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WI n EM ak I n G make sense for wines by the glass. They're not perfect, and they're not economically friendly. They can lead to oxidized wines, and then there's the TCA issue." Silvertap tested the concept during fall 2009 and rolled it out in early 2010. Quinn says they are now in nine states and have distributor commitments in an additional 15. When filled, Free Flow Wines kegs weigh half as much as steel equivalents. Strip & Sip They've adopted a proprietary keg- ging system but borrowed concepts from breweries to maintain sanitation. The kegs are made from food-grade plastic, which Kivelstadt considers more envi- ronmentally friendly than stainless steel because of its lower weight and less energy used during manufacturing. He says that a full keg (26 bottles) weighs 47 pounds—about the same as a case of 12 750ml heavy-duty bottles and half as heavy as the steel equivalent. Silvertap mostly goes through wine distributors, many of which also carry beer and are familiar with the technology and logistics. Kivelstadt cautions that the kegs have to be cleaned and used properly. "We don't encourage keeping (them) longer than three months, and the wines should not be oxidative or reductive. He quotes a cost of packaging at less than $1 per bottle equivalent, compared to the typical cost of packaging used for better wines at about $2 including labels, corks, capsules, cases, etc. Vintap The perfect wine closure. • Fast bottling applications: manual, semi & fully automatic • Fits standard finish glass • Creates market differentiation • Easy to open – no corkscrew • Easy to reseal – won't leak • FDA approved – no cork taint • 4 Reusable and recyclable Another company addressing the market is Vintap. President Michael Ouellette both brokers and distributes stainless-steel kegs, but doesn't have a Vintap brand. He has some "house" brands he can use if a conflict arises with a distributor selling bottled wines. He doesn't want keg wines to be stereotyped at the low end of the market, as has happened to some degree with screwcapped wines. Ouellette, a well-known sommelier and restaurateur, says he looks for the same type of wines he sought for wine lists: varietal wines of interest such as estate wines. 1-866-996-ZORK (9675) ZORKusa.com ©ZORK2011 He recognizes that some other compa- nies are pushing the economics harder, but he says he can still deliver the wine for 20%-25% less than in bottles. Among the wineries he's worked with are Saintsbury and Emilio's Terrace, and the restaurants include Fish Story. For now, he's focusing on the West Coast due to logistics issues like returning the kegs, but he's looking into a recyclable (not 36 Wines & Vines MARCH 201 1