For wine lovers who want to take their vino to park concerts, sporting events, the poolside or anywhere that glass is a no-no, Jessica Bell has come up with a solution to awkwardly shaped, single-use plastic cups—HaloVino, a portable, shatterproof, reusable, BPA-free “no-glass” wine glass.
Many people might recognize Bell as co-host of Wisconsin Public Television’s “Wisconsin Foodie.” She’s also a sommelier. The idea for HaloVino came to her while drinking wine in places like stadiums and outdoor events that used wide-rimmed, stackable cups. She knows wine tastes and smells much better when consumed from a narrow-rimmed glass. In addition, she also wanted something stackable and cost-effective.
“I designed it to fit my needs,” she says. “I want to drink wine, I want it to taste good, and I want the cup to be portable and cost-efficient. So those were thing things I was looking for because it didn’t exist. Another factor that was important to me was sustainability.”
Once she had the ideal portable wine glass in mind, Bell launched a Kickstarter campaign that raised about $27,000, which was enough to build a prototype mold and start a test launch in June 2016. She went on to build a production mold for commercial manufacturing capabilities, and HaloVino has been in commercial production since last spring, manufactured locally by Sussex IM.
HaloVino drinkware includes that narrow rim and wide body that enhances the taste and scent of the wine. To make the wine glass stackable, Bell designed it in two pieces that easily snap together, creating the halo seal around the center of the glass. The halo takes the place of the stem of a wine glass, allowing it to rest nicely in your hands so you don’t have to touch the bowl on the glass. “You don’t want to warm the wine or get your hand wet if the glass is sweating,” Bell says. “The halo provides functional features, and it also sits nicely in cup holders and will float in pools.”
‘Live it Up With One Cup’
HaloVino is BPA-free, lead-free, phthalate-free and dishwasher safe, and it has serving lines to guide bartenders and servers, so they don’t over-pour. Bell noted that HaloVino drinkware has become popular with millennials—a group that often seeks out eco-friendly alternative packaging. Bell and her team have also recently launched the HaloTote, a water-resistant, dishwasher-safe bag to transport wine glasses.
In addition to making it easier for wine lovers to enjoy their favorite vino outdoors with a functional, reusable drinking vessel, HaloVino promotes sustainability. “We all want to be sustainable, but if the systems aren’t in place to fit our on-the-go lifestyles, we sometimes don’t do it,” Bell observes. “So we’re trying to encourage the idea of ‘live it up with one cup.’ Whether you use a HaloVino glass or not, try to at least reuse the glass you have that night or that day. It’s a simple behavior change, and if we just have it in the back of our minds, it can make a big difference and cut down waste production.”
HaloVino can be ordered online; a package of six glasses starts at $9.99. The drinkware can also be purchased at select Sendik’s locations and Total Wine locations in Greenfield and Brookfield, Wisc. Bell said HaloVino is used at Jazz in the Park, the Fiserv Forum, Miller Park, the Wisconsin State Fair, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, the Oriental Theatre and at the Milwaukee Film Festival. Going a little further afield, Bell has also expanded HaloVino to markets in Florida and California.
For more information, visit halovino.com.
