Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/918844
102 WINES&VINES January 2018 PACKAGING The capsule at the top of a bottle is a valuable piece of real estate for brand managers to develop as part of the overall appearance of a bottle of wine. New printing techniques, colors and materials can help the top of the bottle match the label for stand-out presence on the shelf. The Wines & Vines Product Focus feature is not intended to provide a definitive listing of all available products in a particular segment or provide any comparative analysis, but rather serve as an overview of what's new or available and also of potential interest to readers as determined by the magazine's editorial staff. PRODUCT FOCUS Capsules New decorative options help extend packaging strategy to entire bottle By Andrew Adams LAFITTE After partnering with the anti- counterfeit firm SICPA, the French supplier Lafitte Cork & Capsule, which has an office in Napa, Calif., now offers special ink that can deter counterfeiters. The ink can be incorporated into custom artwork on capsules and is applied at the company's fac- tory in France. Anti-counterfeit markings on capsules can be ei- ther "covert"—invisible to the naked eye and authenticated with a handheld device—or "semi-covert," and authenticated with an ultra-violet light or the SICPA "Oasis" identification tool. lafitte-usa.com MAVERICK The newest option from Maver- ick is an emboss and hot-stamp feature. The Ukiah, Calif.-based supplier reports its enhanced embossing provides a high-qual- ity hot stamp to add an artistic element with thicker lines and more substance while "maintain- ing a bright and bold raised fea- ture" on the top of capsules. maverickcaps.com STELVIN Amcor partnered with Napa, Calif.-based VinPerfect to de- velop laser engraving to deco- rate the company's Stelvin line of capsules. The engraving can be as small as 50 microns and used to create detailed art- work or designs on the top of capsules. VinPerfect is avail- able on standard and custom capsules with a minimum order of 1,350 pieces. amcor.com, vinperfect.com UNIONPACK A new digital-printing option for polylaminate capsules can pro- duce multiple-color logos or brand imagery. The American Canyon, Calif.-based supplier is also now offering a polylaminate capsule in the new shade of "Luna White" that can be further customized with embossing or hot stamping. unionpack.com Stelvin