German winery chooses cans for City range

The Peter Mertes KG winery is among the first to opt for the premium wine can with a 'Protected Quality' seal from Ball Packaging Europe.

The family-run company from Bernkastel-Kues on the Mosel River offers four different City wine drinks in the specially developed 20cl slim aluminum wine can. Since September 2012, food retailers across Germany have been stocking these two sparkling wines and two wine drink mixes in cartons of 12 cans each.

The lively sparkling City Secco varieties are offered in white and rosé. City Hugo mixes Secco and soda with elderberry flower and lime flavours, while the City Sprizzer gives the Secco a twist with a hint of bitter orange.

The 'Protected Quality' seal from Ball assures a consistent quality based on verifiable criteria, and a shelf-life of at least 12 months for still and sparkling canned wines.

Before a wine can earn this seal, it must fulfill three conditions: select premium wines, filled by certified fillers, in a beverage can developed specifically for the purpose. The 20 or 25cl can has a special interior coating and an extra-thick wall. In addition, it is closed with a lid that meets special requirements. These three attributes ensure best long-term quality.The can is also totally light-proof and impermeable to oxygen.

The European trend toward wine in cans corroborates the Peter Mertes winery’s decision in favour of the beverage can. The canned wine market in Europe is growing by 10-15% every year. And beverage can manufacturers are reckoning with sales of 200million cans of wine across Europe in 2013, with more than 60% of that figure being accounted for by sparkling wines.

The beverage can is also helping the wineris access a new group of purchasers. Wine drinks in small portions are especially attractive to young and mobile consumers in the age 18 to 35 range. The lightweight cans are unbreakable and are therefore ideal for consumption on the go.

All cans in the City line are additionally provided with interactive QR codes which can be scanned with a smartphone camera and lead to more information on the winery’s website – a further plus for young buyers.


For more information see: www.mertes.de <http://www.mertes.de>

9 November 2012 - Felicity Murray