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112 WINES&VINES January 2017 PACKAGING gundy or Bordeaux (driven by the varietal), and closures are all Stel- vin screwcaps from G3 throughout the $36-per-bottle range. For the BDX Collection (five 100% Bordeaux varietal wines grown at Ghielmetti Estate Vine- yard), the same bottle styles bear black labels with copper foil. At $42 per bottle, these are all fin- ished with Ganau natural corks. The highest tier, Lineage/Liver- more Valley, is bottled in heavier glass with longer, higher quality cork. Landmark prints all of the labels, and according to Mirassou packaging costs vary due to the size of each tier's production. Producing about 80,000 cases annually, Clos LaChance Winery in San Martin, Calif., is a mid-size, family-owned winery offering three tiers of wines. Marketing director, vice presi- dent and proprietor Cheryl Durzy and winemaker Jason Robideaux are responsible for packaging de- cisions and difference among the tiers. According to Durzy, the Es- tate Tier, which retails for $12- $18 per bottle, is sold through distribution, on- and off-premise channels. At $18 to $40 per bot- tle, the Reserve tier is sold en- tirely through the tasting room and wine club, with some local on-premise sales included via self-distribution. Designate, the t o p t i e r, i s s o l d e x c l u s i v e l y through the wine club and tasting room at $40-$75 per bottle. Durzy said that the sales chan- nel definitely makes a difference in packaging choices. The 250 or fewer cases of Designate available every year are sold to the best (wine club) customers, and they always sell out prior to the next vintage release. "Distribution wouldn't make sense" for these wines, she said. With some 500-750 cases an- nually, the mid-range Reserve Tier is a little more available, usu- ally 90% is sold to wine club members and tasting room visi- tors. The wines in this tier change year to year, based on what showed well in the barrel. "We sell some in local restau- rants and high-end clubs….I would be happy to sell more of these unique wines in the wholesale channel, but I get too much push- back on price and quantity by wholesalers," Durzy commented. "The Estate tier are the wines we sell in distribution. We have about 20 distributors throughout the country, selling seven SKUs." Clos LaChance's signature hummingbird appears on its packaging at all price points including Estate (from left), Reserve and Designate.