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MANA GEMENT tion to plastic, with projected sales of 2.2 million cases, according to Amcor sales manager Kerry Drewry. Larger bottle sizes have not yet won notable market acceptance on this side of the pond. In the May 2008 issue of Wines & Vines, Peter Mitham reported: "Artisan Wine Co., a sister company to Mission Hill Family Estate winery of Westbank, B.C., is releasing two of its Painted Turtle wines—a Semillón-Chardonnay blend and a Cabernet-Shiraz blend in 750ml PET." The experiment was short-lived: Within two years, the Painted Turtle bottle had reverted to glass. In 2011, Air Transat, a major charter airline in Montreal, Canada, switched to 1-liter PET wine bottles for in-flight service, at one-eighth the weight of the previous glass containers. Vin Inter- nationale LTEE of Laval, Quebec, fills claret-style bottles with its various internationally sourced brands including Costabella, Viejos Robles, Massaria and Bergerie du Loup, according to a news release from Drewry. Practically speaking, PET packaging is really available only to major players: Bottles are ordered by the truckload, not the case, Drewry said. The good news is that bottling is relatively simple: "Plastic bottles accommodate easily onto exist- ing glass bottling lines," she explained. "No major change parts are needed, and you can use the same labels and labeling equipment." Sealed with aluminum screwcaps, PET bottles do require a change of springs on the capper. "You need less pressure. Some wineries are concerned about getting a secure fill, but because the finish on the PET is injection molded, it has better tolerance and doesn't need as much pres- "Believe it or not, it's exactly the same as any custom bottle time: It actually takes less time." —Katie Gerber, Verallia Verallia's new FlexRun offers customized bottle finishes such as unique punt designs. sure," Drewry said. Because the bottles are lighter than glass, belt speeds must be adjusted, too. Strict adherence Highlights • Wines & Vines combed the 2012 sup- plier updates (see page 55) to learn about the newest trends in packaging. • Bag-in-box (sans the box) and PET packaging are among the more environ- mentally friendly options. • Newly formulated waterproof labelstock can be immersed in an ice bucket for two days and emerge no worse for wear. Some glass bottles are permanently etched or screen-printed (see "More Than a Label" in the October 2012 issue of Wines & Vines), but most still come clad in paper labels, as do all PET bottles. For some time, manufacturers have touted "scuff-resistant" and "wa- terproof" label stock. What exactly does this mean? Labeltronix, an Anaheim, Calif.-based label printer, introduced two new stocks: Midnight Vellum and Arctic Shield, cre- ated to prevent potential deterioration of wine labels. Marketing manager Jill Sambol explained how they work. Midnight Vellum, an uncoated, solid black matte-finished stock, achieves its scuff-resistance from behind: The self ad- hesive backing material is also black, so should friction fray the labels in transit or handling, flaws don't mar the sophis- ticated look. How do you print on all black stock? "Lots of layers of ink," Sambol said. "First white, next red, and so forth." Foil stamping and embossing are optional add-ins but, she said, in general the re- quired lead-time is similar to any digital or flexo-printed label. The winery's label designer "must understand the process," she stressed, and normal, flat images are cost effective for digital printing runs starting with a $500 minimum order. For white and sparkling wines destined for service in ice buckets, waterproof labels are becoming de rigueur. Arctic Shield is a white, uncoated paper label stock in its first release. "We worked with our vendor" to develop the stock, testing labeled bottles in refrigerators and ice buckets. "We left bottles in buck- ets for as long as two days," Sambol said. "When we took them out, they looked as good as new." Arctic Shield can be printed, foiled and embossed like any other stock, but it re- quires a little extra care during labeling to make sure it's evenly and securely applied. Like Midnight Vellum, Arctic Shield is more costly than standard label stocks, but Sambol pointed out that most winer- ies reserve it for their white and sparkling releases. Getting in the boxing ring Bag-in-box wines continue to gain respect within the industry and among consumers who like their convenience, economy and WINES & VINES NOVEMBER 2012 37