP of Business Development at Latitude Wines. He has over 18 years of experience globally in the wine business. He's a graduate of the University of California at Davis and the University of British Columbia.

He has a diploma from the WSCT and he's appeared on both television, radio and been in publications like the SOM Journal, Guild SOM, etc. He's going to tell us all about the private label brand he created for Target called Collective Good, the Frugal Pack, which is a paper bottle and how that works and so much more. Let's go ahead and bring him into the show.

Laurie Forster (02:16)
Graham, welcome to The Sipping Point.

Graham Nordin (02:18)
Thank you so much for having me, Laurie I'm really excited about this chat.

Laurie Forster (02:21)
Awesome. Well, I told everybody your illustrious background and I love to find out people's journey So tell me a little bit about how you came to the wine business and Latitude Wines.

Graham Nordin (02:25)
thanks.

Yeah, for sure. So I certainly didn't think it was ever a job that you could do. That's for sure. I do remember from a very early age, always having wine at the dinner table. It was something that was just a part of family meals. And particularly my dad was always good about bringing you over and saying, smell this, try this and have a bite of food. And it was something that at the time certainly went over my head. But I think really what my aha wine moment was. when I was born, it was a declared vintage in port.

and my name is spelled G-R-A-H-A-M like Grahams Port And so my dad purchased a bottle of, or a case, excuse me, of Grahams Vintage Port from the year I was born. And then every year that they would declare vintage, he would buy a few more bottles. And so when I was growing up, we had two fridges in the dining room. One was kind of just, you know, grab and go bottles and things like that. The other one was locked. And, you know, despite my best efforts as in my mid teens, I wasn't smart enough to get into it. Unfortunately.

But then on a birthday, he and I went out for dinner together and we came home and he gave me a key. And we walked over, opened up and it was full of Graham's, know, multi-vintages of port that he had collected over the years. And we pulled a bottle from my birth year, sat and had it together. And I think that was the first time that I ever connected the dots about wine and family and celebrations and things all coming together.

It just it never occurred to me that I could work in wine, but it always instilled in me how special wine could be.

Laurie Forster (04:00)
I love that story. That's wonderful. yeah, vintage port is one of the most age worthy. And that's an English tradition as well. When children back in the day were born, people would buy that pipe, which is many, many bottles of port for their children. And so that's so great that your dad brought that tradition into the family. So, you know, fast forward, how did you enter the wine business? I know you ⁓ have also studied and you have a

Graham Nordin (04:03)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Right.

Yeah.

Laurie Forster (04:27)
diploma with the WSET. How did that come about?

Graham Nordin (04:29)
Yeah.

Yeah, so just working through college and starting to work in restaurants as you do as you're putting your way through college. And I was working in a really cool restaurant at the time that had a very good wine program. And on Sundays, we had staff meetings and they were mandatory to go to. And most of the time it was going about new dishes and going over things that were coming up for the week. But they actually had a wine educator come in and talk about some of the wines that were on the list. And it was the first time that I ever connected the dots, being like, wait, but

that's a job that somebody could actually be educating people about wine. And then so I started asking more and it just turned out that in my senior year of college, I was able to take a enology in viticulture courses that a science based undergrad. So I was able to take that as complimented. And then I ended up getting a job with a large national wine company. And I should say probably beverage company because the company that I started with was Mark Anthony Group. they have, you

provided a lot of over the years in terms of launching RTDs like Mike's Heart Lemonade and White Claw and those types of things, but it's still privately owned today and there's also a very large and a significant import side of the business. So I started on the RTD side just to get in with beverage alcohol and started to learn about that. And then as I was working in restaurants, starting to work at a supplier distributor, going into liquor stores, I started continuing my wine education through

⁓ WSET and just started learning more. then it was really just kind of working my way up from there from different sales roles to managing sales teams to then working as a national sales manager. And then really as I continued my education, wanting to start getting more into wine education specifically. So I worked for a winery collection. had eight estate wineries, several thousand acres of vineyards.

And then I really just got the opportunity to start to travel the world and educate people about wine and regions and share our story and get to know others and working with other wineries from around the world. And so I think it just was something that happened naturally and it evolved over time. to answer your question, I think I look back and go, it all started with a bottle of vintage port that just instilled in me that there's this something.

A unique responsibility that we have when we get to work in wine in whatever facet, whether it's in the restaurants or as a distributor or supplier on the producer side, that we're stewards of these histories and this family story and that every bottle of wine is different. Every grape is farmed differently and that there are these moments in time that wine has this unique ability to invoke memories and bring people together. And it's one of the few things.

Laurie Forster (06:57)
Mm-hmm.

Graham Nordin (07:05)
that we've created as a society that really brings people together the way that it does and ties in history and farming and sense of place. So I think I've just continued to evolve it over time. the more I think this comes up a lot, but the more you learn, the more you realize there is to learn. And it's nice to work in something that you're passionate about. For sure, for sure, for sure. Yeah.

Laurie Forster (07:22)
That is so true. It's like life. Yes, like life. I say

if you meet someone who says they know everything about wine, they know nothing about wine because it's just not possible. But we initially connected because I saw this amazing new packaging that you're using with some of your clients. It's called the Frugalpac and we'll get to the packaging, but it's a paper bottle.

Graham Nordin (07:33)
For sure. Yes.

Yeah. Yes.

Laurie Forster (07:47)
And I was just intrigued about this because of how environmentally sound it is, but you are producing these through Latitude Wines as private labels for a lot of your clients. So tell me about Latitude Wines. How does that work? You launched these, I guess, in Target in March, but tell me a little bit about how you work with your clients and what made you decide on the Frugalpac

Graham Nordin (07:47)
Yes.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, so Latitude Wines is a business. We've been in business for over 20 years. We're based in Northern California, servicing national retailers across the US. But I think one of the unique areas that we function in is in that private exclusive control label side of space of beverage alcohol. And so, you know, we really, think one of the focuses is being able to be a one stop shop for retail partners. So from sourcing, importing, distribution,

all of those steps along the journey that each have their own unique complications. Because our team has come from a global background and decades in the wine business that have worked on the supplier side, on the producer side, understand logistics and operations, we can hopefully streamline that process. And then being specialists in that private control exclusive label side of things, it allows us to really work with retailers to create brands.

that fit their needs. as opposed to saying, hey, this is my portfolio, what would you like to buy for me? It's more about understanding what your needs are. What are you missing? What are trends that are growing in the industry right now that maybe you could take advantage of? And then how could we craft something that's really bespoke for you? And so how this started with Target was, and I give them so much credit because they really looked at it from an opportunity to say, hey, we want to meet our guests where they are.

And we know that we've got a younger demographic coming into our stores. We know that they come to us for a variety of different things. How can we make wine approachable, inclusive, interesting to pick up off the shelf? And how can we make wine more sustainable? I think that's a real question that a lot of us are asking right now in terms of understanding carbon footprints and how can we make things more sustainable for the long term. So we've really partnered together to say, well, let's not just

create a brand together, let's create a sustainable brand that yes, it's exclusive to Target, but it's in a unique offering that nobody else is doing. And that's how we landed on this Frugal Bottle, which we think is just a really cool entry point to a sustainable package that is different from a Tetra Pak or Bag in the Box or those kinds of things, because it looks like a wine bottle.

Laurie Forster (10:12)
Right, and it's all paper. There are plastic bottles, but of course that's plastic. so much lighter, which makes the transportation even easier and less of an impact on the environment. But it's fine and dandy for the outside to be all sustainable and environmental, but it kind of matters what's on the inside too. So tell me about that. One of the wines that you sent me,

is a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. So that's what I have here in this glass. So I don't know if you can tell us who is supplying your grapes, but what should we expect as far as quality with regard to the grapes and the wine inside the Frugalpac?

Graham Nordin (10:40)
Nice.

Yeah, I'm so glad you asked that spoken by a true person who works in wine because it's all it all comes down to quality. And I think that that ultimately is a core value for us as a business as well. It's not just about category trends and needs everything that we have to stand by the quality that we put in the bottle. And so that was an initial focus right from the beginning of this project before we started talking about

branding and those types of things, we really wanted to make sure that we put the best quality wine in the bottle. we sourced wines from all around the world. We went through the variety of different sample links with the target team, gosh, probably 50 different wines from all around the world to land on two whites, two reds. And we really want them to be great varieties that the consumer, the guest knows today. So things like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Blend. And we also wanted them to be from

Laurie Forster (11:34)
Mm-hmm.

Graham Nordin (11:43)
countries that are well known for making those varieties. So Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, Italian Pellegrigio, or Red Bun from Spain, et cetera. So that Sauvignon Blanc that you've got in your glass is from an incredible partner that we work with in Chile, multi-generational business. They're also incredibly sustainable in what they do. Their winery now uses 100 % renewable solar energy to power the winery and produce the wine. So they're completely off the grid. They're green.

But the wines are varietally correct, they're vibrant, they're fresh, they're aromatic, which is also important in a project like this because we weren't buying them bottled from the winery. We imported them into the US and then we bottled them here. So we needed to make sure that whatever was in the bottle stood up because ultimately for the target guests, yes, the package might get them to take it, pick it off the shelf, but if the wine in the bottle didn't deliver, they wouldn't go back and purchase it again. So we needed to make sure that the wine quality was sound.

Laurie Forster (12:37)
Yeah, and for those of you who listening and not watching on video, the brand is called Collective Good. You would find that in any Target that sells wine. Sadly, in my state in Maryland, we can't buy wine at the Target yet, but hopefully someday. So tell me a little bit about, are you one of the first to be bringing this Frugalpac into the US? How did you come about even knowing about this?

Graham Nordin (12:50)
Yeah.

Yeah, so I think we're certainly the first from a large scale launch like this with an import program. So the Frugalpac Company, they're based in the UK. And we came across them, gosh, well over a year ago now. Just because a big part of what we try to do in our business is look at trends that are happening around the world. Oftentimes, we see that things happen in the UK or Europe a little bit faster than maybe they happen in the US.

And so that's one of the areas that we try to provide to retailers here in the US is that global expertise of being able to show, hey, these are some things that are happening in the world of beverage alcohol. What are some of the things that we can maybe get onto quickly? Because I think in our space in private label, exclusive label, you don't necessarily need to be a pioneer, but you want to be a fast follower, a quick adopter, and then being able to build brands exclusive for retailers.

Laurie Forster (13:55)
Mm-hmm.

Graham Nordin (13:58)
We came across this package. It had some success already in the UK with large national retailers. So we thought there could really be a transference here into the US, particularly with such a sustainable focus happening right now in the marketplace. And that's what consumers are asking for. There was a local winery in California that had started to work with the package a little bit. They just did one skew with a retailer. So I think we were certainly the first to build a brand around it and then to partner with a retailer like Target to do a national launch.

Since then, we've done an additional launch with another large scale retailer and we're in discussions for a few others. So think for us, it's not to say that we're not going to be the exclusive partners for Frugal necessarily, because I think that any winery in the US or internationally that wants to work with them, they certainly can and I recommend that they do. But I think for us, the ability to be able to take an idea, build a brand around it, commercialize it and get it to stores.

Laurie Forster (14:33)
Thanks.

Graham Nordin (14:53)
at a cost effective way is really our strength. I think innovation and creativity ties into that as well. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yes.

Laurie Forster (15:00)
Yeah, so there's the Pinot Grigio from Italy, of course, that is the place for Pinot Grigio, the Sauvignon Blanc

from Chile. And then I was impressed by the Red Blend from Spain. I know it has some great pedigree. I don't know that we can say who because people don't always want that out there, but you really are going to these top-notch wineries and really leveraging that know-how and the quality that they have.

for something that's affordable and sound environmentally.

Graham Nordin (15:30)
Yeah, I think you you summarize it perfectly, Laurie. And I think that's one of the things that is, I think, hopefully really exciting about a project like this is that it's bringing high quality, sustainably produced, multi generational family winery farming businesses, and making them more approachable and accessible. And I think that's a great opportunity for all of us in wine to make wine more inclusive to make it more appealing to a younger demographic. I think all of us who

who have spent our career working in wine, that's all we care about. We just want to make wine more appealing to a broader and particularly a younger demographic. I we can all see the trends happening. And I think that's on all of us to make wine knowledge accessible, to not make wine intimidating, because it certainly can be, to not make it more complicated than it needs to be. Find something that you love to drink, open a bottle, share it with people that you care about, and have a great meal. That's really what wine should be about.

Laurie Forster (16:07)
Yes.

Yes.

And I'll post pictures and links so people can take a look at the Frugalpac But in general, how does it work? I mean, it does have a screw cap on the top, but I mean, normally a paper bottle, it's going to get soaked and it'll be leaking. So what's actually going on inside the paper bottle?

Graham Nordin (16:44)
Yeah, so the technology is really cool. So think of it much like a bag in the box if any of the listeners have purchased wines like those. So there is a liner inside that the wine is sitting in. So it separates it from the cardboard and then it's sealed with the screw top on top. So again, easy to open. You don't need a cork or corkscrew necessarily. I think it's convenient from those grab and goes. It's I think the perfect occasion to be able to bring to barbecues, beaches, national parks.

pools, those kind of things where glass isn't allowed anymore in a lot of ways and a corkscrew isn't convenient. And then once you're done, it's very easy just to break down the bottle. The whole outside of it is made of 94 % recycled paperboard, so it's already recycled material that you're then recycling again. And then you just separate it from the pouch.

Laurie Forster (17:14)
Mm-hmm.

Graham Nordin (17:32)
And actually, in working and speaking with the Frugalpac team, they've now even evolved the technology more so that the pouch inside, which is right now the same liner as a traditional bag and box, they've actually sourced a new liner that's food grade that is fully recyclable. any of the new production that we'll do on these packages, the entire package itself can just be tossed in the regular recycling bin and there's no need to separate the parts out. it's really cool the way that the technology continues to evolve to make things more recyclable and approachable.

Laurie Forster (18:02)
That's fabulous. And then the last of the four there is a California Cabernet Sauvignon. So you have pretty much have, you know, various styles. And I love that, especially I have a 22 year old daughter and you know, what a great sort of starter place of wine, you know, then maybe some of the big commercial, you know, wineries that they're used to looking to and they can kind of feel good about this as far as the environment as well. So.

I think it's great for those that are just getting started. It's easy to understand. The varietals are front and center and they're coming from places that are known for those. And so I think it's just a great idea. Now you have this amazing background in wine and I'd love to know, are there any ⁓ wine myths out there that as you're educating and you're going around the country in the world that you see out there that

Graham Nordin (18:30)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Laurie Forster (18:58)
persist that are just, you just want to break those, know, bust those myths wide open.

Graham Nordin (19:04)
Gosh, yeah, I think the idea that great wine has to be expensive. think that wine is such a subjective thing and we like what we like. We all smell things differently. We taste things differently. And for me, don't think why great wines need to be really expensive wines and really expensive wines aren't always great wines. And so I think

Laurie Forster (19:11)
Mmm.

Graham Nordin (19:28)
for me, it's just about finding for everybody what you enjoy, what you like to drink, who you like to drink with. I certainly think that wine is meant to go with food, so it's a beverage that should be shared. And I think that's one of the best things about wine is that it is a shared thing. And not many people sit and have a whole bottle of wine sitting by themselves. It's usually around with other people or an occasion. And so I think to a younger demographic like your daughter, that may feel at times,

intimidated to say, well, if I need a good wine, I have to spend $30 plus or $50 plus or $100 plus. I don't think that's true. think, you know, really good wine should just be true to what they are and where they come from. And I think if a great wine is reflective of a sense of place, taste from where of the place that it's grown, of how it's farmed, of the family that made it, and you enjoy drinking it, then that's what makes a great wine. And I think the more that we can make wine

easier to understand, more approachable, and more easily shared, I think we've got a long future ahead of us. And it's been around for 2,000 years for a reason, and I think it's going to be around for another several thousand long after we're gone.

Laurie Forster (20:38)
Yes, I hope so. We'll be out of a job if it's not. So if I take the collective good off the table and any of your other private label brands, I know you love Vintage Port and I'm sure that continues. since it's August, it's summer, what's your kind of go-to wines for summer that you just always feel are great this time of year?

Graham Nordin (20:39)
Yeah, amen. Yeah.

Yeah, I think like light, fresh, aromatic whites. Like I'm really drinking a lot of Spanish whites right now. Alberino, Verdejo those kinds of things. I love vino verde, especially on like a Sunday afternoon when you're cooking and getting things ready for the evening. Pecorino from Italy. yeah, I'm really finding myself gravitating to light, fresh, aromatic.

Laurie Forster (21:13)
Mmm.

Yes.

Graham Nordin (21:26)
and wines I can have more than just one glass and I can have a glass while I'm doing other things. I'm really enjoying that right now. And then I would say from a red wine perspective, I'm really enjoying chilled reds. I'm drinking a lot more Beaujolais than I have in a long time and just Gamay in general that I can put in the fridge for 10, 15, 20 minutes beforehand. again, it's that.

that ability to be able to have more than one glass and really enjoy it and have it be thirst quenching and but also thought provoking at the same time and still go like, yeah, this is great. And it makes me what I want to make me think what I want to eat with it. Perfect. Now I'm gonna have another glass.

Laurie Forster (22:02)
that's great. And yeah, I

recently had Allison Smith Story from Smith Story Wines out in California on the show and she made a carbonic Grenache that is really fun chilled. And my friend Jim Bernau at Willamette Valley Vineyards makes a carbonic Pinot Noir that's also great chilled. So I think people have a great interest in that, especially in the summer when you don't necessarily want the big, bold, tannic.

Graham Nordin (22:11)
Cool!

Laurie Forster (22:27)
red. So I think that's a trend that's really taken on a lot of life. Well, Graham, thank you so much for coming on. It's been amazing hearing about your business, the collective good wines, the Frugalpac, and just seeing really the future of packaging for wine, maybe not for all wines, but for those great everyday drinking wines in that affordable price range.

Graham Nordin (22:40)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Laurie Forster (22:51)
that everybody can feel good, that we're really kind of respecting the environment. So I really appreciate you coming on the show.

Graham Nordin (22:58)
my gosh, thank you so much for this opportunity. It's great to be able just to talk wine with somebody. And I think as you said, just to be able to have a little bit of a spotlight on a brand that we're very proud of and that we're very appreciative to work with Target on and to hopefully that makes wine that much easier for more people to say, yeah, I'm going to pick up a bottle on a Tuesday night and bring it home. And this is really good.

Laurie Forster (23:19)
I know if they want to check out the wines, can go to target.com. But what about if they want to check you guys out and see what you do over there at Latitude Wines?

Graham Nordin (23:26)
Yeah, me too. Yeah, it's lwxwine.com We're actually in the process of just ⁓ relaunching a new website as well to help us share the story of a little bit more about what we do, but, feel free to reach out to me directly. And I'm always happy to have a conversation about what we do and very proud to share the story about how we can help, hopefully help bring products to market here in the U.S. Yeah. Thanks.

Laurie Forster (23:46)
Awesome. Thank you so much, Graham. And all I

want to say last is just cheers.

Graham Nordin (23:51)
Cheers, thank you so much, Laurie.

Laurie Forster (23:53)
I'll post a link to Latitude Wines, the Frugal Pack, so you can check out these amazing paper wine bottles. Blows my mind. Wow. It's just so impressive. And if you live in a market where you can buy wine at Target, you will be able to find these wines at a really great price from pretty esteemed wineries from all over the world. We can't say who, but you are going to be impressed with the wine inside of the Frugal Pack.

In the meantime, check out thewinecoach.com slash events for that September 24th, Rhone Valley tasting, the September 28th information session about the Tuscany Treasures Wine Tour in 2026. And until next week, cheers.