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CO VER S T OR Y From fully metallic to total transparency, Cortica Benicia PVC shrink-wrapped capsules protect corks and wine. exception: If time is money, then the real cost of customizing capsules is building in the time to plan ahead. "You have to proof the design, get color drawdowns made, order tooling and set up a machine to custom print or decorate dur- ing forming. C&E has a system that is really flexible and fast, so we can respond to the market quite easily. It depends on the design requirements.…Sometimes it can be as little as two or three weeks," Jennings said. Custom capsules cause few problems on the bottling line "if they are sized properly to fit the bottle. The material itself is the Capsule Pricing MATERIAL Tin Aluminum Polylaminate PVC PRICE PER UNIT 20-50 cents 11.3-11.5 cents 3.5-5 cents 2-4 cents Prices reflect general ranges provided by some sources for a minimum order of 25,000 capsules. Prices vary by supplier, quantity, unit weight and other variables. most important component of bottling success," she said. "Initially you have to interact with a designer to develop the artwork, then it's sent to us to modify the artwork to con- form to the die cut; the artwork approval form is sent," said Henderson at Maverick. "Once we get the artwork we pride on getting it back within 10 business days, but most often do it much sooner. Once approved by the customer and returned to us, we order the required print cylinder engravings and/or emboss dies. This could take another week to two weeks." For custom orders at Janson, Thomas said to expect "around two weeks more for the first order." For imported tin capsules, "Lead times are longer. Since tin is produced in Spain and has to be shipped over, the lead times are anywhere from six weeks for airfreight to 12 weeks for a sea freight shipment. Planning ahead is very impor- tant. The lead times for polylam and PVC are shorter since they are both produced locally in Benicia," said Rivercap's Bell. Last-minute designing and bottle changes add to lead time, said Galvan at Ramondin. "When the customer hires designers, the lead-time extends radically. They go back and forth with colors and artwork. Once a final art approval is made, the lead-time for custom capsules is 10-12 weeks by boat, four to five by air, because our factory is in Spain." Problems can crop up at bottling if bottle size is changed at the last minute. "You'd be surprised how often that hap- pens." Galvan said. "Or sometimes there can be problems because the bottling line mechanics are not proficient with the fine adjustments of their bottling lines. The mobile line guys are usually very good." Whether you're producing a high-end, luxury wine or something geared more to the mass market, if you have the luxury of time there's no excuse for a ho-hum capsule. For maximum impact from this one small element, incorporate capsule design and sourcing into your packaging plan from word one. 30 WINES & VINES AUGUST 2012