http://www.packagingdigest.com/artic..._packaging.php

Perhaps more than any other alcoholic beverage, the packaging used for wine
was often viewed as an indicator of quality. Heavy, glass bottles were the
norm and served the wine industry for hundreds of years. However,
environmental and economic concerns have encouraged some in the industry to
shed some packaging weight.

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is one of the largest buyers of
wine in the world. Last year, the group announced bottles of wine that sell
for less than $15 must weigh less than 420g, which is about 20% lighter than
a standard bottle of wine, starting January 1, 2013.

"Environmentally-conscious manufacturers and retailers around the world are
reducing their carbon footprints and using packaging reduction as a key
element of their strategies," an LCBO spokesperson told PlasticsToday. "By
switching to lighter-weight bottles, the savings, both environmental and
economic, are significant."

In planning this initiative, LCBO held discussions with three of the major
wine trade associations in Ontario, and all indicated their support for this
initiative, the spokesperson said.

"More and more suppliers are seeing the benefits of switching to
lighter-weight glass, and have applauded the change as timely and a step in
the right environmental direction," the spokesperson said. "We have not
noticed any consumer resistance to purchasing these products because of
their light weight."

As many in the wine industry look to reduce packaging weight, some wine
producers are thinking outside the bottle.

While wine glass bottles are still the majority, the opportunity for
alternative packaging is increasing, said David Schuemann, owner and
creative director of CF Napa Brand Design, a firm specializing in branding,
which includes packaging and structural designs, for the wine, spirits, and
beer industries.

"There is a big change happening in the business, and the younger
generation, who are green conscious, are the ones leading it into the
future," he said. "Alternative packaging definitely has legs and it's here
to stay. I don't see it as a fast fad in any way."

Wines bottled, served in plastic

A few years ago, PET packaging suppliers jumped at the opportunity to
produce plastic bottles for the wine industry. Many wine producers from New
Zealand, the U.S., and France switched from glass bottles to plastic
bottles.

Weight savings, prevention of breakage, and recyclability are part of the
popularity of PET bottles.

When PET wine bottles first hit the market, it was "the talk of the town"
and the industry viewed it as a green alternative to heavy bottles,
Schuemann said.

However, PET wine bottles still face a unique set of challenges, he said.

"The PET bottles look quite small, and the consumer may not understand that
it is the standard size of wine," he said. "Also, the PET bottles preserve
the look of the original glass containers, and it can be difficult to
communicate to the consumer that it is actually an alternative,
environmentally-friendly package."

UK-based Wine Innovations is a fan of using plastic for wine; in fact, the
company states its PET glasses are the "best wine innovation since the
bag-in-box."

The company created the Tulip, a 187-ml PET, single-serve prefilled wine
glass with a peal-off foil lid. The wine is sealed using patented technology
to maintain wine quality and to give a shelf life of up to one-year.

"I came up with the idea when I was supplying security personnel to an
outdoor event, and wine was being served from a glass bottle into a small
plastic cup," said James Nash, creator of the Tulip. "After seeing this I
thought, 'there must be a better way'. People are always looking at ways to
innovate with wine."

The Tulip is designed for outdoor events, sporting events and festivals,
picnics and barbecues. With London hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics, Nash
said the company is hopeful the single-serve wine glass will have its best
year to date.

Pouches, cartons aim to make wine 'greener'

Schuemann said one of the latest packaging trends is wine served in pouches,
such as the Astrapouch, a wine package that stands up straight and flat, and
can hold the equivalent of two 750-ml bottles. Its resealable, one-way
plastic spout keeps opened wine fresh for up to a month in the fridge.

Napa Valley Design worked with Clif Family Winery on launching the
Astrapouch. The company had used bottles for its wine packaging, but wanted
a more eco-friendly packaging.

Schuemann said recent sales figures show the Astrapouch sales have outpaced
the company's glass bottle sales.

"It's a really good fit for their core demographic; outdoor enthusiasts of
all types who are environmentally aware," he said. "I think they love the
whole alternative feel."

Wine lovers shouldn't have to choose between quality wine and a healthy
planet, said Matthew Cain, owner of Yellow+Blue wines.

Cain has been in the wine business for years, and said the industry has been
somewhat behind on producing innovative packaging. He wanted his company to
find a way to lower costs for quality-conscious wine drinkers, along with
offering a greener package. As a result, all of the Yellow+Blue wines are
housed in Tetra Pak wine cartons.

The company states that a case of wine in glass can weigh 40-lb and hold 9
liters of wine - close to 50% wine and 50% packaging. A case of Yellow+Blue
weighs 26-lb and holds 12 liters of certified organic wine, which is about
93% wine and 7% packaging.

"Packaging doesn't make a wine good or bad; there is plenty of bad wine out
there in glass," he said. "We look at packaging to help achieve our business
goal of delivering high-quality wine to the market without an environmental
cost, we look at it as a solution rather than a gimmick."

On Mar 26, 10:00*am, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:

I would prefer a lighter weight glass over plastic any day.

And.....I would be just as happy if every winemaker went to screw tops.

On 3/26/2012 2:37 PM, ImStillMags wrote:
> On Mar 26, 10:00 am, "Ed > wrote:
>
> I would prefer a lighter weight glass over plastic any day.
>
> And.....I would be just as happy if every winemaker went to screw tops.


Count me among those who prefer glass. I also like the quality of
today's screw tops, but save a few corks. Pulling a cork definitely has
a cachet all its own.

On Mar 26, 4:04*pm, Pennyaline >
wrote:
> On 3/26/2012 2:37 PM, ImStillMags wrote:
>
> > On Mar 26, 10:00 am, "Ed > *wrote:
>
> > I would prefer a lighter weight glass over plastic any day.
>
> > And.....I would be just as happy if every winemaker went to screw tops.
>
> Count me among those who prefer glass. I also like the quality of
> today's screw tops, but save a few corks. Pulling a cork definitely has
> a cachet all its own.

yeah, well corks on champagne and other bubbly wines but thats about
it.

On Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:04:12 -0600, Pennyaline
> wrote:

>On 3/26/2012 2:37 PM, ImStillMags wrote:
>> On Mar 26, 10:00 am, "Ed > wrote:
>>
>> I would prefer a lighter weight glass over plastic any day.
>>
>> And.....I would be just as happy if every winemaker went to screw tops.
>
>
>Count me among those who prefer glass. I also like the quality of
>today's screw tops, but save a few corks. Pulling a cork definitely has
>a cachet all its own.

And wine bottlecorks are the best for doing The Cork Trick, a sleight
of hand my brother taught me years ago! Best done after a couple of
bottles of wine has been consumed! :-)

John Kuthe...

On Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:37:01 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> wrote:

>On Mar 26, 10:00*am, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
>
>I would prefer a lighter weight glass over plastic any day.
>
>And.....I would be just as happy if every winemaker went to screw tops.


Same here. The snob appeal of the cork is the only thing really
preventing it. You can get some decent wines now that have a screw
top, but it will be decades coming for a major change.

Ed Pawlowski > wrote in
:

> On Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:37:01 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> > wrote:
>
>>On Mar 26, 10:00*am, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
>>
>>I would prefer a lighter weight glass over plastic any day.
>>
>>And.....I would be just as happy if every winemaker went to screw tops.
>
>
> Same here. The snob appeal of the cork is the only thing really
> preventing it. You can get some decent wines now that have a screw
> top, but it will be decades coming for a major change.
>


Most Aussie wines are doing the shift to screwcaps. Even the 'flagship'
wines like Penfolds.

Screwcaps = nil spoilage, which equates to less $$'s lost for the wineries,
and means your wine is *always* good when you crack the seal.

I used to be a 'cork' guy, but now prefer the screwcaps.

It makes it easier to crack one for the SO :-)



--
Peter
Tasmania
Australia

On 26/03/2012 8:03 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:37:01 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> > wrote:
>
>> On Mar 26, 10:00 am, "Ed > wrote:
>>
>> I would prefer a lighter weight glass over plastic any day.
>>
>> And.....I would be just as happy if every winemaker went to screw tops.
>
>
> Same here. The snob appeal of the cork is the only thing really
> preventing it. You can get some decent wines now that have a screw
> top, but it will be decades coming for a major change.

The odd thing about the snob appeal is that those people are ignorant
about wine and bottling. Screw tops are one of the best ways to cap
wine, and thee are a lot of really good wines being sold these days with
screw tops.

On Mon, 26 Mar 2012, ImStillMags > wrote:

>On Mar 26, 10:00*am, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
>
>I would prefer a lighter weight glass over plastic any day.

The pouches make the most sense if you are not going to drink the entire
bottle in one sitting. The pouch collapses as the wine is poured out,
leaving no air inside the pouch. Hence it lasts longer.

Don. http://paleofood.com/ (e-mail at page bottom).

On Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:03:08 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

>On Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:37:01 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> wrote:
>
>>On Mar 26, 10:00*am, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
>>
>>I would prefer a lighter weight glass over plastic any day.
>>
>>And.....I would be just as happy if every winemaker went to screw tops.
>
>
>Same here. The snob appeal of the cork is the only thing really
>preventing it. You can get some decent wines now that have a screw
>top, but it will be decades coming for a major change.

Many wine corks nowadays are of artficial cork, a plastic compound
that looks and behaves like real cork. My favorite wine bottle
stopper is the combo type that's both a threaded cap and has a cork
attached to the underside.

Don Wiss > wrote in
:

> On Mon, 26 Mar 2012, ImStillMags > wrote:
>
>>On Mar 26, 10:00*am, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
>>
>>I would prefer a lighter weight glass over plastic any day.
>
> The pouches make the most sense if you are not going to drink the entire
> bottle in one sitting. The pouch collapses as the wine is poured out,
> leaving no air inside the pouch. Hence it lasts longer.
>
>



At the end of the day, cask wine is cask wine..... cheap and nasty.

I do recall a couple of wineries over here that was starting to promote
their 'green' wine that came in recyclable plastic bottles.

At one (Sirromet) they seem to have only done the 187ml 'party bottles', I
haven't checked Wolf Blass for quite some time.

Wine in the plastic deteriorates within about 6 months, so it's only best
from "drink now" party type stuff.



--
Peter
Tasmania
Australia

I don't get the villification of glass. Easily recycled.
I think I see wine going the microbrew route. Cutesy names with little value. StinkyButt over some boring name vineyards being marketed over decent stuff. Consumers buy this crap.

On 3/26/2012 8:10 PM, I'm back on the laptop wrote:
> Ed > wrote in
> :
>
>> On Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:37:01 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> On Mar 26, 10:00 am, "Ed > wrote:
>>>
>>> I would prefer a lighter weight glass over plastic any day.
>>>
>>> And.....I would be just as happy if every winemaker went to screw tops.
>>
>>
>> Same here. The snob appeal of the cork is the only thing really
>> preventing it. You can get some decent wines now that have a screw
>> top, but it will be decades coming for a major change.
>>
>
>
> Most Aussie wines are doing the shift to screwcaps. Even the 'flagship'
> wines like Penfolds.
>
> Screwcaps = nil spoilage, which equates to less $$'s lost for the wineries,
> and means your wine is *always* good when you crack the seal.
>
> I used to be a 'cork' guy, but now prefer the screwcaps.
>
> It makes it easier to crack one for the SO :-)
>
I have heard that some expensive wines are bottled both ways, corks and
screw tops, to keep the customers happy.



--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

Gorio wrote:
>
>I don't get the villification of glass. Easily recycled.

Glassmaking and recycling is a big energy hog.

It is good to hear that the weight of bottles will be reduced. I would prefer glass bottles over plastic bottles.

Gorio wrote:

>I don't get the villification of glass.

1. It's heavy.
2. It's breakable.

I'm back on the laptop wrote:

>> Same here. The snob appeal of the cork is the only thing really
>> preventing it. You can get some decent wines now that have a screw
>> top, but it will be decades coming for a major change.

> Most Aussie wines are doing the shift to screwcaps. Even the
> 'flagship' wines like Penfolds.

And the same is happening in NZ, where many Marlborough Bay top wines going
screw-cap. For example Saint Claire, which I can find here at 16 euros a
bottle, is in screw-caps.