Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/670981
WINEMAKER INTERVIEW May 2016 WINES&VINES 51 Q There must have been something of a learning curve when you started. How did you find someone to can your wines, and what sort of technical issues did you face? Do you have to make adjustments, for example, in SO 2 additions? HARMS: Union Wine Co. is a small company, and sometimes I feel it is challenging to have enough resources to work quickly to bring ideas to reality. I am very proud of my team: From the point that we said we wanted to take this from an idea to a commercial product was less than 12 months. We have taken our lumps along the way, but it has been instructive and ulti- mately has made us better at what we are doing. We reached out to Owen Lingley at Craft Canning in Portland (Oregon) to talk the idea out and get some assistance thinking through the challenges of accomplishing what we wanted to do. He was excited and saw the po- tential and was very supportive from day one. Owen was able to adjust his equipment, which is set to run 12-ounce cans, to run the 12.7- ounce cans. Owen also invested in a nitrogen doser, which we needed so we could create the necessary internal pressure to support the side walls of the can. This all took some investment, and we also invested time to adjust equipment that is principally created for the beer industry so it would work for still wine. We have found that we can lower the free SO 2 in cans versus the levels we traditionally go to bottle with, but beyond that we don't change anything else about the wine before packaging. In the first year of packaging our cans, we simply put them in a 24-pack flat and shipped them to accounts that way. Unfor- tunately, we found that the cans were easily dented and would bounce out of the card- board flat. Learning from this experience, we found a solution to start shrink-wrapping the flats in 2015, which greatly diminished the amount of damaged goods. As we began the process of scaling what we were doing, we also realized that the can- n i n g e q u i p m e n t w e w e r e using was a limiting factor, plus we had to take the flats post-canning to another fa- cility to shrink-wrap. So in fall 2015, we moved our can- n i n g t o Va r n i B r o s . i n Modesto, Calif. They had been doing some wine pack- aging for some other canned products. While we're not excited to be shipping tank- ers to California and losing some control, Varni Bros. has given us significant advan- tages in production capacity and technical know-how. Q Why are you using 375 ml (12.7-ounce) cans? HARMS: When we looked at canning, I wanted to use a 12-ounce can due to its familiarity to the consumer and felt it would best display our branding. The smaller cans that some wineries use just felt too dainty and precious for our brand. Of course, we can't use a 12-ounce can because of TTB regulations, and thus began my search for a 375ml can with the same di- ameter as a traditional 12-ounce can. Little did I know that this choice would present many challenges. The search lead me to Ball UK, where they make this can roughly twice a year. The limited manufacturing schedule, transat- lantic shipping, West Coast port congestion and large minimums were all challenges we had to overcome in our first runs with this new prod- uct. We decided to print our cans without vin- tage dates so we could minimize waste as we would move from one vintage to the next. We have been able to print the vintage on the bot- tom of cans so we can track what is on the shelf and compare the cans more easily with the bottled wines. We are now in a good place with our supply chain and logistics, which has al- lowed more continuity of supply for us to be able to fulfill orders. While we are committed to the 375ml size, we have begun exploring a domestically pro- duced 250ml. We recognize that for, say, sports venues, this smaller format may fit more appro- priately or comply with their alcohol policies. Q Most of your bottled wines are under screwcap. Which closure are you using and why? HARMS: Through the years I have worked with BT-Watzke's foils, and when we decided to review our screwcap supplier they were an obvious choice for us. They have done a great job of Tired of etched wine glasses? 800.991.9380 proinfo@mieleusa.com 8 www.miele-pro.com • Quietly cleans glasses in just 15 minutes without etching or residue • ADA compliant and NSF certifed, fnal rinse temp. of 185º F • No rinse aid required for a fawless fnish • Accommodates commercial baskets Miele's PG 8061 is the ideal solution for your tasting room and winery: A one of a kind dishwasher for your one of a kind winery. Email proinfo@mieleusa.com to request a free brochure. Union Wine Co. introduced its wine in a can from this vintage French Citroën H Van during FEAST Portland in spring 2013.