Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/400294
82 W i n e s & V i n e s n O V e M b e r 2 0 1 4 printing process from M.A. Silva provides the "highest capable image resolution for natural cork stoppers," said marketing specialist Elke Wolfe. "No ink touches the cork." The Décork D-CLP laser printer can embellish corks with pictures or shades and personalize them with numbers, codes or authenticity marks. "It creates perfectly detailed 3D-style imaging. High- definition shading along with the darkest printing capability allow for distinctive illustrative or photographic rendering to be visually sharp," Wolfe said. "Many wineries are fascinated by the capability to add traceability," she added. Special marketing programs can use num- bering for limited production wines or code corks for lottery drawings. "Similar to fire branding, laser technol- ogy doesn't need ink to burn the artwork onto the cork," according to Wolfe. The cost depends on the artwork; there is no charge for a die. M.A. Silva is the first to offer this tech- nology. Already it's favored by Grgich Hill Estate, Nova Wines and Bella Vineyards. Embellish the bottle We cover bottle décor on a regular basis, but like every packaging element, suppli- ers continue to expand and upgrade options to make bottles pop. Bergin Glass Impressions in Napa increased its screenprinting capacities by adding a fully automated 12-station, nine- color machine on its No. 1 high-speed line. The new print machine is also equipped with camera registration to ensure between-seam accuracy even on high-speed print runs. According to CEO and president Mike Bergin, the company's automated high- speed line has a dedicated Lehr furnace and can run at speeds upward of 65 bot- tles per minute. The two high-speed lines, he said, "act in concert—one running while the other is being set up with the next run, so we can move immediately to the next run and keep our through-put at 45,000-50,000 bottles per day." For shorter runs of 100-1,000 cases, Bergin has seven screen-print machines that can print 100 to 1,000 cases during a 20-hour production day. For these short runs, "We might run upward of five to 10 different jobs on various print machines. We load bottles by the neck with an oper- ator to feed them into the canisters that hold them in place via vacuum. The oper- ator feels for the glass seam as they insert, so that every bottle is printed between the glass seams. These semi-automatic machines run at approximately 22 to 26 bottles per minute," Bergin said. Bottle engraving is a long-established technology used to decorate ultra-high-end wine bottles. Gravotech in Duluth, Minn., introduced a "compact and versatile com- puterized engraving system" for use on glass, crystal, plastic and stainless steal. The Gravograph M40DeepVice (M40DV) has cylindrical capability suitable for per- sonalizing wine bottles and glasses. According to marketing coordinator Katie Schleucher Perkins, the M40DV is a DIY device that wineries can use to customize glass in-house using simple software. Operators need about an hour of training. Metallic finishes, foil and inks are now more accessible for labels and screen- printed bottles. Wineries that want an even more high-end look for their pack- ages are also adopting metal labels. Visu- ally outstanding and highly tactile, "They are more expensive than paper. They are for specific price-point wine," said Rui Eduardo Bastos Amaro, president of Bas- tos LLC in St. Helena, Calif. The adhesive metal labels have a peel- off backing. "The adhesive is very power- ful and fuses with glass, or over paper, within three seconds," Bastos explained. "The labels are applied by hand. We sup- ply two free template boxes for applica- tion, and we train the (bottling line) crews on their application. A good operator can apply six to eight labels per minute." Prices range from 30 cents for a simple medallion to $4 each for a large piece like the Reynolds Family "Steadfast." Fused with a printed paper backing, the striking front label can double as the back label containing government requirements that are visible through the bottle, Bastos said. Take the bumps out of bottling Conversations with package designers and wineries frequently unearth horror stories along the bottling line. Many wineries only bottle for a few days per year, while mobile and contract bottlers encounter unfamiliar and irregular package elements. Suppliers of packaging equipment strive to smooth out the process. Reynolds Family Winery uses metallic labels from Bastos for its Steadfast Reserve. Gravotech's Gravograph M40DeepVice is suitable for engraving personalized wine bottles. p a c k a g i n g