Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/853816
40 WINES&VINES August 2017 PACKAGING ics what you will find in the bottle." A natural cork it reflects an el- egant and fuss-free demeanor, she commented, adding: "Isn't that what rosé is all about?" Rosé also gets special treat- ment from Gros Ventre Cellars, a 500-case virtual winery in the Napa Valley with bottles selling for an average of $54 per bottle. Owner/winemaker Chris Pit- tenger also makes wine at 4,000- case Skinner Vineyards in El Dorado County. "You can see how the rosé flint bottle really jumps out at you when you don't put a capsule on it," Pittenger noted. The wine is 50-50 Gamay and Pinot Noir, and the 140 cases produced sold out in three weeks. Only one of 10 Gros Ventre (French for "big belly") SKUs gets another special treatment. The "First Born" Pinot Noir cuvée is slicked up with a coat of soft local beeswax purchased from a bee-supply store. "As a former sommelier, I like it be- cause you can go right through it like butter with a wine key and pull the cork out easily, unlike the hard-waxed ver- sion that shatters all over the place into a million pieces." As reflected by his packag- ing, Pittenger is a capsule skeptic. "You can ask any server, sommelier or bartender what they think about cap- sules, and I suspect most would tell you that they are worthless. I can't tell you the amount of times I've cut my- self on a foil while opening a bottle tableside. Imagine the horror in the patrons' eyes when they see their server bleeding all over their bottle. There is still plenty of ro- mance and tradition involved with opening a nice bottle… even if it doesn't involve a foil capsule," he said. The variety of capsules and closures now available to winemakers shows amaz- ing progress and innovation. Stripped down or elaborate, whatever works for your wines and helps them in the market- place, for whatever reasons, is totally acceptable. Smith Family Wines adopted a fuss- free no-capsule look for its Paraiso rosé of Pinot Noir. Contact us today! 575 ird St. Bldg. A Napa CA 94559 707-255-6372 | napafermentation@aol.com www.napafermentation.com LOTUS: Breakthrough Pump Over Technology Lotus gently and uniformly distributes juice over the cap in tanks of any size without excessive bruising or misting. Lotus is compact, continuously adjustable, has few moving parts and is easy to install and clean. Three sizes available. Prices start at $650 The next generation of pump over technology is here.