Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/742839
104 WINES&VINES November 2016 PACKAGING label: a multi-page label that provides ad- ditional area for copy. It's useful where there's not enough space on the container for all the winery needs or wants to say about its brand. According to MPI's Jean Smith, label stock can vary for each project, depending on de- sired application and environment. The hinge label can be used with water- and cold- resistant stock. Direct-to-bottle printing is hardly a new method, but Waterloo Container in Waterloo, N.Y., has invested in new SERVO technology to bring faster, more accurate bottle printing to East Coast customers. This equipment ap- plies as many as eight colors in a single pass using UV-cured ink for wrap-around effects, including reverse print visible inside the bottle from the opposite side. After final art is approved, printing, testing and shipping can happen within as few as 10 days. Clients can see free, virtual prints of their artwork on the bottle. Setup charges do not apply to 55 bottle options in Waterloo's inven- tory with a one-pallet printing minimum. Bottles are delivered ready to fill. Cover up In the notoriously conservative wine world, screwcaps have made a surprisingly big splash in a relatively short timeframe. Like natural and synthetic corks, they continue to evolve to meet market demands. Novatwist screwcaps were on display at the Wines & Vines Packaging Conference, repre- senting a novel approach to the twist-off clo- sure. Sommelier Marc Kauffman is a sales consultant for Novatwist, an interesting angle since sommeliers have been ranked among the top resisters to screwcaps. Lighter than metal tops, these plastic caps are available in multiple colors that can be custom branded with up to four colors on the smooth-sided skirt and two on the top. Although Kauffman said several North American wineries have placed orders, they're not yet in the market. Paul Sapin, a large French supplier, has used the closure for sev- eral years. Novatwist works with the same bottle neck as metal screwcaps, but it can be applied with a simple pushdown and twist, meaning tiny wineries can even apply them by hand, unlike metal competitors. Scott Laboratories has been well known as a wine industry supplier for decades; the Peta- luma, Calif.-based company currently stocks metal screwcaps provided by an undisclosed French producer. Scott credits a high grade of aluminum for consistency in production and application. Ten stock colors in the standard 30mm x 60mm size are available with Saranex liners; tin liners are also available. Alt style In case you've missed all the national cover- age, canned wine is trending, even on Cali- fornia's premium-oriented Central Coast. Niels Udsen, president of Castoro Cellars and long-time mobile bottler Castoro Bottling Co., confirmed that numerous wineries in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo are trying this approach, apparently beloved by coveted mil- lennial consumers. Scheduling can be tough because these can- ners do a lot of traveling, Udsen said. A new canning line in his plant may ease the logjam, although Udsen believes most canning will happen at clients' locations. "Once you get into cider and beer, the world changes with carbonation. Ideally bottling should be in close proximity of the brite tank (used for carbonation) to reduce foaming. I feel it may be easier to do that at our location. Time will tell," he said. Because of the smaller sizes of cans, typical runs are shorter in gallons than bottling days. Cans are manufactured overseas, so size varia- tions may cause delivery delays. Udsen predicted the expanding American market for canned wine will make the supply chain more efficient. When Dave Moynahan introduced As- trapouch to the North American wine industry in 2010, it came as a flexible, single-serve pack- age ready to hang near market checkouts. Since then, Astrapouch North America has grown along with its package sizes and decora- tive options. This year, the 1.5-liter Barrel Bag, which resembles an oak barrel, requires only a clear label to personalize and sell. Black label-ready pouches are available in 750ml, 1.5-liter and 3-liter sizes. Astrapouch also now provides wine-dis- pensing systems for bag-in-box wines that can be used in tasting rooms and on-premise ven- ues for as little as $99 per 3-liter unit. Wrap it in a box It's well known that wood goes well with wine—attendees at our August packaging con- ference voted a wooden bottle the most out- standing of all treatments on display. Napa Wooden Box Co. provides customized gift and presentation boxes, and its wine indus- try business is up nearly 130% from 2015. The boxes typically take six to 18 months from inception, and lead time from design ap- proval to completion can be three to four months. To keep up, the company operates two shifts, three assembly lines and a sample line. "Burned" art is the most common branding method, and the branding can utilize one to three burn levels. Optional closures include a new leather belt and buckle. Sometimes packaging goes back to basics. PakSource Inc. in Sacramento, Calif., makes 100% recyclable, 100% biodegradable gift boxes fabricated of kraft corrugated material in two- or three-bottle configurations with room to include special accompanying gifts. Customizable are available in natural kraft or matte black. Although the boxes are not insulated, they are approved for UPS and FedEx shipping as-is, but clients also receive a "sleeve" outer box to prevent the branded container from scuffing during shipment. The entire packag- ing is recyclable. Made in California, the boxes arrive completely assembled and ready to pack; they're in stock for immediate delivery. Current customers using these boxes include Boisset Family Estates, Rudd Winery, Emeritus Vineyards and Banshee Wines. The 1.5-liter Barrel Bag from Astrapouch resembles an oak barrel and can be personalized for wineries. Branding is available in one of three burn levels at Napa Wooden Box Co.