Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/63937
P A CKA GING Schreiber and her partners at JT looked at numerous options and noted that single-serve aluminum was being used with growing success in Europe; most, however, were tiny 187ml bottles with non-resealable crown caps. Aluminum's quick- chilling effect frees space behind the bar—a real plus given the price of New York real estate. The product in the Flasq is as custom-tailored for its audience as the package. Chardonnay and Merlot both have a touch of residual sugar; Cuvée Blanc (a blend of Alexander Valley Sauvi- gnon Blanc, Viognier and Moscato) is the sweetest, with 2.3% residual sugar. Although technically it could be called Sauvignon Blanc, "As a marketing person, I think it doesn't really represent Sauvignon Blanc," Schreiber said. "We wanted no confusion at the point of consumption. We debated names: Sweet Sauvignon Blanc? Some whimsical name?" Taking into account radically differ- ent regional preferences for degrees of sweetness, in the end, the partners settled on the classic "cuvée." JT both buys bulk wines and blends them at The Ranch Win- ery in St. Helena, Calif., where it maintains a separate bottling line for Flasq. The company has done some private labeling but now concentrates on Flasq, according to Dave Bon, vice presi- dent of operations. Purchased from GAI in Italy, the bottling line is fairly standard, requiring just a few changeover parts to convert to aluminum. At first glance, the package appears to be silk-screened, but in fact it is labeled with a flexible polypropylene wrap, designed by JT's design team and manufactured by Image X of Pleasanton, Calif. They adhere perfectly to the straight-sided Flasq, Bon said, and are waterproof. although the package appears to be silk-screened, it is labeled with a flexible polypropylene wrap that adheres to the straight-sided flasq. Coated on the interior to prevent contact between wine and aluminum, the Flasq containers are reputed to be 100% recy- clable. They are also safe to repurpose and re-use, according to Bon. Its lighter weight makes aluminum cheaper to ship than glass, although he conceded that aluminum is more expensive than glass. Bon said that as the only U.S. winery using the container, JT had to wait in line to source them from Michigan supplier Exal, which produces some 1.3 billion containers annually for the international beverage industry. "The cost is relatively higher for us," Bon said. "We're the little guy." BORDEAUX places its trust in CADUS... In 2011 Bordeaux became one of our biggest markets 39 Grands Crus Classés already place their trust in us.... Why wouldn't you ? CADUS Taste Unique See SENSORIEL Range Contact our Agent : Bouchard Cooperages - Tel. : 707-257-3582 - sales@bouchardcooperages.com - www.bouchardcooperages.com Tonnellerie Cadus - France - wwww.tonnelleriecadus.com 50 Wines & Vines MAY 2012 PRESSE CADUS 19.36X12.38 UK.indd 1 21/03/12 13:44