Multipack specialist Hi-Cone is sponsoring two international exhibitions at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, which will go on tour around the world.
Both exhibitions reflect Hi-Cone’s philosophy that less is better, and at the same time demonstrate the skill and expertise required to develop these ‘simple’ solutions.
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A campaign to make consumers aware of the need to save Portugal’s cork oak forests has been launched in the UK by APCOR, the Portuguese Cork Association. The ‘I Love Natural Cork’ campaign asks consumers to ‘Sign the Pledge’ and choose natural cork over artificial closures.

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Fresh analysis published on global wine labelling

The latest analysis of the wine labelling market by AWA Alexander Watson Associates outlines the overall structure of the global wine market and its defined geographical regions. The report drills down into wine labelling in those regions; growth drivers; and threats and opportunities.  It details the available wine label materials and formats, and goes on to examine decoration technologies in partnership with today’s packaging styles, from glass and plastic bottles to aseptic cartons, metal cans, and pouches. Wine label converting is also covered, and the report concludes with a directory of suppliers of label materials and labels.
• For more information on the AWAreness Report ‘Global Wine and Wine Label Market & Technology Review 2010' click here.

Rigid Containers, the UK based corrugated packaging division of privately owned Belgian group VPK, has appointed Julian Freeman as sales director, following Chris Trevithick’s “earlier than anticipated” retirement.

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Organic vodka to be sold in decorative PET bottles

Specialist plastics packaging technology business Petainer is to produce recyclable, lightweight, clear PET vodka bottles decorated with eye-catching sleeves for Galatea, one of the largest suppliers to Systembolaget, the Swedish state monopoly alcohol retailer.

Petainer’s plant at Lidköping in Sweden is to manufacture the 70cl bottles and fit the sleeves for organically produced Sailor brand vodka, which will be supplied to all 410 Systembolaget shops.

"PET offers benefits over glass in terms of weight and materials use and can have a significantly lower ‘carbon footprint’ than equivalent glass packaging, generating up to 77 per cent less greenhouse gases and using up to 58 per cent less energy," says Peter Edin, product manager at Galatea.

This photograph (below) during this year’s London International Wine Fair at Excel. Airpack Systems says such waste is environmentlly unfriendly and unnecessary.

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Caves Santa Marta invests in new BiB line

Portuguese winemaker Caves Santa Marta has installed a Smurfit Kappa bag-in-box 900 filling line to meet growth in its export business.
The twin-head BIB900 went into operation at the end of July and replaces one of the winemaker’s three bag-in-box packaging lines.
The new line consists of an octagonal box erector that feeds the boxes into the filling station, a pressurised tank and weight controls. Bags between 3 and 20 litres can be filled and the line is housed in a stainless steel.
"The new 'short-flow valve' that separates the vacuum circuit and the nitrogen circuit for the perfect tightness to use the Vitop closure, increases the shelf-life of the wines," says the kit manufacturer.

New process creates tactile surface to sleeving decoration

Sleever International has developed a printing process that creates a tactile finish to provide an added marketing tool for consumer communication.

Skinleever is a tactile varnish that creates a 3D-effect though a printing process developed by Sleever International called Helioflex. The varnish enhances and boosts the printing volume. It is compatible with all types of films and can be applied to designs requiring up to 14 colours.

The first application for this new process is on Cricket lighters (pictured), which have been metamorphosed into a fashion statement.

The results of the GlassRite project to help the UK wine sector reduce glass waste and carbon emissions were unveiled at the London wine fair (May 18). A particular highlight for the project has been the development of an 300g screw cap bottle - the first in the world.  This bottle, developed with Quinn Glass, is 40g lighter than the previous lightest bottle manufactured in the UK and is now being used by major UK supermarkets. 

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Double gusset pouch offers greater stability

At the Global Pouch Forum in Florida, wines, cocktails and even spirits were the new markets being targeted by the pouch producers and equipment suppliers.
In the booth of the machinery and pouch solutions provider PPi Technologies, S-Pouch Pak presented a range of stand-up pouches with a difference. In contrast to traditional stand-up pouches, these have two gussets (top and botton), which makes it more stable even when half full. It can be filled to 90-97% offering a reduction in pouch size of up to 20%, and thus 15-20% in material savings.
Available in sizes 200ml to 5-litre, and in any film, the pouch can have the spout or tap positioned in the front panel or in the upper gusset. It can also be supplied with a handle for easy carrying or hanging on a hook (the h-pouch, 2-5-litre sizes). The j-pouch is jar-shaped with a spout in the upper left side, and a carrier-handle on the other side.

Brand protection technology provider Payne Security is supplying one of the top 10 producing US wineries in California with a new anti-counterfeiting solution. The winery has selected a proprietary taggant authentication solution to protect its finest high-value wine range, retailing at over US$150 a bottle. The covert security system provides reliable product verification and enables the detection of counterfeit products.
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Security system offers consumer interaction

Chesapeake's security system Pro-tex can now verify the authenticity of a product, track its global distribution and deliver product and promotional information directly to the consumer. The consumer can send a text message with a unique ID code to receive tailored product or promotional information. The brand owner can use the systerm to track products and gather valuable market data.
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United Closures & Plastics (UCP) Bridge of Allan, a specialist in packaging solutions for the global wines and spirits industry, has developed a combined aluminium and plastic tamper evident snap-on security closure in partnership with Pernod Ricard Chivas Brothers to cap Beefeater London Dry gin.

So-called due to the sheer variety of possible options, Orchid is a modular security closure concept offering general trade customers the opportunity to adapt the design to include new features for different brands and markets. The closure combines the closure manufacturer’s top security non-refillable valve for high-risk markets, which has an irreversible opening mechanism that leaves permanent evidence of initial opening.
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Standing out: differentiation through creative disruption!

Owens-Illinois (O-I), the world’s largest manufacturer of glass packaging, has released the results of a global study of the complete life cycle of glass containers. The study is claimed to be the first in the packaging sector to follow the complete life of a package – from the extraction of raw materials to the reuse or recycling of the container. The model used for the study also allowed an assessment of cradle-to-cradle life cycle data on aluminum and plastic (PET) containers, enabling a comparison between the packaging materials.
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The life-cycle study will serve as a baseline for tracking O-I's’ progress in fulfilling its plans to slash its energy consumption by 50% and carbon emissions by 65% by 2017, as well as nearly double its use of recycled glass so that a global average of 60 percent of each O-I container is recycled material.
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Guala Closures has brought to market what is believed to be the first roll-on pilfer-proof (ROPP) screwcap sporting a tamper-evident band.
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As part of a larger carbon reduction campaign to cut Champagne’s emissions by 25% by 2020, the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) has officially launched a new standard bottle for Champagne that is 65 grams lighter than the present 900g bottle. The new bottle will reduce annual CO2 output by 8,000 tonnes.

After significant testing and market use to ensure the highest quality and safety standards, the CIVC has formally approved the use of the 835g bottle for the entire region. Champagne researchers worked with French glassmakers to explore alternative designs, creating a new version that reduces weight while maintaining the same performance, safety and character of the bottle historically used in the region. The bottle is designed to withstand the forces of 6G found in most bottles of Champagne, as well as every stage of production and shipping. Retaining the shape of the bottle means no changes in cellar equipment and therefore faster, less costly implementation. To go any lighter on the bottle and retain pressure resistance and safety standards would probably require a change of shape which would have an effect on cellar equipment.

In terms of closures, the CIVC reports that cork still sets the standard although other systems are under consideration.

More than just transport packaging

A&R Carton has developed a new range of wine packs made of kraftboard, which offers excellent stiffness, wet strength and printability - including the use of decorative techniques, such as embossing, windows and spot-varnishing, thus improving the presentation at point-of-sale.

Perforations guarantee easy opening of the pack without destroying it and handles allow convenient carrying for the consumer. Integrated partitions protect the bottles against breakage and the labels against damage. Plus, compared to traditional corrugated wine boxes, almost twice as many can be packed on a pallet, which not only saves transport costs storage space but scores points in terms of the environment and sustainability.

Starpack – now open for entry – has a new category dedicated to alcoholic beverage packs

The Drinks Report is pleased to announce it has become a sponsor of the Starpack 2010 competition – the UK’s longest standing and most highly respected packaging awards scheme, organised by The Packaging Society, a division of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). This year, as Starpack celebrates over 50 years of recognising packaging excellence, there is a new category specifically for Alcoholic Beverages, thanks to The Drinks Report.

Other categories of potential interest to the drinks community include: Luxury, Promotional and Gift – luxury or seasonal packaging beyond the normal retail packaging; Retail Ready – point of sale, shelf ready and chilled distribution packs; Environment – sustainable packaging solutions; and Decoration – the graphics, printing techniques, embossing and surface treatments etc., on cartons, labels, sleeves, cans, bottles, pouches.

The competition is open to everyone world-wide, whether a manufacturer, converter, supplier, processor, packer filler, brand owner, end user, packaging designer or marketer, but the entered pack must have at least one of these connections with the UK market – designed, manufactured, sold or filled.
Gold, Silver and Bronze will be awarded in each category and the overall Starpack winner, to be announced at the awards ceremony dinner in central London, will be entered into the global packaging competition, Worldstar, at IOM3's expense (usual cost €650). All winners qualify to enter Worldstars.
• Competition details

Inspired by the technique used to make ice wine and by Québec's very particular climate, Neige (meaning snow in English) ice cider was born out of this Canadian province's terroir, which has the extreme cold winter temperatures needed to produce the concentration of sugars for its creation.

The cidery La Face Cachée de la Pomme approached Chez Valois to redesign the brand identity and packaging of the product line. The goal was to reafirm the leader and trendsetter position of this premium brand in the ice cider category as well as reinforce its recognition on the international market. 

To achieve this, a clean and minimalist design was created based around a pattern of snowflakes that can be found throughout the product line. A lot of subtle elements were also included in the design of the packaging, such as a peel-off label on the back of the bottle that allows to include more information on the history of the cidery and on the fabrication process of ice cider. Custom packing tape was also created to help identify which of the three versions of the product can be found in the shipping boxes.

Companies across the wine supply chain now have free access to a design for a groundbreaking 300g wine bottle thanks to a new online resource from WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). The screwcap bottle, which is 40g lighter than the previous lightest bottle available within the UK, is the result of a collaborative project to cut the environmental impact of wine packaging and maximise the associated commercial benefits.

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As increasing numbers of people around the world are discovering a taste for wine and exploring the immense choice of styles now available, never before has label design had such an important role to play. Felicity Murray investigates the visual and functional advantages of purpose-made self-adhesive labels

Today’s ‘new generation’ younger wine drinkers may be more open to creative and imaginative design, but they are equally discerning about the quality. Packaging communicates all there is to know about the product inside, so wineries need to consider their choice of bottle, label and closure with as much care and passion as they do the wine itself.

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Student creates bottle identity for Loire wines

Adrien Cussonneau, a graduate of the Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique, has designed a wine presentation pack in an unusual and modern style that he says will attract new younger consumers to sample the wines of the Loire.
His project was the winner of Freepack, a competition organised by the National Institute of Design Packaging (INDP) to encourage the development of new packs for wines and spirits. He received the first prize of 1,500 euros.
The flattened  35cl bottles are presented in “discovery” boxes to encourage consumers to taste a selection of wines from the region while, at the same time, give the region a clearer identity, just as the wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux are recognisable by the shape of their bottles.
The designer also explained that he felt some recent wine container concepts, such as  cartons, cans and pouches, have been slow to emerge because they are too revolutionary for consumers.
“That is why the design has to be subtle,” he says, “so that innovation does not tarnish the image quality of the product. My intention was to design an innovative product that was not too out of step with tradition."

The world market for beer filled in PET bottles and closed by plastic screw caps is steadily growing. Starting some years back in Germany several countries, mainly in Eastern Europe, have meanwhile introduced beer in PET bottles.
Beer as an oxygen sensitive product challenges the PET bottle and the closure with respect to oxygen transmission. Packing high quality beer in PET bottles requires barrier properties for the bottles and oxygen scavenging properties for the closure to absorb oxygen in the headspace on the one side and to avoid ingress of oxygen on the other side.
Especially for the beer market, closure manufacturer Bericap has developed a crown cork design, which looks very similar to the traditional beer crown cork, and therefore keeps the product integrity of beer, but is equipped with an oxygen scavenger that absorbs the oxygen in the headspace of the bottle to help secure the quality of the beer during its shelf life.
The DoubleSeal SuperShorty Crown O2 scavenger closure for neck PCO 1881 for beer in PET barrier bottles was first introduced in Germany then other European markets. It is now being used in China through a joint venture between Martens China, FEG and Suntory from Japan.

Beatson Clark to supply bottles for BrewDog ales

Niche Scottish brewer BrewDog has chosen UK glass manufacturer Beatson Clark to produce its 330ml amber bottles to help its beers stand out on shelf at retailers including Asda, Sainsbury and Tesco.
BrewDog managing director James Watt says: "We are always on the look out for packaging that reflects our products and we wanted the same kind of on-shelf impact for our new beers. The new bottle from Beatson Clark provides us with this instant 'stand-out' appeal to set our products apart from the rest."
Beatson Clark marketing manager Dawn Pugh said the bottle was testament to the firm's ability to produce bottles for smaller companies and niche brands. Our flexibility means we can cater for the changing requirements of customers like BrewDog, supplying them with the products they require in the quantities they need.”

Glass wine bottles that dare to be different

Global glass manufacturer O-I has created four new concept bottles for the wine market – the carafe, the cylinder, the stackable and the squared – each offering a new and original shape that represents a break from tradition, opening up new perspectives for the wine market.

Each bottle plays with form and line to catch the eye and create a strong emotional bond between consumers and the product.
 
O-I feels that the time has come to review packaging concepts and adopt new criteria for designing wine bottles, with the aim of creating bottles that stimulate consumer desire to purchase, communicate the brand and product, and encourage long-term brand loyalty. 

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Chivas Regal as designed by Christian Lacroix
A limited edition Chivas Regal 12 magnum created French company Solev to precisely deliver a design created by fashion designer Christian Lacroix features decorative effects achieved using laser metallisation technology – the precision laser deposition of thin metal-film features onto a glass substrate. RRP £125.
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FreshCase: a stylish take on bulk wine packs

Constellation Europe, the leading wine producer, has launched a premium bag-in-box solution called FreshCase, which is set to change consumer perceptions and attract lovers of better quality wines to the larger format sector.
Containing the equivalent of three bottles (2.25 litres), FreshCase incorporates a pull-out tap and convenient carry handle, which converts to a stand when on its side in the fridge to help the wine pour right to the last glass. It will keep wine fresh for up to six weeks after opening, weighs 70% less than three bottles yet takes up the shelf space of just one bottle and therefore makes a huge reduction in the energy used to transport wine.
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Amorim introduces Topseries at Luxepack

Saint Gobain’s Selective Line, the bespoke glass packaging and decoration specialist, and Amorim, the world leader in spirits, wine and Champagne natural cork closures, have formed a strategic partnership and held a joint presence at the Luxepack exhibition in Monaco where Amorim officially launched its range of TopSeries Bar-Top closures.

TopSeries is the exclusive capsulated, natural cork stopper developed by Amorim’s specialist Luxury Unit that specializes in combining natural cork with cutting-edge design for the premium spirits sector.

Boxing with a difference

Cadolux of Norther Ireland demonstrated at Luxepack its range of folding gift boxes. Made from magnetic board which starts flat then simply folds and 'clicks' together into an easy-open, easy-close presentation box, which be reused again and again, it makes a fine alternative to the gift carrier bag.

Among the Gold winners in the Luxury category were Capsule (US) for Double Cross vodka; Eho Package Design (Japan) for Pus One East’s King; and Partisan de Sens (France) for the Dom Ruinart inversion gift box. And among the Golds in the Beverages category, were: The Taboo Group in Australia for Nelson Beer bottles; Hatch Design (US) for Jaqk Cellars wine bottles; MayDay (UK) for a limited edition Jack Daniels presentation (see below); Stranger and Stranger (UK) for Solerno blood orange liqueur; and Wallace Church (US) for Moving Pictures vodka. The Platinum winner in the Beverages category was Turner Duckworth (UK and US) for Coca Cola Summer 2009

All winners be viewed at www.pentawards.org

Eco-bottles gain wider UK acceptance

UK up-market grocery chain Waitrose has introduced a new wine brand, Virtue. Originating from the Central Valley in Chile, two Virtue wines are being shipped over to the UK in bulk and filled in lighter weight bottles. The 24,000 litre tanks hold the equivalent of 32,000 bottles of wine and saves the company 47 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

Normacorc wins Gold for innovation

Nomacorc, a leading producer of alternative wine closures, has won the Gold Medal for Innovation at SITEVI 2009 for its oxygen analyzer, the PreSens Fibox 3 LCD, which uses luminescence technology to measure oxygen in bottled wine. The awards have recognised innovatiion in products, services and techniques in the vine/wine and fruit/vegetable sectors.

The PreSens Fibox 3 LCD consists of an oxygen analyzer, which is equipped with an optical fibre that carries the light to a pad, which reacts to oxygen. The corresponding luminescence of the sensor is directly proportional to the concentration of oxygen in the area around the sensor. The small sensors are easy to use in any kind of bottling conditions, and they react incredibly accurately to variations in oxygen concentration. They can be used to measure dissolved oxygen as well as oxygen present in the bottle neck.

There is no longer a need to open a bottle to analyse it, and no chemical reaction is required to determine the concentration of oxygen, unlike the well-known electro- chemical method, which is used by other analysers. In addition, the PreSens Fibox is portable and can be easily and practically used on bottling lines and in wine cellars.

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Tecate, one of Mexico’s most popular beers, and a leading Mexican export, has enhanced its image and, it reports, "dramatically increased demand" by offering its cerveza in cool, lightweight and unbreakable aluminum bottles produced by CCL.
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Rexam's bottlecan goes into full production

Rexam Beverage Can has announced that its aluminium bottle, called Fusion, is scheduled to go into full production in Q1 2010 at Rexam's plant in the Czech Republic, before expanding into other Rexam plants throughout the world.
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Trends report: choices grow for beer
Glass bottles and cans have been generically associated with beer consumption throughout the world. However, environmental concerns, cost-saving initiatives, convenience issues and novelty elements are driving packaging innovation, hence bringing PET, aluminium and mini-keg formats under the spotlight.
• Read the report by Euromonitor

Organic wines in eco-pouches

A range of organic wines called Bivouac have been launched in a new eco-friendly pouches. The wines and the pouches from Groupe JeanJean were presented at Vinexpo and target environmentally-conscious consumers and wine drinkers, looking for good wines, easy to understand and practical for picnics and outdoor events.
The range comprises three bi-varietals: Merlot Cabernet, Chardonnay Sauvignon and a Cinsault Grenache.
The packaging arm of the group, Le Cep, produces the Wine Pouch, which it claims preserves the wine’s flavour for up to six weeks after opening.
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Over the last three years 116 new wine products were launched in Tetra Pak cartons, made from paper – a renewable and recyclable resource.

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