21945 Carneros Lake Lane, Suite 1, Sonoma, CA, United States of America, 95476
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Free Flow Wines Announces 25 New Winners at 12th Annual KEGGY Awards During Earth Month
Sonoma, CA, April 22, 2025 – Free Flow Wines announced the winners of the 12th annual KEGGY Awards, honoring wine on tap leaders for their extraordinary environmental impact and commitment to sustainability. For the first time, the awards are being celebrated in April to align with Earth Month, reinforcing Free Flow’s mission to drive a more sustainable future for the wine industry with reusable steel kegs – a truly zero-waste package. Additionally, Free Flow expanded award categories this year to also recognize winery partners who have saved over 50K and 2MM bottles from the landfill.
“We changed the award schedule to Earth Month to reflect one of our core values: sustainability.” said Rich Bouwer, CEO of Free Flow Wines. “It is an exciting time to be talking about our wine on tap partners. Despite ongoing challenges in the alcohol beverage sector, keg shipments through Free Flow Wines have continued to grow—proving that wine on tap is not just the more sustainable choice, but also a smart one in today’s market. We’re proud to recognize the outstanding efforts of our partners who are reshaping the wine industry by providing a better glass of wine to their consumers.”
This year’s People’s Choice Winner, Tupelo Honey, is a revival of Southern food and traditions rooted in the Carolina mountains. The restaurant crafts brunches, lunches, and suppers that bring family and friends around the table for chef-inspired Southern fare.
“At Tupelo Honey, we brunch hard—and that means a lot of mimosas. By choosing stainless steel kegs over traditional wine bottles, we’re keeping waste like glass, corks, and foil out of landfills. It’s a simple switch that makes a big impact. We believe stainless steel kegs are the future, and we hope more restaurants and bars will join us in serving amazing drinks while helping to protect our planet.” stated Lindsey Farris-Felty, Corporate Beverage Director of Tupelo Honey.
FFW & Partners’ Cumulative Impact to Date:
- Over 41 million bottles, or 62 million lbs. of waste, saved from landfill
- More than 73 million pounds of CO₂ emissions avoided
WINERY AWARD RECIPIENTS
More than 2,000,000 bottles saved (3,556,977 lbs. CO2 emissions)
- Skurnik Wines & Spirits
- The Wine Group
- O'Neill Vintners & Distillers
More than 1,000,000 bottles saved (1,778,488 lbs. CO2 emissions)
- Treasury Wine Estates
- More than 100,000 bottles saved (177,886 lbs. CO2 emissions)
- Goldschmidt Vineyards
- Klinker Brick Winery
- ONEHOPE/7 Cellars Wine
More than 50,000 bottles are saved (88,966 lbs. CO2 emissions)
- Palm Bay International
- Domaine Bousquet
- Frog's Leap
- Aquitaine Wine Company
- NW Wine Company
- St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery
- SakeOne
- Kivelstadt Cellars
- Bookwalter Winery
- Lubanzi Wines
DISTRIBUTOR AWARD RECIPIENTS
More than 1,000,000 bottles saved (1,778,488 lbs. CO2 emissions)
- RNDC FL More than 500,000 bottles saved (889,244 lbs. CO2 emissions) RNDC AZ SGWS AZ
More than 100,000 bottles saved (177,886 lbs. CO2 emissions)
- Heidelberg Distributing Co. OH
- Empire Distributors NC
- Athens Distributing TN
PEOPLE’S CHOICE - RESTAURANT OPERATOR WINNER
To recognize an outstanding venue featuring wines on tap
Tupelo Honey, Asheville, NC
About Free Flow Wines
Free Flow Wines, the pioneer of premium wine on tap, aims to deliver the freshest, best tasting, most sustainable glass of wine. Free Flow’s keg leasing, filling and logistics have allowed the wine and hospitality industries to move to a greener, fresher, better way to serve wine by the glass. Founded in 2009, Free Flow has more than 260 wine brands in keg, from wineries throughout the world. Premium wines in Free Flow kegs are available at restaurants, hotels, retail stores, sports and entertainment venues nationwide. Free Flow Wines currently has production facilities in Sonoma, California and Bayonne, New Jersey.
Support the CHEERS Act + Help Boost the Hospitality Industry
We all love a good tax deduction, and the CHEERS Act brings just that - helping the hospitality and wine industries thrive while promoting sustainability. Just because the election is over doesn’t mean your civic duties are done.
The CHEERS Act is bipartisan legislation aimed at supporting taprooms, bars, and restaurants by encouraging energy-efficient draft beer systems. This act not only promotes environmental sustainability but also provides economic relief for the hospitality sector.
Your voice can make a difference! Advocate for the CHEERS Act and help your favorite venues thrive while staying green. Click the button below to fill out the form and just like that, your voice has been counted. Let’s toast to supporting our favorite bars, restaurants, and taprooms!
Learn All About the Benefits of Wine on Tap from Reusable Steel Kegs
Come by the Free Flow booth 227 at the WIN Expo on December 5, to learn all about the benefits of wine on tap from reusable steel kegs! We want to help wineries expand their zero-waste efforts by switching their by-the-glass wine programs from glass bottles to reusable stainless steel kegs. Not only do reusable steel kegs maintain the highest level of wine quality, freshest pour by-the-glass and improved profitability, but they are reusable for decades lowering your carbon emissions impact. With headquarters in Sonoma, CA, and a production facility in Bayonne, NJ, we can assist you coast to coast.
Free Flow Wines, the pioneer of premium wine on tap, delivers the world’s premium wine brands to the taps of restaurants and large venues nationwide. Free Flow’s keg leasing, filling, and logistics services have allowed the wine and hospitality industries to move to a more sustainable way of offering consumers the freshest, best tasting glass of wine.
Positive Keg Growth
As you know, wine on tap offers many benefits including profitability, efficiency, quality, and sustainability. With more establishments recognizing these advantages, there has been an uptick in keg shipments in recent months. Keg growth means increased efficiency, reduced carbon footprint, and more taps available for your delicious wines. We anticipate this growth trend accelerating in the second half of the year. So, raise your glasses and join us in celebrating this exciting wave!
See what others are saying about serving wine on tap here.
Free Flow Wines Announces 7 Winners at the 11th Annual KEGGY Awards
Wine on tap programs nationwide are recognized for collectively saving more than 38 million bottles from the landfill with the use of reusable steel kegs to support their wine on tap programs.
Sonoma, CA, July 24, 2024 – Free Flow Wines has announced 7 new winners at the 11th annual KEGGY Awards, recognizing the exceptional impacts these partners have made in reducing waste from the landfill and CO2 emissions. The KEGGY Awards were created in 2014 to recognize winery partners for their commitment to sustainability by choosing reusable stainless-steel kegs – a truly zero-waste package. Each Free Flow keg holds the equivalent of 26 bottles of wine and will eliminate approximately 1,560 bottles from the landfill over its lifetime.
As of today, Free Flow Wines and their partners have saved more than 38 million bottles, or 58 million pounds of waste, from the landfills and the equivalent of over 69 million pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere. Each reusable steel keg will save 2,862 lbs. of CO2 emissions over its lifetime, compared to pouring the same wine out of glass bottles. This is the equivalent emissions of driving a gas-powered vehicle coast to coast.
“Sustainability is one of Free Flow’s core values and we are proud to partner with hundreds of wineries and distributors to offer the only zero-waste package for the wine industry. In a time where sales are down for many, it is even more meaningful to celebrate the growth and success of our partners and to continue to build upon what we have achieved together,” said Rich Bouwer, CEO.
This year’s People’s Choice winner, Xe54: a Wine & Cocktail Lounge, located in Neenah, WI, is the ultimate lounge destination serving craft cocktails, beer, and wine in an unpretentious and welcoming atmosphere. Whether looking to unwind after a long day or celebrate a special occasion, they have the perfect setting to elevate the mood.
“We are honored to accept the People’s Choice KEGGY Award. This recognition is a testament to our shared commitment to providing exceptional wine experiences while prioritizing sustainability. We are proud to partner with Free Flow Wines and contribute to reducing our environmental footprint, one sip at a time. We look forward to many more years of successful collaboration.” stated Laura Spranger & Pamela Barnes, Proprietors of Xe54: a Wine & Cocktail Lounge.
WINERY AWARD RECIPIENTS
To recognize the bottle waste saved from the landfill
Saved more than 1,000,000 bottles (1,834,405 lbs. CO2 emissions)
Trinchero Family Estates
Saved more than 100,000 bottles (183,436 lbs. CO2 emissions)
Ken Wright Cellars
DISTRIBUTOR AWARD RECIPIENTS
To recognize the bottle waste saved from the landfill
Saved more than 100,000 bottles (183,436 lbs. CO2 emissions)
Farrell Distributing Corp
Favorite Brands TX
Great Lakes Wine & Spirits
Hayden Beverage Company
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – RESTAURANT OPERATOR WINNER
To recognize an outstanding venue featuring wines on tap
Xe54 Wine & Cocktail Lounge – Neenah, WI
About Free Flow Wines
Free Flow Wines, the pioneer of premium wine on tap, aims to deliver the freshest, best tasting, most sustainable glass of wine. Free Flow’s keg leasing, filling and logistics have allowed the wine and hospitality industries to move to a greener, fresher, better way to serve wine by the glass. Founded in 2009, Free Flow has more than 260 wine brands in keg, from wineries throughout the world. Premium wines in Free Flow kegs are available at restaurants, hotels, retail stores, sports and entertainment venues nationwide. Free Flow Wines currently has production facilities in Sonoma, California and Bayonne, New Jersey.
Vote for the People's Choice KEGGY Award
The last day to vote will be June 24th. The account with the most votes will win this year's award!
Click here to vote now, and share with friends and family to vote too.
Free Flow Wines Launches New Website
Free Flow Wines Unveils New User-Friendly Website, Adding Tools for Wineries, Distributors, Operators, & Consumers
Sonoma, CA, April 22, 2024 – Free Flow Wines proudly announces the launch of its new website, designed to look modern, professional, and to elevate the user experience. With a commitment to quality, service, innovation and sustainability, Free Flow Wines is thrilled to unveil a digital platform that integrates convenience with an intuitive journey into the world of wine kegging, wine on tap draft equipment and availability, and the benefits of reusable wine packaging.
The new website merges the tools and resources from Free Flow’s former educational website, www.TryWineOnTap.com, under the Free Flow brand. The combined website also makes it easier for consumers to find wine-on-tap close to them and makes it easier for restaurants and hotels to find which wines are available in kegs in their local market. The website offers:
- Intuitive Navigation: Streamlined menus and user-friendly design ensure effortless exploration of Free Flow Wines’ comprehensive range of services and solutions.
- Engaging Content: From informative articles and industry testimonials to interactive maps, the website offers a wealth of resources to educate and inspire visitors.
- Enhanced Accessibility: Optimized for seamless browsing across devices, the website ensures that users can access valuable information anytime, anywhere.
“We are excited to introduce our new website which demonstrates Free Flow’s superior service and commitment to growing the wine-on-tap category, while making information more accessible to our partners,” says Julia Tarazoff, Director of Marketing and Customer Success at Free Flow Wines. “Our goal is to provide a user-friendly platform that not only showcases our innovative offerings but also serves as an interactive, valuable resource to help expand awareness and the programs of our Winery, Distributor, and On-Premise Operator partners alike.”
Experience the future of wine by-the-glass with Free Flow Wines. Visit us at www.freeflowwines.com.
About Free Flow Wines
Free Flow Wines, the pioneer of premium wine on tap, aims to deliver the freshest, best tasting, most sustainable glass of wine. Free Flow’s keg leasing, filling and logistics have allowed the wine and hospitality industries to move to a greener, fresher, better way to serve wine by the glass. Founded in 2009, Free Flow has more than 250 wine brands in keg, from wineries throughout the world. Premium wines in Free Flow kegs are available at restaurants, hotels, retail stores, sports and entertainment venues nationwide. Free Flow Wines currently has production facilities in Sonoma, California and Bayonne, New Jersey.
Waste Reduction with Wine on Tap
Wine on Tap Is No Longer a Trend - It’s a Movement!
2023 KEG VOLUME GROWTH
The difference is that trends don't stand the test of time while movements only grow more and more powerful over time. Free Flow has seen impressive growth with keg shipments up more than 25% this year. While overall wine consumption is down, wine consumption from our steel kegs are rising. Wineries are committed to sustainable packaging options to reduce their CO2 emissions and eliminate waste while maintaining the highest quality of wine. Operators are engaged in finding solutions to improve service efficiency, beverage quality, and their environmental impact.
Thank you to everyone who's supported our efforts to champion the most sustainable and profitable way to enjoy wine by-the-glass.
NATIONAL SALES MEETINGS
We're encouraging our key partners to help us make continued growth of wine on tap a priority. One great way to do this is by inviting our Business Development team to your 2024 National Sales Meetings. It’s amazing how impactful “sipping the kool-aid”, discussing key on tap trends, and answering a few questions can be for helping your sales teams feel confident talking about wine on tap.
Our top performing winery partner this year embraced their NSM as a wine on tap learning opportunity in early 2023. It’s not a coincidence their sales have since more than doubled to nearly 20,000 kegs, and they’re forecasting exponential growth on top of this success in 2024.
FSE CCOF CERTIFICATION
Joining our Sonoma facility, we are excited to share that Filling Station East (FSE) is now CCOF Certified Organic. FSE is conveniently located right outside the port in Bayonne, NJ, allowing importers (and local wineries) to ship organic bulk wine to the east coast to fill in Free Flow reusable steel kegs.
CA BOTTLE BILL
Starting January 1, 2024, wineries will be required to begin reporting to CalRecycle the wine bottles, cans and bag in box items they produce on a monthly basis. Two months later, they will be required to pay monthly fees based on their container production. Did you know that this does not apply to Free Flow steel kegs because they are a 100% reusable package?
Free Flow Wines Achieves Certified Green Service™ Status from the Green Restaurant Association
Free Flow Wines is a trusted and leading Certified Green Service™ with their reusable stainless steel kegs used for wine by-the-glass programs nationally.
September 7, 2023, Sonoma, CA – Free Flow Wines announces its recent certification as a Certified Green Service™ by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA). This recognition highlights Free Flow Wines' commitment to environmental sustainability and its dedication to providing green solutions to the service industry.
The Green Restaurant Association is a widely respected organization that evaluates and certifies restaurants and foodservice establishments for their environmental sustainability steps. The Certified Green Service™ designation is a testament to Free Flow Wines' adherence to the highest standards (https://www.dinegreen.com/reusables) of sustainability, aligning with the GRA's mission to create a more sustainable future for the foodservice sector. Restaurants can earn 3 GreenPoints™ towards Certified Green Restaurant® status by working with Free Flow Wines.
“With green washing running rampant, Free Flow identified the need to have our sustainability credentials verified by a respected 3rd party. The GRA certifying our reusable kegging services as more sustainable than single-use glass bottles and plastic kegs is an important milestone towards making wines by-the-glass more sustainable. We are proud to have our services recognized for helping the wine and hospitality communities reduce their carbon footprint and waste,” notes Barclay Webster, VP of Business Development at Free Flow Wines.
As a Certified Green Service™ provider, Free Flow Wines joins an esteemed group of environmentally sustainable organizations dedicated to minimizing waste, conserving resources, and fostering sustainable practices.
For more information about Free Flow Wines and its Certified Green Service™ designation, please visit https://www.dinegreen.com/freeflowwines.
About Free Flow Wines
Free Flow Wines, the pioneer of premium wine on tap, aims to deliver the freshest, best tasting, most sustainable glass of wine. Free Flow’s keg leasing, filling and logistics have allowed the wine and hospitality industries to move to a greener, fresher, better way to serve wine by the glass. Founded in 2009, Free Flow has more than 260 wine brands in keg, from wineries throughout the world. Premium wines in Free Flow kegs are available at restaurants, hotels, retail stores, sports and entertainment venues nationwide. Free Flow Wines currently has production facilities in Sonoma, California and Bayonne, New Jersey.
About the Green Restaurant Association:
The Green Restaurant Association is a national non-profit organization that provides the only official Certified Green Restaurants® mark in the country. Since 1990, the GRA has pioneered the Green Restaurant® movement and has been the leading voice within the industry encouraging restaurants to listen to consumer demand to green their operations using transparent, science-based certification standards. With their turnkey certification system, the GRA has made it easy for thousands of restaurants to become more environmentally sustainable in a profitable manner. The GRA has been featured on CNN, NBC Nightly News, NPR, and in The New York Times, and The Washington Post. For more information visit www.dinegreen.com.
About
Free Flow Wines is the forerunner of premium wine on tap, enabling the world’s best wineries to deliver their wines to consumers nationwide in the format most favored by winemakers and operators alike: on tap. Free Flow’s industry-leading technology has allowed the wine and hospitality industries to move towards a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly method that maintains wine integrity from the barrel to tap. Founded in 2009, Free Flow Wines has more than 220 wine brands in kegs with appellations ranging from the north western states throughout the US as well as to New Zealand, Argentina, and Europe. Their clients' wines are offered to a variety of restaurants, premium hotels, sports and entertainment venues nationwide. The company is located in Napa, California, and you can find them online at FreeFlowWines.com, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr @FreeFlowWine.
Contact
Contact List
| Title | Name | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director of Customer Success & Marketing | Julia Tarazoff | julia@freeflowwines.com | 415-626-1215 | 415 |
| Customer Success | Customer Success | info@freeflowwines.com | 4156261215 |
Location List
| Locations | Address | State | Country | Zip Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Flow Wines | 21945 Carneros Lake Lane, Suite 1, Sonoma | CA | United States of America | 95476 |
List of Locations
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