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42 WINES&VINES May 2018 PACKAGING same time, even if you won't be bot- tling for months. • Spend what's necessary to have a nice cork. It doesn't have to be abso- lute top of the line, but it must be nice. Colorful synthetic corks dimin- ish a wine's perceived value, in the eyes of these pros. • Small wineries typically don't have enough volume to make a custom capsule economical, but they can buy attractive stock capsules. Color op- tions are limited, so design the label to harmonize with a readily available color such as gold, silver, red, bur- gundy, black, green or navy. The cap- sule color should match the artwork as much as possible, so that the fin- ished package looks intentional. • Once the labels are done, make sure they are applied to the bottles uni- formly and without wrinkles. "We don't recommend attempting hand application," Haggerty said. He sug- gested investing in good-quality ro- tary labeling equipment and prefers Great Engineering's equipment for its durability. Flashy is not necessary Nick Azevedo, marketing analyst for Affinity Creative in Mare Island, Calif., offered more advice. "Most smaller wineries think that they need flashy packaging or an extremely exten- sive campaign to maximize the value of their brand. From a creative perspective, the per- ceived value lies within the quality of the de- sign, not the quantity of colors, foils and special printing techniques. Monochromatic techniques, attractive type and craft-based substrates are highly coveted within the creative community. Smaller winer- ies can maximize these methods and not only reduce production costs, but also stand out from some of the larger name brands," he said. Azevedo noted some mistakes to avoid: "Lead time on completing the packaging pro- cess gets even more complicated with smaller case production. One of the biggest mistakes that can be avoided during this process is something that most probably don't consider, so leave the packaging logistics to the experts. If a winery wants to avoid this lengthy lead time, avoid the vendor pitfall and proactively partner with an agency that understands the front and back ends of packaging logistics." As all our suppliers advised, plan ahead for lead time and production. Don't get stuck at bottling without all the elements in place. PET bottles are light in weight and unbreakable. AMCOR for more information, visit: Lafitte-USA.com • 800-343-2675 The latest achievement from The Lafitte Group, ELEcTvs offers single cork analysis backed by our 100% guarantee. Few companies are as focused and driven as Lafitte. A commitment to innovation and quality paired with a generational family approach to business. I N T RO D U C I NG