Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/573907
October 2015 WINES&VINES 45 BOTTLES &LABELS screwcap from Guala. With threads concealed under a capsule, it looks almost like a sparkling wine cork, but a tiny arrow offers direction to twist off. "I think it's altered the perception of screwcaps for fine wines," Wagner said. How did he get $315 million for his "under the radar" brand? Wagner suggested the tri-appel- lation package and the fact that the $20-plus bottles "look more like $40" were key. Wagner is not resting on his multi-million- dollar cushion. Current projects include the "Sil- ver" Mer de Soleil bottle. Formerly glazed ceramic, it tells a story: The wine is fer- mented in concrete tanks. Because ceramic bottles are not recyclable and don't take kindly to screwcaps, new bottles will be glass- treated to resemble the ceramic. Beran ("bear") Zinfan- del bears a screen print of the California coastline, giving it a sense of place, capped by a gold and black wax top. The screen print, Wagner said, creates tex- CONFERENCE IMMERSES 370 ATTENDEES IN WINE PACKAGING A crowd of 370 people attended the second annual Wines & Vines Packaging Conference in Napa on Aug. 19 to gain insights about new wine packaging innovations and connect with suppliers. In addition to a keynote talk by Napa vintner Joseph Wagner and a panel discussion by some of the industry's top package designers, the conference also featured a session about cork quality and an an extensive study by Nielsen of consumer-buying habits based on brand image and packaging. Tasting sessions explored how total package oxygen varies during the bottling process and how screw- caps and kegs can affect the sensory qualities of wine. Between sessions, attendees had a chance to participate in "speed dating with designers." Winemakers, winery owners, mar- keting staff and others brought examples of their current packag- ing or proposals and had a chance to meet with one of several professional designers. At the sound of a bell, attendees were able to move on to another designer to get fresh eyes and different opinions on their packaging strategies. The packaging conference, design contest and speed dating with designers will return to Napa in August 2016. —Andrew Adams www.thin lm.no sales@thin lm.no (408) 503-7300 Want to signi cantly improve your ability to deliver personalized and contextually relevant content to your consumers - all with the simple tap of a smartphone? Thinfi lm NFC OpenSense TM Technology Detects both the "factory sealed" and "open" states of a product, enabling the delivery of dynamic, personalized, and relevant content to consumers via an NFC-enabled smartphone or device. —continues on page 48 Joe Wagner surveyed on-premise clients and learned they wanted a premium Pinot Noir that was easy to open for by-the-glass sales. Now Meiomi is sealed under Guala's WAK screwcap. Left: Designer Kevin Reeves of C.F. Napa speaks to Amy Bess Cook, director of communications and operations at Tin Barn Vineyards, during "speed dat- ing with designers." Right: Designer Kerri Green speaks to Carmen Barker, inventory manager and purchasing specialist at Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards.