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W i n e s & V i n e s M A R C H 2 0 1 4 45 were trying to get wine out of tanks and into bottles a bit earlier than usual." "Order size is highly dependent on harvest yield and the allocation of the juice into vari- ous single-varietal or blend wines," Giovanni said. "There has been a small trend toward later purchase commitments as glass supply has been relaxed by low-yield vintages and a growing supply of glass." He predicted coming changes, though, especially in 2014 and 2015 bottlings, where the combinations of high-yield har- vests in 2012 and 2013—as well as glass- production capacity constraints—will require early commitments to ensure adequate and timely bottle supplies. Global Packaging, Harrop said, is seeing larger orders and more premium bottle sales at higher prices. "We are returning back to pre-2007 purchasing requests for high-end bottles." At TricorBraun, Gordon said buying habits have remained stable for the past couple of years. "We do see a trend in large retail chain competition, where several cus- tomers will request pricing for a large proj- ect—10,000 to 20,000 cases with very little lead time. These are difficult because sev- eral accounts are requesting quick turn- around, but only one ends up with the project. Often, these projects go into what- ever package is available in that quantity." So wineries that are picky about packaging are well advised to build lead-time into their prospective projects. What the market wants Every winery has different demands for design, pricing and environmental priori- ties. Suppliers have observed fluctuations: "Based on our observations, the smaller wineries are leaning toward moving their bottle choices back to heavier weight and more unique bottle shapes and styles to attempt to differentiate themselves," Sychowski said. "Larger operations really are being pressed to go into lighter weight and more eco-bottles in order to control costs and be seen as environmentally friendly." "Magnums and even larger size bottles up to 6 liters and more have come back after the crisis, but they remain a small portion of total bottling volumes, mostly targeted at events like wine auctions and specific customer segments such as wine club members," Giovanni observed. "There is always a search for new shapes, mostly with wineries that already have and are developing custom glass packaging for a reserve or estate wine. Otherwise there is a continuing trend toward wineries trying to limit the number of glass SKUs by bottling several wine brands, blends or varietals in the same bottle in order to gain flexibility and lever- age similar labels, capsules and corks. "The traditional and most popular color remains antique green, with some varia- tion in the deepness of the green depend- Highlights • Wines & Vines interviewed seven executives from wine industry bottle suppliers about trends in winery orders. • Orders are up as wine producers bottle the 2012-13 harvests; large wineries continue to emphasize lightweight glass. • Some smaller wineries are re-ordering heavy-weight, high-style bottles. • The growing wine market means an increase in glass bottle use—even as alternative packaging grows. Liquid Nitrogen Dosing Systems: Key Benefi ts: Flushes oxygen out of bottle head space Keeps the fruit in every pour Best "locks in" FSO 2 levels 800.371.3303 www.chartdosers.com Dosing The World One Drop At A Time P A C K A G I N G