Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/591609
PACKAGING 90 WINES&VINES November 2015 used die-cut lengths of tear tape from Napa's Etched Images, source of its LowTemp Dip wax. Etched Images now offers tear tape rolls for wax dip toppers. Measuring 0.25 inches by 60 yards, "Customers actually cut them to length with scissors and apply by hand before dipping the bottle," said Stu McFarland, the company's president and founder. McFarland said the m a j o r i t y o f t h e 100-plus clients purchasing the tear tape are in mi- crobreweries and micro- distilleries, indicating an opportunity for wine in- d u s t r y i n n o v a t o r s t o adopt this easy-open feature on premium bottles. For users of cork-and-capsule and screwtop treatments, hot foil embellishment is hot, according to Jenna Riggan, marketing coor- dinator for Amcor Flexibles of American Canyon, Calif. Hot foil "can really bolster your brand perception," she said. "Consumers perceive a higher value and qual- ity. It can make the piece stand out from the crowd. Metallic foils lead to more ink reflection, creating a stand-out product on the shelf." The premium treat- ment does not necessar- ily cost more, Riggan said. "Hot foil can be more cost effective than printing, par- t i c u l a r l y o n s m a l l e r r u n sizes. We have shells already p r i n t e d ; b y using our wide range of stock colors for a base, the lead time and cost position are very competitive." Al- though relatively new, the process is already employed by several win- ery customers. More wineries are customizing their closure treatments, accord- ing to Jennifer Peebles of Janson Capsules. In May 2015, Janson moved production facilities for its screwcaps, polylaminate and PVC capsules to Napa, adding to the county's payroll. Screwcap embellishments in- clude hot stamping on top and blind embossing on tops, em- bossing with hot-stamp and two-color skirt hot stamping. For polylam capsules, Roto-Gravure printing for skirt and top discs; for top discs, emboss- ing with ink and hot stamp- ing as well as hot stamping with embossing for skirts. Every element of the packaging process demands planning ahead. Collin Casper at Napa's VinPerfect noted, "We see wineries who do well with lead times; who plan months out to be able to get cus- tom caps. Then we see others who have waited until the last minute and we're either rushing produc- tion and shipping materials via air freight from overseas, or we are using our own proprietary laser- engraving here in-house." S c r e w c a p d é c o r o p t i o n s , Casper said, depend on the winery size and the time allotted for pro- Bottle Label orientation and 3rd Station neck label available Self Contained Nitrogen Generator (No dewars needed) Touch Dry Ink Case Printing (Saves a person and saves a label) Nitrodose Easy Dose liquid nitrogen Steam Sterilization—The Four Big "E's" Economy, Efficiency, Effectiveness, Environmental Laser Bottling Coding for Time and Date "Let us take the stress out of your BottLing" www.atmbl.net 413 St. Andrews Dr. Napa, CA 94558 T: 707.257.3757 F: 707.224.4641 Adding a tear-tab to premi- um packages with wax "capsules" simplifies bottle opening and looks luxe, as seen in this sample from Etched Images. Laser printing, foil stamping and embossing all make capsules eye- catching and identifiable.