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44 WINES&VINES May 2017 PACKAGING WHAT ABOUT THE BUBBLES? L ike rosé wines, the sparkling wine market traditionally has been seasonal: holidays, celebrations, weddings and sum- mer. In conjunction with our research into rosé wine pack- aging, we spoke with Rack & Riddle (R&R), the Sonoma County producer and bottler of custom bubbly and still wines. Producing sparkling wine via the costly and time-consuming mé- thode champenoise is not something every winery is equipped to do. But as demand for bubbles has grown, many wineries have turned to specialists like R&R to add this premium item to their product lines. Since its start in 2007, Penelope Gadd-Coster has been director of winemaking at R&R. Clients from as far away as Texas now avail themselves of the winery's services. Some bring in their own grapes or wines, while others purchase "shiners" of ready- to-go sparklers adding only customized labels. The client process can hold a learning curve. "Some start out with a shiner. Once they get braver, after seven or eight years, they bring in the base wine," Gadd-Coster said. Packaging for these sparklers remains rather traditional. R&R's bot- tling line can only accommodate a couple of bottle styles. Although "champagne green" glass remains the choice of some 85% of cli- ents, this year the use of "flint" glass doubled among R&R clientele. Rosé bubbly is definitely increasing, although Blanc de Noirs and Blanc de Blancs cycle back and forth every year, providing a bit of a challenge, Gadd-Coster observed. In some ways rosé sparklers are easier to pro- duce, she said. Wineries can start with rosé wine, or R&R can use color in the dosage (the yeast used for the second, in-bottle fermentation). Clients are not necessarily bringing in more still rosé, and varietals vary by winemaker, but rosé shiners are ordered by wineries that want to add wines to their lineup. Although there have been some in- novations to sparkling wine closures, the wire cage that helps keep the cork seated remains standard; some wineries are starting to print brands on these. R&R does not employ the easier-to-remove "screw-off cork" dis- played at recent trade shows, because these require special bottles that don't fit the R&R bottling line. Wineries also are changing their shipper requirements, opting more and more for six-packs rather than traditional 12-bottle cases, according to Gadd-Coster. age. Since no two rosés are exactly the same, color is the focus. Longtime Sonoma County winery J. Pedroncelli Winery uses clear glass from Encore for its Dry Rosé of Zinfandel, produced for more than 60 vintages. Consum- ers often confused the blush bottle with White Zin, so there is now more emphasis on "dry rosé," according to Julie Pedron- celli-St. John. The rosé of Pinot Noir from Toad Hollow Vineyards is cameo pink. Proprietor Frankie Wil- liams said the beautiful color is best shown off by clear glass, w h i c h a l s o e m p h a s i z e s t h e wine's freshness. Williams, widow of founder Todd "Toad" Williams, noted that Toad Hollow released one of the first domestic dry rosés more than 20 years ago. The stigma of sweet pink wines has dissipated, and more people now realize dry rosé is suitable for consumption all year, both with food and on its own. She is grati- fied that so many now agree with her choice of favorite wine: It has established a great follow- ing year round. Pech Merl winemaker John Pepe prefers a bolder, fruit-forward rosé, which makes the wine more gem-toned than pastel, according to Ivy Rose Hutton, the winery's founder/creative director. It's pack- aged in a big-shouldered tapered flint-glass bottle with a high punt from All American Container. The wine, always 90% or more Syrah, is direct-to-press purpose-made, Hutton said. Priced at $23 per bottle retail, it sells out every year. Finnella's dry rosé is a blend of Grenache and Viognier grapes, Provençal in style and color, Casey said. The winery never considered any color of glass ex- cept clear flint. After an exhaus- tive search, Finnella finally decided on a slightly tapered Burgundian-shaped bottle with a long, thin neck, a deep punt and sufficient weight to convey qual- ity. Sourced through Saverglass, the bottle was pricier than first anticipated, but the winery felt strongly that it most accurately represents the contents. Casey said the winery's packag- ing philosophy is simple: Consum- ers should get what they expect when they open the bottle. Steve Cass said the Rhone- style Cass Winery Oasis Rosé is a variable blend of Mourvèdre, Gr- enache and Syrah, depending on the grape crop at harvest. It's bottled in a tall, flint Bordeaux- style bottle that represents the color of the wine as it will appear when served. Elke Wolff, marketing specialist at supplier M.A. Silva confirmed that light colored glass is the pref- erence for most rosé wines. Flint glass ranges from absolute clear to tinted with blue or light green tones, she said, with clear flint being the most popular. She noted that the lighter the glass, the less UV protection it of- fers, and clear glass does not filter any UV rays. Flint is actually more expensive than green glass, be- cause it is heavier and bottles cost more to produce. Considering that UV rays can contribute to wine oxidation, and UV protection is available in ev- erything from skin products to eyeglasses, it does seem odd that, according to our industry sources, wine bottles are not yet available with any type of anti-UV coatings or treatments. The promise of freshness led Lawer Estates to bottle rosé under screwcap.