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SALES & MARKETING some folks," Allen said. McCallum at Vinopolis estimated the percentage there at 10%-15%. "There's no preference, but very little resistance," he said. "They still tend to be concentrated in high-produc- tion wines. In his Nashville store, Wilson observed, White Heron transitioned from a colorful, artsy package to a sleeker, more mature look. Does non-traditional sell? With these wine specialists, not so much. Screwcaps are quietly gaining acceptance, with little fanfare. Already accounting for almost all New Zealand wine bottlings, and with major impact in both South America and European producers, they account for small, if meaningful, percent- ages in these high-end U.S. stores. At Vino in Spokane, screwcapped wines contribute "probably 20%" to wine sales. "They can be a put-off for "Virtually everything from New Zealand" comes with screwcaps, but the overall percentage in his store remains at 15%- 20% screwcap. "If they're not real cur- rent with what's going on, they still view screwcapped wines like Ripple or Boone's Farm," he admitted. But these customers, he said, "haven't kept abreast of the fresh- ness factor and technology." That said, "A lot of our older clientele like screwcaps" if they want to drink a glass or two of wine from a decent bottle. "Corkscrews get harder to use" as con- sumers age. pl-wvdirectory-10.pdf 12/1/09 8:20:09 PM "People are getting used to it," Petropou- los commented. "Really snotty people can't get over it, but younger people don't have a problem with it. Everybody agrees screwcap is better in terms of performance." In Greensboro, the Zeto owners sell about 25% screwcapped wines, a per- centage that has increased in three years. "They were a turnoff to some, early on. They have, however, found the conve- nience of opening the bottle with a screw- cap, so it has come into general favor," they said. Zeto has some customers who still resist screwcaps at higher price-points but have embraced the elegant glass Vi- noLok with enthusiasm. Bag-in-box packages are not big sellers in these specialty stores—if they are even available. Vinopolis doesn't carry them, nor do Back Room or Zeto. They are gaining some acceptance in Austin, Petropoulis said. "They are cooler, more trendy, and not what your grandma used to drink." In Nashville, Wilson said, "Bag-in-box has seen considerable growth in the last two or three years, as quality has improved." He's especially high on a Spanish Garnacha from Viña Borgia, which he sells for $24.99 per 3-liter box. "We've seen fairly explosive growth. One of the selling points is for people who want to enjoy a glass or two" and save the rest. In Spokane, unofficial capital of the Northwest's hyper-outdoorsy Inland Empire that includes eastern Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana, Cliff Family Winery's Astro-Pouch pack- age is selling well to hikers and backpack- ers. The lightweight, collapsible bags "don't move like lightning," but they have gained a following as a convenience pack- age in this market. Bottom line C M Y CM MY CY CMY K If you are making high-end, limited- production wine and selling some of it through retailers who give it the hand- sell massage, don't get cute and don't go fancy with your packaging; that won't help. Any wine that's sold at a relatively high price-point should reflect its quality with a package that's simple, elegant and information-packed. Given my affection for Grenache wines (see "Perspective: Gimme Gar- nacha Wines" in the December 2010 issue), I was thirsting to buy a bottle of Le Nain Violet at Back Room. Since the previous customer had purchased the last bottle, I asked instead for a Spanish Albariño. Turns out, there were none in stock, but Foster pulled a bottle of Dream, a Lodi-appellation Albariño from Odisea. Wearing a simple but striking green label and a screwcap, it was closer to my comfort zone price-wise: I took it home for $16. I never would have singled it out at the supermarket—but it wouldn't have been there in the first place. 44 Wines & Vines MARCH 2012