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April 2016 WINES&VINES 35 WINEMAKING work with the bottle and the bot- tling line. If all of these experts are part of a project team that starts early and communicates with each other, the job will get done right. If the winery keeps the vendors apart, the odds of a bottling-day disaster skyrocket. Poor time management can also lead to design compromises. Sterling notes, "When you are out of time you may end up with a stock capsule instead of a custom- printed one. Will it still convey quality and justify price?" A vendor's view Rich Du Bois is a product manager for M.A. Silva, a leading supplier of corks and bottles. He also is an in- dustry veteran, having held senior packaging procurement roles for Allied Domecq and Constellation Brands. He points out that bottling isn't taught by the various winemak- ing schools, where the focus is on vineyards and winemaking, stopping just before the filler. Du Bois also is a proponent of bringing vendors into the process early on. He wants win- eries to test his materials for compat- ibility, knowing that time spent in advance will avoid most problems on bottling day. He suggests the win- ery contact person ask bottlers open- ended questions like, "How can I make my run with you go well?" Good packaging vendors and bot- tlers know each other well, so winer- ies should ask for referrals. Let a pro plan it for you In the August 2015 issue of Wines & Vines, I wrote a story about core competencies. The premise was that you should do what you do well and let others take care of everything else. It makes more sense to buy Apple's iPhone than trying to build one yourself. David Reed is president of Free- Run Winery Services in Healds- burg, Calif., which is a "bolt-on planning, purchasing and packag- ing arm for wineries." FreeRun provides sophisticated procure- ment and packaging expertise that small wineries typically do not have, leveling the playing field between small producers and large wineries with better resources. Bringing in such out- side services frees up time for winemakers to focus on wine quality, and for winery owners to spend more time selling, etc. FreeRun does all the planning and supplier follow-up to keep projects on budget and on sched- ule. In addition, the company ne- gotiates volume discounts on behalf of many winery clients. Fi- nally, FreeRun provides a detailed cost accounting of every step, which is often an eye-opener for winery owners. He observes many of the same mistakes mentioned by others in this story, adding that blending too late in the process often leads to wines that no longer meet appella- tion, alcohol or other label compli- ance requirements. "Now you are bottling shiners," he says. Reed offers this advice: "One of the absolute keys is a buttoned- up plan and schedule, starting with expected finished gallons. Then create a materials plan with realistic yield and waste factor for materials. If at all possible, defer final glass-delivery numbers until you have your wine in the bot- tling tank." He encourages winery owners to listen to supplier sug- gestions. A label printer might suggest a slight change in dimen- sion or materials that would save you 20%." Cynthia Sterling sums up the packaging process best: "Wine- makers must appreciate the great complexity of bottling. You are ordering a half-dozen compo- nents made in different parts of the world by completely different vendors, expecting all parts to fit together perfectly (both from a functional and design perspec- tive) on the bottling day and con- vey your brand image and wine quality. That's a lot of different, precise components and toler- ances that all have to come to- gether. We'd better get these people talking to each other." Andy Starr, founder of StarrGreen (starr- green.com), is an entrepreneur, marketing manager and winemaker who provides strategy, management and business de- velopment consulting services. A resident of Napa Valley, Calif., he holds a bache- lor's degree in fermentation science from the University of California, Davis, and an MBA from UCLA. He lectures about the importance of business plans at Napa Valley College. Are your Consumers Listening? Quality Talks. Randall Grahm Bonny Doon Vineyard Josh Jensen Calera Wine Company Damien Wilson Sonoma State University Meet our General Session Presenters: cbewine.com 16 Give your business the attention it deserves. CBExpo 2016 is the business conference for your winery. Our sessions concentrate on the sales, marketing and business development issues of boutique wine makers. At CBExpo 2016, you will see and learn more about the exact tools and resources you need to get your label out there, expand your brand and give your wine the passionate following it deserves. * Ofer only valid for Artisan Beverage Producers REGISTER TODAY with code WV16 to receive $75 of registration*.