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March 2016 WINES&VINES 51 PACKAGING Marco Braguti, the North American man- ager for Bruni Glass, said, "We have not seen a drastic reduction in the price of wine bottles," though more wineries are looking for custom- ized bottles to increase brand recognition. Global Package develops as many as 10 new shapes for bottles and spirits every year, Harrop said, and the company continues to add new bottle selections from offshore suppliers. Global's Doble Alto line from Spanish de- signer Estal features a double-high base. "We are working on projects here locally (Cali- fornia) as well," Harrop said. Gallo's Dart also noted: "Consumer demand for beer has been declining (per Euromonitor), due in part to an increase in wine and spirit consumption. In reaction to these market changes, the U.S. glass industry has seen plant closures. To accommodate larger wine contain- ers, beer bottle machines have been converted to wine and spirit bottle machines. This in- creased supply has had the effect of putting downward pressure on wine bottle prices." Has the time come for plastics? Way back in 1967, the late Mike Nichols directed a crass adult to urge Dustin Hoff- man's drifting character in the film "The Graduate" to get into "plastics." All these decades later, plastic is beginning to make a splash in wine packaging. Mendocino County, Calif.-based Fetzer Vineyards dipped a toe into plastic, single- serve wineglass-shaped packages designed for use in stadiums and similar venues. That program was discontinued, but Fetzer is still committed to 187ml plastic bottles—both for airline service and retail sales. Surprised? Fetzer is renowned for strict adherence to sustainable grapegrowing and winemaking. The company's chief operating officer, Cindy DeVries, told Wines & Vines, "Lightweight, 187ml PET bottles allow us to offer greater convenience and portability for wine consumers, in turn facilitating a broader set of consumption occasions for Fetzer wines." She added, "Also of tremendous interest to us are the sustainability benefits associ- ated with lighter packaging, which reduces the carbon emissions created during ship- ping. Shifts like ours from glass to PET pack- aging in the 187ml size help us to reduce our carbon emissions, while complementary car- bon sequestration efforts in our vineyards allow us to further reduce the overall carbon footprint of our operation." The bottles are produced by Amcor Rigid Plastics, and screwcaps come from G3, ac- cording to Fetzer public relations associate Courtney Cochran. Promote your wines to leading Zinfandel enthusiasts and extend your winery's relationship in the market. Join Us! We are champions of Zinfandel— America's Heritage Wine Become part of our proud legacy zinfandel.org • 530-274-4900 Zinfandel Advocates & Producers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ZAP is dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history. You know how good your Zinfandel is... ORDER TODAY AND GET IMMEDIATE ONLINE ACCESS. The most current and comprehensive guide to wine and grape industry professionals, products and services in North America is now available online and in print. ORDER TODAY. winesandvines.com/order Fetzer altered its bottling line to accommodate 187ml wine bottles made from lightweight plastic.