Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/1007939
62 WINES&VINES August 2018 PACKAGING consumers can do after the AR experience. "With my app, after the glitz you can go on and learn more about the product," Grossman said. Inside the Out the Bottle AR experience screen are three buttons that can link to wher- ever the winery wants them to — tasting notes, recipes, the e-commerce page. What's more, these links are malleable in the hands of the wineries through a back-end portal where they can manipulate how those links function at any time. Grossman said he added this ability to ap- peal to the more discerning wine consumer, the folks who don't necessarily care what a wine label can do so much as how much infor- mation it can provide. Grossman is thankful for TWE successfully paving the way and popularizing the new tech- nology. He said that since the launch of TWE's 19 Crimes AR labels, he's been getting calls from clients finally interested in the tech he pitched years ago. He's currently working on AR labels for nine wineries and a few wine clubs, all California-based, none of which he would name. "I just want my wineries to tell their stories to their consumers," he said. "They have no voice when they're out on the shelf." Tech versus touch AR isn't the only way to achieve mass-market appeal. "There's an undercurrent about feel," said Jim Sheibley, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Wausau Coated Prod- ucts in Wausau, Wis. "We like to ask, 'How does this feel in my hand?' and 'Does this feel dif- ferent in my hand?'" Textural experience is just as important as visual appeal, according to Sheibley. He men- tions wood veneer on beer bottles and pleather on barrel-aged spirits. One of his clients, a nationally branded Kentucky bourbon brand, was able to increase the per-bottle price by $10 (taking it from a $50 price to $60, ac- cording to Sheibley) and "still exceeded sale expectations" due to its textural labeling transformation. "If there's a way to move a brand to the upscale market without com- pletely changing the identity, it's with label- ing," Sheibley said. Wausau Coated's newest innovation geared toward the wine industry is its Marquis Prod- uct, a velveteen-like material. Manufactured mostly in rich, royal reds and purples, the prod- uct has been picked up predominantly by cli- ents producing sparkling wines or premium red wines. Consumers saw this on the shelves last year when Raymond Vineyards, part of Boisset Collection, released its 40th Anniver- sary 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. "We're continuing the velvet label with subsequent vintages of that wine," said Megan Long, com- munications manager for Boisset Collection, "and we're incorporating different-colored velvet labels with other wines in the Napa Val- ley Reserve Tier — a Merlot and Chardonnay — which will be out either later this year or early 2019." For the more casually consumed wines, namely white wines and rosés, Wausau Coated has a line of paper called Ever Opaque. Though the material has the look and feel of a conven- tional wine label, it includes a film over the top to support the embellishment of embossing or foil-detailing without damage to the paper. The real appeal: Ever Opaque is exactly that — it remains wrinkle- and bubble-free and, yes, opaque, even when chilled in an ice bath, as many white and rosé wines are. So consum- ers can #roséallday and still have Instagram- worthy bottle shots. You know how good your Zinfandel is... Promote your wines to leading Zinfandel enthusiasts and extend your winery's relationship in the market. JoinUs! We are champions of Zinfandel— America's Heritage Wine Become part of our proud legacy zinfandel.org • 530-274-4900 Zinfandel Advocates & Producers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ZAP is dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history. Vineyard Tools Battery Powered Pruning Shears • 1.25-inch and 1.5-inch cutting capacity models • 15,000 pruning cuts per battery charge • Includes lithium battery, harness, holster and carrying case www.zenportindustries.com | 503-524-7289 Gra ing Tools w zenportindustri Tying Tools & Supplies Harvest Shears ineyard T ols Pruning | Gra ing | Tying | Harvest Raymond Vineyards 40th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon features Wausau Coated Products' Marquis label. " We like to ask, 'How does this feel in my hand?' and 'Does this feel different in my hand?'" —Jim Sheibley, executive vice president of sales and marketing, Wausau Coated Products