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18 WINES&VINES March 2018 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS S an Rafael, Calif.—Wines & Vines is ac- cepting entries for its annual Packaging Design Awards. Now in its fourth year, the competition includes five categories judged by wine industry and design professionals as well as the People's Choice Award selected by attendees of the Wines & Vines Packaging Con- ference to be held Aug. 9. Winners in each of five categories receive a certificate, a trophy and will be featured in the October 2018 issue of Wines & Vines maga- zine as well as multiple articles posted for readers online. Winners from the 2017 contest say they've used the award to help draw attention from wine distributors, and past winners have re- ported further media exposure as a result of the award. Judging categories This year's categories include: Classic format, which is open to wines packaged in 750 ml glass bottles. The classic format category allows elements such as label design, materials used, uniform application and closure selection to shine. Judges are given the price point of classic-format bottles, allow- ing them to judge each package based on its fitness for the category. Alternative format entries can include bag- in-box wines, cans, cartons and other packages outside the standard label-on-glass-bottle style. Judges will evaluate these packages for their functionality and creativity. Luxury package is a category open to wine bottles that sell for $40 and above. Entries should stand out in this elevated field and employ materials that convey a higher price point without losing functionality. Package redesign is a favorite of com- petition judges, who evaluate wines that have had their packaging reimagined to im- prove, simplify and/or refresh brand image. For this category, an example of the new design is submitted along with the previous version, allowing judges to witness the im- provement in the redesigned package and grade its visual appeal. Series design is a category open to two or more wines that use packaging elements to work as a cohesive unit. While a series may have innumerable offerings, the maxi- mum number of packages that can be entered for this category is five. Judges evaluate this category for how the packages are used to tell a story. The entry fee for the Best Package Series Design category is $105, and all other catego- ries are $90. To be eligible, wines must be made of grapes grown in North America and have been produced (bottled) between March 1, 2016 and July 31, 2018. To enter the Wines & Vines Packaging De- sign Awards, visit wvpack.com. —Kate Lavin Wines & Vines Packaging Design Awards Open for Entries First-, second- and third-place winners in the se- ries category from 2017.