News Archives
Enhancing Elegance While Reducing a Winery’s Carbon Footprint: A Global Package Case Study
April 10, 2020
Winemaker Sue Tipton knew it was time for a change. She had to address some packaging concerns she was learning about from customers and retailers. But she also needed to approach the updates without disrupting the brand’s iconic bottle design.
She and her husband, Rodney, opened Acquiesce Winery in 2012. After being inspired by the famed Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines on a visit to the Southern Rhone region of France, she decided to focus on white Rhone varietals. Their vineyard started with four acres of white Rhone grapes and, over the next eight years, they planted an additional 6.5 acres of white Rhone varietals with plans for another 5 acres next year. Today, the winery produces 4,000 cases/year.
Since opening, the winery has packaged its wine in a unique bowling pin-shaped flint glass bottle, with a deep punt. “While I loved the original eye-catching design, the unusual shape made the bottles somewhat challenging to display on market shelving and to store in standard wine racks,” Sue says. “That was one factor influencing the update decision.”
In early April 2019 Sue reached out to her glass supplier, Global Package, to explore these concerns. As the winery had grown in size, it now needed to find a practical solution to address the bottle’s balance, display, and storage issues, while retaining the unique, elegant bottle shape so identified with the brand.
The Tipton’s desire to lower the winery’s carbon footprint was another very important goal. “This was a huge motivator for us,” Sue adds. “Our vineyards are sustainable and we wanted to carry that ethic throughout our operations.”
To achieve these objectives, Sue called upon Global Package’s owner and CEO, Erica Harrop. She had worked with Harrop in 2011 when she purchased the original bottle. “Over the years we’d heard from winemakers, winery owners, and others that Erica was still the best in the business,” says Sue. “After we met to discuss the project in February 2019, I got the first drawing of the updated design the end of March.”
A custom mold drawing was created and Sue received a 3-D model of the bottle. It was a sleeker design, without a punt for better balance, but with the winery’s Lady 
Acquiesce logo embossed on the bottom. According to Sue, the meaning of the logo reinforces the winery’s focus on the environment …”to acquiesce, or surrender to Mother Nature, to submit to the vineyard and the grapes so they are allowed to present their true character.”
The new streamlined glass bottles are significantly lighter weight, which saves the winery approximately 12,600 pounds per year in glass, or four ounces per bottle, without sacrificing the same 750ml of wine per bottle. In addition, cases are shipped in cartons that are 100% recyclable paper and pulp. All are measures that have substantially reduced the winery’s carbon footprint.
“We couldn’t have done it without Erica’s expert guidance,” Sue emphasizes. “Her knowledge, attention to detail and accessibility gave me confidence that we would meet all our goals and the glass would be ready in time for bottling the 2019 vintage. As in all significant projects with lots of moving pieces and multiple players, there were challenges, but Erica was diligent in addressing each one with the appropriate level of required urgency. We love the result and the feedback from our loyal customers confirms the success of the project. We will continue to partner with Global Package going forward.”
Acquiesce’s world-class white wines have recently captured industry honors: In 2020, the winery was awarded Best of Class for its Viognier at the invitation-only American Fine Wine Competition (AFWC). In 2019, it received Double Gold Medals for its Ingénue, Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc, and Picpoul Blanc wines.
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Acquiesce Winery is located in the Lodi Appellation of California, and offers award-winning premium white and rosé wines lovingly created in small batches. Vines are sourced from the famed Château de Beaucastel of Châteauneuf du Pape, France, exhibiting a timeless elegance that’s fused with great fruit expression, thanks to Lodi’s sandy soils and Mediterranean climate. Its unique wines are carefully crafted using the best Rhône varietals: Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Clairette Blanche, Bourboulenc, Belle Blanc (white blend) and Grenache Rosé.
Global Package (www.globalpackage.net) is located in Napa Valley; it has an experienced team for creating the best bottles sourced from worldwide factories. It also provides custom shippers, glass decoration, pewter labels, and closures for the wine, spirits, and food industries. When it comes to providing custom and specialty bottles and packaging, the firm leads the way in finding solutions to provide a comprehensive and attractive outcome that sets a brand apart. Contact: 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558, and 707-224-5670.
Global Package’s Erica Harrop Announces New Hire: Sales Representative Sue Keechler
January 20, 2020
Global Package President and CEO, Erica Harrop, recently announced the hiring of Sue Keechler to the sales team. Keechler has over 25 years in the wine industry, beginning with Sebastiani Vineyards in 1995 and 13 years with Wine Business Monthly as Account Executive. She has also served as Marketing Specialist with Sonoma Media Investments, Director of Business Development at Berkley Int’l, Tasting Room Associate at 
Jacuzzi Family Winery, and Account Manager at Ramondin USA. When she was advertising sales executive at the Sonoma Index-Tribune in the ‘90s she loved the collaborative nature of the wine industry and decided it would be the focus of her career.
Harrop and Keechler have known each other for 13+ years. “It’s so exciting to come to Global Package and work with Erica,” Keechler says. “I have always respected her for her energy and no-nonsense style. She is an industry leader with tons of knowledge and a flawless reputation.” Keechler was introduced to Harrop when she was at Wine Business Monthly, where she partnered with over 150 customers, including Global Package. The two have kept in touch ever since and when this sales position opened up Harrop reached out to Keechler.
“We are so lucky to have Sue join our team,” says Harrop. “She is accomplished in every facet of our business, from brand building through creative packaging to expertise in all marketing channels, including social media.”
In addition to a wide range of bottles—both stock and custom—in a variety of styles, shapes, colors, and price points, Global Package has recently introduced several new innovative product lines that are making waves: Estal’s Sommelier Mouth anti-drip bottles, which include the new Essentia Burgundy, Bordeaux, and fluted Espiga bottles. and Wild Glass, beautiful 100% sustainable “real cycled” glass bottles that look hand-made. The Wild Glass bottles utilize an ecologically sustainable production process that uses only post-consumer recycled glass, which reduces CO2 output and energy consumption, while retaining the slight imperfections in the natural formation of the glass, creating a one-of-a-kind look.
“I’m so proud to be representing this outstanding supplier,” Keechler says. “While I’ll be familiarizing myself with the full complement of Global Package’s offerings, I’m already familiar with most of the industry players and many of our customers. So I’m excited to get out there and build on these relationships.”
Global Package (www.globalpackage.net) is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558 and can be reached at 707-224-5670.
Global Package to Showcase New Flint Bottle Samples in Wild Glass and Sommelier Mouth Lines at WIN Expo
November 25, 2019
At the upcoming WIN Expo Global Package LLC will be displaying all new Flint glass samples in both its Wild Glass and Sommelier Mouth (SM) lines, as well as fancy bottles with unique punts, in Booth #230 at the upcoming WIN Expo. The Conference and Tradeshow will be held from 9am to 4pm on Thursday, December 5th at Santa Rosa County Fairgrounds. A preview of the new Global Package logo—from long-time partner designer, Jody Tucker and Senspoint—will also be rolled out at the show.
“We’re excited to have samples on display of all our new bottles, including the new Flint glass options,” says Erica Harrop, Global Package 
President and CEO. “You’ll be able to see and hold the beautiful Wild Glass bottles, as well as the new Essentia Burgundy and Bordeaux bottles, both of which are available in Flint and both are from Estal.” Estal Packaging is a Spanish manufacturer and decoration specialist of premium wine bottles. Wild Glass and SM bottles don’t require changes to bottling lines.
Estal’s Wild Glass bottles utilize an ecologically sustainable production process that uses only post-consumer recycled glass, which reduces CO2 output and energy consumption, while retaining the slight imperfections in the natural formation of the glass, creating a singular handmade look. The Sommelier Mouth (SM) bottles feature an anti-drip groove that guides to facilitate a clean, straight cut of the capsule. The line includes the new Essentia Burgundy, Bordeaux, and fluted Espiga bottles, available in Flint and Antique.
“We’re also thrilled to be unveiling our new logo at the show,” Harrop says. “It’s been a fun process and we’re very happy with the results. Would love to hear your opinions, too. So, plan on stopping by our Booth #230. You’ll love all the gorgeous new bottles that’ll be on display.” Global Package’s expert staff will also be on hand to answer questions and help with bottle selection, as well as decoration options. In addition to the new Wild Glass and Sommelier Mouth bottles in Flint, Global Package offers a wide range of bottles—both stock and custom—in a variety of styles, shapes, and colors.
Global Package (www.globalpackage.net) is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558 and can be reached at 707-224-5670.
Global Package to Showcase Wild Glass and Sommelier Mouth Line in Booth #230 at December 5th WIN Expo
November 13, 2019
Napa, CA October 13, 2019 — Global Package LLC (www.globalpackage.net) will feature in Booth #230 two of the most recent bottle innovations from Estal Packaging at the upcoming 8th Annual WIN Expo Conference and Tradeshow, which will be held at Santa Rosa’s Sonoma County Fairgrounds on Thursday, December 5th from 9am to 4pm.
Estal’s unique 100% “real cycled” Wild Glass bottles are creating lots of buzz for their beautiful organic, hand-made look and ecologically
sustainable production process, which utilizes only post-consumer recycled glass. It’s a process that’s both efficient and sustainable, reducing CO2 output because it takes less energy to melt glass than convert raw material into glass and results in less extraction of virgin material.
Also on display at the Global Package booth will be the full line of Estal’s Sommelier Mouth (SM) bottles, which feature an anti-drip groove that guides to facilitate a clean, straight cut of the capsule. Capsuling is even easier without the ring at the top, allowing for less expensive capsules, as well. The line includes the Essentia Burgundy, Bordeaux, and fluted Espiga bottles. All are available in Flint and Antique.
“These one-of-a-kind bottles have got to be seen up close,” says Erica Harrop, President and CEO. “Our Wild Glass bottles retain the slight imperfections in the natural formation of the glass, while retaining all the manufacturing positives of automated glass. And our Sommelier Mouth bottles highlight a slightly wider neck and more fluid figure, resulting in maximum strength and adding to the perception of a sleek higher-end bottle. The SM bottles also don’t require any changes on the bottling line. They also allow direct printing on almost the entire height.”
Global Package’s, Erica Harrop, and her expert staff will be on hand to answer questions and help in bottle selection. “We invite everyone to visit us at Booth #230,” says Harrop. “We offer an incredible range of bottles—both stock and custom—in a variety of styles, shapes, and colors. We’ll be happy to help you select the bottle that’s sure to get noticed and that’s perfectly reflects your brand.”
Global Package is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558 and can be reached at 707-224-5670.
Global Package Brings Sommelier Essentia Bottle to the US
October 28, 2019
Erica Harrop, President and CEO of Global Package LLC (www.globalpackage.net), announced the availability of Estal’s Sommelier Mouth (SM) Essentia Burgundy bottle to American wineries. This bottle offers the same benefits of others in the award-winning SM line, such as an anti-drip 
barrier and groove guides to facilitate a clean, straight cut of the capsule.
“This is a beautiful bottle that’s available in both Flint and Antique and in both short and long tops,” says Harrop, “and adds to our in-stock SM bottles, including the Bordeaux and the unique flute Espiga bottes. ”We’ve seen great interest in these bottles—as well as in our recently introduced “Wild Glass” bottles—both of which will be on display and available at our Booth A 238 at Unified.” The upcoming Unified Wine & Grape Symposium will be held on February 4-6, 2020 in Sacramento, CA.
The Sommelier bottles feature a slightly wider neck and more fluid figure, which offers maximum strength and adds to the perception of a sleek higher-end bottle. Additionally, the SM bottles don’t require any changes on the bottling line, having been specifically designed to match standard bottle heights and weights. They also allow direct printing on almost the entire height. Also, the connecting ring and neck of the bottle has a small hollow groove in the glass, which makes the traditional extra thickness formed by the counter ring, or flange, disappear. Production of the Sommelier bottles also has a reduced carbon footprint.
Estal’s “Wild Glass” line of bottles is 100% sustainable “real cycled” glass bottles that are one-of-a-kind, since slight imperfections in the natural formation of the glass are allowed to remain, while retaining all the manufacturing positives of automated glass, much like organic handmade art. Estal also asserts that their process doesn’t discard bottles with cosmetic defects, which reduced the discard rate from 25% to 15% in its first test campaign.
These two innovative product lines—Sommelier Mouth and “Wild Glass” are just the latest offerings Global Package provides and that will be on display at Unified. Global Package inventory includes custom bottles for the premium and ultra-premium markets at very good pricing, and a wide selection of domestic bottles in stock.
For more information, contact info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670. Global Package is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558.
Global Package Introduces 100% Sustainable “Wild Glass”
October 02, 2019
Napa, CA October 1, 2019 — Erica Harrop, President and CEO of Global Package LLC (www.globalpackage.net), just announced the availability of Estal’s Wild Glass, 100% sustainable “real cycled” glass bottles produced for the wine and spirits industries. The production process is both efficient and ecologically sustainable, utilizing only post-consumer recycled glass collected from municipalities and resulting in a reduction of CO2 due to lower fuel consumption—it takes less energy to melt glass than to convert raw material into glass—and less extraction of virgin material.
“These bottles are beautiful!” says Harrop. “They are truly one-of-a-kind, since they’re like organic handmade art, allowing the slight 
imperfections in the natural formation of the glass to remain, while retaining all the manufacturing positives of automated glass.” According to Estal, the Wild Glass process doesn’t discard bottles with cosmetic defects, which reduced the discard rate from 25% to 15% in its first test campaign.
“Consumers around the world are paying much closer attention to the cause and effect of products on the environment,” Harrop stresses, “so this campaign is perfectly timed to address these concerns. Colors include “Flint Wild Glass,” which is now available, and “Dark Wild Glass,” which will be coming in 2020.
Wild Glass samples will be on display at Global Package’s Booth #A238 at the upcoming Unified Wine & Grape Symposium on February 4-6, 2020 in Sacramento, CA.
The Current Tariff Brinksmanship Punishes All of Us by Erica Harrop
September 04, 2019
The reality of the tariff impact on profits has not yet jolted the wine industry, but it will. The industry has had the great fortune of benefiting from moderated pricing for glass because of hugely less expensive sources from China. As the domestic glass factories have raised prices at a steady rate, to where they are almost as high as European glass, our industry has benefited from globalized competition. Personally, I am frustrated by the lack of agreement on how important it is to share this global economy. Whether it is parts for cars, phones, or your wonderful tasty wines, we need to have low price options in order to make our economy grow. And for those nay-sayers, hey, you, too, are all benefiting every single day from this global economy.
Globalization, yes, I use that nasty word to remind people of what often gets sidelined in political conversations …namely, that we all benefit when we can keep our products profitable in a price competitive market. If we don’t, we will only be making products for the rich, or “the Tesla-category,” widening that gap between the haves and have-nots. And that gap will grow even wider as a result of this ongoing tariff battle.
Because glass factories are not expanding, there is no new production capacity coming to help us out over the next 24 months. I urge those who suggest that these tariffs are helping in any way to look at the real impact they are having in nearly every economy, with talk of recession around the world. Tariffs are taxes and consumers are paying, and the Chinese are betting they will bring US consumers to their knees to win the war. The biggest consuming nation will have a hard lesson to learn from this political quagmire. We will soon see the damage it will cause here and abroad as the flow of commerce is shut down in the short term and becomes increasingly expensive over the long term as businesses seek other markets and supply sources.
Our wine and spirits customers want creative and elegant design, a broad variety of bottles and packaging from which to choose, and, equally important, economical competitive pricing. That competitive pricing is established when producers are making and selling similar products around the world.
Because of long-standing and hard-won relationships that Global Package has developed over the years, we have been able source from anywhere—domestic, European, and Asian—with products that are good quality from each of our suppliers. However, the current situation requires wineries and distilleries to keep an open mind, so we all can consider alternatives, options that are both unique and that can also fit within even budgets.
The wine and spirits industries sell at both commodity and luxury price points, and differentiating all these products on the shelf has become increasingly critical. While the label is no longer an easy identifier of a category, bottles and their embellishments have become more important. Bottles can provide a thousand silent cues by using color, weight, taper, punt, and personalization.
However, finding quality glassmakers that are dependable and who have the capacity is not easy, especially for smaller, specialty companies like Global Package. Large corporations have big purchasing power so they buy up most of the domestic glass, which is always in short supply to begin with. This predicament affects not only suppliers, but low-volume wine and spirits producers, as well. A winery selling a bottle of wine for $8 retail cannot do so without the lowest pricing at every stage of production, including packaging.
For 14 years, Global Package has been creating bottles in new shapes and styles in China to fill the need for quality glass at competitive pricing. While European glass is an alternative in terms of quality and supply, it cannot compete with the aggressive competitive pricing Chinese glass affords. Without a doubt, this pernicious trade war with China will continue to disrupt and do great damage to all of us who are in the business of trying to keep our respective industries afloat.
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Erica Harrop is founder and CEO of Global Package LLC (www.globalpackage.net). The company’s owner has worked for over 32 years in the glass industry with more than 30 suppliers around the world, and provides stock as well as custom bottles for the premium and ultra-premium markets. The team is comprised of talented and experienced professionals to help source the best bottles and provide custom shippers, glass decoration, pewter labels, closures, and design for the wine and spirits industries. The company stocks a good selection of domestic bottles and specializes in European bottles, with the ability to source higher-end bottles at very good pricing.
Global Package Will Sponsor, Exhibit, and Compete in Upcoming W&V Packaging Conference
July 10, 2019
Napa, CA July 10, 2019 — Erica Harrop, President and CEO of Global Package LLC (www.globalpackage.net), recently announced that the company will sponsor the morning Session 2: What Packaging is Selling Wine at the Wines & Vines Packaging Conference to be held on 
Thursday, August 8th at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville, CA. The company also will be exhibiting—in Booth 40—Estal’s award-winning 
Sommelier bottles, which won the prestigious European 2018 “Oscar de l’emballage” Award, samples of which will be given out on a first-come basis. The company has also entered in the design competition its custom bottle for Clarice Wine Company’s Pinot Noirs.
“We’re thrilled to showcase several of our most recent, ground-breaking bottle designs” says Harrop. “On display will be the stunning custom bottle we designed for Bardessono Hotel and Spa, which also features gorgeous decoration by Napa’s Bergin Screen Printing & Etching. And, in addition to our Sommelier bottles, we’ll have on hand our Clarice Pinot bottle. Our work with wineries and their designers continues to set the standard in innovative, yet practical and affordable, bottle design.”
Global Package’s expert staff will be on hand to answer questions and to discuss solutions for any of your upcoming projects. “We invite everyone to visit us at Booth 40,” adds Harrop. “You’ll see the incredible range of bottles that we offer—both stock and custom—in a variety of styles, shapes, and colors.”
Customization Boosts Sales By Erica Harrop
June 26, 2019
This is the third and final installment in our series on what wineries should focus on when making packaging decisions. First, we discussed the importance of establishing a personal, compelling, and authentic brand story, one that is intrinsic to the character or the wine or winery. This can be culled from your winery’s family history, its terroir, or your unique winemaking process. This brand story needs to be succinctly articulated to 
bring it to life with your messaging and packaging.
The second most important factor to consider is your wine’s bottle, its shape and color. In my previous article I explained all the reasons to choose glass over cans, bags, or boxes: It protects against oxygen contamination, does not impart metallic or other unwanted tastes or odors to the wine, and it can protect against UV light, which can “skunk” a wine.
Now I’d like to expand on the area of bottle customization and decoration. In addition to providing a large inventory of stock bottles in standard shapes and colors, Global Package routinely sources a broad range of bottles, both domestically and foreign, for the ultra-premium wine market. We also specialize in producing custom molds for those seeking a distinctive bottle for their packaging. Our work with wineries and their designers has resulted in numerous industry awards, including
While Global Package boasts a broad range of domestic and European bottles, the company also produces custom molds at reasonable prices for brands wishing to elevate their brand beyond the fray.
“Of course, the price factor plays into the equation,” says Harrop. “However, I want to point out that many clients are surprised to find that customization can be affordable.”
A recent experience with one of Global Package’s clients, Clarice Wine Company’s Adam Lee, proved this point. Lee shares this:
“I initially thought the pricing and quantities required for a custom designed bottle would be prohibitive, but it turned out that the quantities required were quite reasonable and the pricing was really fair. It cost a bit more than a stock bottle, but given the bang for the buck, it was quite reasonable.”
In future WIN articles, Harrop plans to discuss in more technical detail the myriad of factors wineries need to consider when selecting packaging; such as classic versus custom bottles, colors/shapes, weights/heights, decoration, price/case breakpoints, foreign versus domestic sourcing, etc.
Global Package provides stock and custom bottles for the premium and ultra-premium markets, creating new opportunities for wineries to strengthen existing and build new brands with adherence to the highest quality standards. The company stocks a wide selection of domestic bottles and specializes in European bottles, with the ability to source higher-end bottles at very good pricing.
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Contact info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670. Global Package is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558.
Global Package Partner, Estal Glass, Announces International Launch of its Prize-Winning Sommelier Bottle at IQ
June 12, 2019
Napa, CA June 12, 2019 — Global Package LLC President and CEO, Erica Harrop, proudly announces the international launch of Estal Glass’ latest innovation for the wine industry at the IQ show in May with the team from Estal on hand to answer questions about the Sommelier bottle. Global Package is Estal’s sole US distributor, with offices on both coasts and inventory on hand to expeditiously fulfill orders. The Sommelier design won the prestigious Oscar de l’emballage Award in 2018, and since its introduction in Europe, it has been adopted by many illustrious wineries, including the Provence Chateau Margüi, which is owned by Star Wars director, George Lucas. Estal was a Gold Sponsor at the IQ (Innovation + Quality) Forum held last month in Napa, CA, where it presented the Sommelier at its exclusive private lounge.
The Sommelier bottle features a simple and more fluid figure, an anti-drip barrier, larger neck diameter to meet a standard capsule, and a 
‘sommelier’ groove, which facilities a clean, straight cut of the capsule. The result is a perception of higher weight and premium quality level. Additionally, the bottles don’t require any changes in bottling production. Since they’ve been designed to match standard bottle heights and weights, wineries can use their same equipment, capsules, and corks. The format, available in both high- and low-end versions, allows direct printing on almost the entire height.
“We’re thrilled to be the only Estal representative in the States,” says Harrop. “This extraordinary design breakthrough has taken off in Europe since it was introduced last year. It’s exciting to be at the forefront of introducing it to the American market.”
In addition to its sleek design, the Sommelier model offers real functional benefits for consumers. The connecting ring and neck of the bottle has a small hollow groove in the glass, which makes the traditional extra thickness formed by the counter ring, or flange, disappear. Production of the Sommelier bottle also has a reduced carbon footprint.
Estal, known for its inventiveness in packaging design and personalization, is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year by expanding the market reach of its Sommelier bottle, after the successful introduction in Europe.
In addition to offering the Sommelier bottles, Global Package provides other custom bottles for the premium and ultra-premium markets at very good pricing, as well as stocking a wide selection of domestic bottles. For more information, contact info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670. Global Package is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558.
Global Package and Estal Team to Show Sommelier Bottles at IQ
May 15, 2019
Napa, CA June 15, 2019 — Founder and CEO, Erica Harrop, is pleased to announce that Global Package LLC and Estal Packaging will be 
showing the SOMMELIER new bottle line at the Innovation + Quality (IQ) Forum, to be held May 22 & 23 at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa. The Estal team from Spain will be on hand to discuss the Sommelier design innovation and applications.
“I encourage everyone to come by and speak with the Estal reps,” says Harrop. “We have partnered with Bergin Glass Screen Printing and Etching to decorate a Sommelier bottle’s neck to highlight the design’s unique features.”
Now in stock at Global Package, the Sommelier bottles come in Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Hock styles and are now available in antique, blue, and flint. They are the newest addition to Estal’s Sommelier line, which features an innovative Track-Ring design. Estal Glass was recently awarded the Oscar Del Emballage for its Hot Rod bottle, which also uses the track-ring system. The bottles feature an anti-drip barrier and a ‘sommelier’ groove, which facilities a clean, straight cut of the capsule. Additionally, the bottles don’t require any changes in bottling production. Since they’ve been designed to match standard bottle heights and weights, wineries can use their same equipment, capsules, and corks.
Global Package’s full line of Sommelier, standard, and custom bottles are in stock at Global Package’s Napa showroom, which is open daily and located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558 (www.globalpackage.net). Call 707-224-5670 for an appointment.
Selecting the Right Wine Bottle
April 03, 2019
Selecting the Right Wine Bottle by Erica Harrop -- In my last article about the importance of your vision for your wine’s brand, I mentioned I’d be writing up a couple of technical articles about key packaging components that contribute to realizing that vision. And your wine’s bottle should be your first consideration.
Your wine’s bottle should be your first consideration. But even before that let’s ask “why use glass?” Glass is chosen by most wineries because it is inert, which means the wine is protected from oxygen contamination, which will degrade a wine. While some wineries are experimenting with wine in bags, boxes, or cans, glass continues to be the container of choice for most. I think drinking a cold, acidic liquid out of a can not only defies the entire aesthetic of wine—the pleasurable look, the aroma/bouquet, the mouth feel—metal can also impart a metallic aspect to the wine.
The color of the glass is also very important, primarily for protection from ultraviolet light. And colors are not all created the same. The composition of the various minerals that make up a color can help the wine by protecting it from UV light and in storage. Although wine doesn’t “skunk” as readily as beer, it can change wonderful flavors to the worse due to the various organic compounds. Specifically, mercaptans (thiols) are a group of smelly compounds that are produced by hydrogen sulfide. Once mercaptans are formed in the wine, they are just waiting for oxygen and, when they get it, the result is undrinkable, with sulfide-induced aromas smelling like skunk or rotten onions.
The different colors for glass bottles are achieved through various chemical additives, minerals, and reactions. For example: Blue bottles, rare in the wine industry, are a result of cobalt or copper being added to the liquid molten mixture; Green bottles are made with oxidized iron chromate being added to the liquid molten mixture; Brown, or amber, bottles offer the best protection from harmful ultraviolet radiation, which is why that color glass is most often used by beer brewers.
Clear, or flint, glass is natural and colorless and helps show off the product stored inside. Some wineries are even using clear bottles to display the bright colors of synthetic corks that match their labels as a marketing ploy. However, clear glass offers no protection from light or UV radiation, so extra care must be taken in shipping, display, and storage. Champagnes are usually bottled in dark to medium green glass and are generally kept in a carton or wrapped in yellow wrap for added protection. In general, wines that are going to be consumed quickly — like a light, fruity white — can be bottled in clear glass. Wines that age longer, like reds, should almost always go in dark bottles.
Like color, the shape of the bottle can help define the character and provenance of your wine. There are historical precedents for what wine goes with what bottle shape, although those restrictions are increasingly being challenged. Who decided that a Pinot has to be in a bottle with a soft shoulder? Or a Bordeaux has to have a hard shoulder? However, these conventional guidelines can help us identify regions and help educate our expectations.
Bottle shapes are generally grouped into four categories: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Hock, and Specialty. You can check out each of these shapes on our website: www.globalpackage.net. The Bordeaux shape is usually matched with a more tannic, drier style of wine, such as a Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, as well as a couple of other grapes. If a consumer opened this type of wine in a burgundy bottle they would be most likely be unhappily surprised. While a Petite Sirah might come in a burgundy bottle, a young Bordeaux in a Bordeaux bottle will pleasurably meet both taste and aesthetic expectations.
Similarly, when I think of a Burgundy shape, I think of a wine with floral, fruit, and luscious flavors, like a Pinot Noir, that is associated with a softer shoulder bottle. Anticipating a pleasurable wine-drinking experience should not be ruined by a mismatched bottle.
It’s interesting to speculate where the wine glass industry is going in terms of packaging innovation, particularly vis a vis the Millennials, who have become
a primary focus for nearly every industry. These consumers like to push the envelope, are more adventurous, and less risk averse. Some wineries are appealing to this demographic by packaging their wines in heavy, deep-punted bottles with an even wider body, which can upset not only the retailer trying to fit the bottle on his shelf, but also the fine-wine collector who has an expensive custom-built cellar that won’t accommodate the bigger bottles. I am not sure that every new brand deserves to be the initiator of a collector’s redesigned cellar! I saw a blue-bottled wine the other day and asked who it was for and was told that the Asian market loves it. Also, the industry is a bit concerned that the older generation is ageing out and may not be buying/collecting as much as in the past. So then who is buying?
Here in the US, wine sales continue to rise year after year and are expected to continue this year, with domestic wines leading the charge. In fact, domestic producers are also growing, now up to 13,000 from 12,535 in 2017. While Baby Boomers may be buying less, other demographics are asserting their preference for wine over beer and spirits. The takeaway for wineries is to attract these new buyers with a captivating story about their vision and then to realize that vision with packaging that combines expectation with intrigue.
For example, one of our clients, Clarice Wine Company, recently defied convention by using a screwcap on his Pinot wine bottle. I think it was a stroke of genius, given the industry trends toward ease of use and high quality. I can just imagine LeBron James opening a bottle of Clarice Pinot on his social media page, and easily recapping it after a glass. Buyers in the US want to have convenience and assured quality, and bottle selection plays a critical role in both.
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Endnote: For decades Global Package has provided stock and custom bottles for the premium and ultra-premium wine markets, creating new opportunities for wineries to build existing and new brands with adherence to the highest quality standards. With a wide selection of domestic bottles in stock and a specialization in European bottles, it can source higher-end bottles at very good pricing. Contact info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670. Global Package is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558.
Winery Vision Should Dictate Packaging Decisions
February 20, 2019
Returning from a recent trip to Oregon, Global Package LLC founder and president, Erica Harrop, was asked what factors wineries should explore before tackling the issue of packaging.
First and foremost, she advises, wineries should have a deeply personal vision for their wine and/or winery. Is there an interesting family, vineyard, or regional history that is intrinsic to the wine’s character? What factors make the wine unique to your consumer? Is there an unusual wine-making process that makes the flavors special? Are the vines unusual? How about 
the terroir or climate? Taking a deep dive into any one of these avenues can uncover a brand story that speaks to the consumer, authentically and compellingly.
Second, take time to understand the target consumer’s lifestyle, habits, and demographic. What are their ages? Where do they live? How do they communicate? What do they do with their free time? Try to find out as much as possible so you can connect your brand story to their interests and aspirations.
Third, once you have a clearly defined vision for your wine, and are able to succinctly articulate it, you can begin to bring it to life with your packaging. Do you think of your brand as contemporary or traditional? Is it youthful or does it appeal more to an older demographic? Does it skew
masculine or feminine? These answers will inform the style of glass and decoration you choose.
While Global Package boasts a broad range of domestic and European bottles, the company also produces custom molds for brands wishing to distinguish themselves as unique.
“Of course, the price factor plays into the equation,” says Harrop. “However, I want to point out that many clients are surprised to find that customization can be affordable.”
A recent experience with one of Global Package’s clients, Clarice Wine Company’s Adam Lee, proved this point. Lee shares this:
“ I initially thought the pricing and quantities required for a custom designed bottle would be prohibitive, but it turned out that the quantities required were quite reasonable and the pricing was really fair. It cost a bit more than a stock bottle, but given the bang for the buck, it was quite reasonable.”
In future WIN articles, Harrop plans to discuss in more technical detail the myriad of factors wineries need to consider when selecting packaging; such as classic versus custom bottles, colors/shapes, weights/heights, decoration, price/case breakpoints, foreign versus domestic sourcing, etc.
Global Package provides stock and custom bottles for the premium and ultra-premium markets, creating new opportunities for wineries to strengthen existing and build new brands with adherence to the highest quality standards. The company stocks a wide selection of domestic bottles and specializes in European bottles, with the ability to source higher-end bottles at very good pricing.
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Contact info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670. Global Package is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558.
Adam Lee and Global Package Team Up on the Launch of Clarice Wine Company’s New Pinot Noirs
February 06, 2019
Clarice Wine Company’s Adam Lee recently shared his views on working with Global Package’s Erica Harrop last year on the packaging of his high-scoring 2017 Clarice Garys’ Vineyard and 2017 Clarice Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noirs. Here’s an excerpt:
“I began working with wine in Texas in 1989 and, after meeting my wife Dianna Novy there, we moved to Sonoma and started a family and Siduri Wines, which became known as one of California’s premier Pinot Noir producers, growing from 107 cases in 1994 to 25,000 cases in 2015. When we sold Siduri to Jackson Family Winery, I had the opportunity to try something new, to ‘reinvent’ myself, my winemaking, and how wine is sold. The result is Clarice Wine Company.
Clarice, which is named after my beloved grandmother, is a wine, a wine company, and a wine community, which allows members to share opinions, travel stories, and to have exclusive access to industry leaders in a private, intimate, educational forum. Borrowing from my grandmother’s slow-cooking recipes, I pick all the grapes in a vineyard, regardless of ripeness or varied clones, and ferment them together, resulting in a rich and complex melding of flavors. Happily, I’ve received top scores from top critics, including between 93 and 96 points from Robert Parker.
So I had these three new Pinots and now needed new packaging that reflected my new thinking. I knew generally the height and weight I wanted, so I contacted Erica, who presented several options and suggestions, including an etched cartouche to the bottle for added distinction. I initially thought the pricing and quantities required for a custom designed bottle would be prohibitive, but it turned out that the quantities required were quite reasonable and the pricing was really fair. It cost a bit more than a stock bottle, but given the bang for the buck, it was quite reasonable. With Erica’s help the finished product is both classy and classic.
I was also pleased with how smoothly and quickly the whole process went; from preorder to delivery it was only around six months. I’ll give a shout-out to Halsey Bottling in Napa, too, whose bottling line flawlessly applied both the main and upper labels in precise relation to the cartouche.
Some have been surprised by my choice of a screw cap on the package …it was not to save money. My many years in the industry as a Pinotphile have convinced me that screw tops are the best closure; they allow the right amount of oxygen in without TCA contamination.”
Harrop, for her part, notes that working with Lee was a pleasure. “It’s always a treat to have a client who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to test new waters,” she says. “Adam’s deep knowledge of not only Pinots, but also the intricacies of branding and marketing made this a fun project. Like his wine, it’s a formidable combination.”
Global Package provides custom bottles for the premium and ultra-premium markets at very good pricing, as well as stocking a wide selection of domestic bottles. Call and see what we can offer as the glass world continues to change. Contact info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670. Global Package is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558
Global Package Will Unveil New Sommelier Bottles at Unified
January 23, 2019
Global Package LLC’s founder and CEO, Erica Harrop, announced that the company will introduce the new Burgundy and Bordeaux Sommelier bottles in Booth 504 at the upcoming Unified Wine & Grape Symposium to be held January 30th and 31st. These bottles are the latest additions to Estal’s unique Sommelier Mouth line that features an innovative Track-Ring design. Estal Glass was recently awarded the Oscar Del Emballage for its Hot Rod bottle, which also uses the track-ring system.
“We’re proud to be at the forefront of this remarkable innovation …a dream come true for sommeiiers and marketers,” says Harrop. “The continuous straight neck and mouth results in a cleaner silhouette, and the designs can also feature a slightly wider neck, which enhances the handsome profile and is characteristic of premium and luxury bottles of wine.”
The new mouth design features an anti-drip barrier, and a ‘sommelier’ groove, which facilities a clean, straight cut of the capsule. Additionally, the bottles don’t require any changes in bottling production. Since they’ve been designed to match standard bottle heights and weights, wineries can use their same equipment, capsules, and corks.
Adding to Global Package’s full line of standard and highly custom bottles, the Sommelier bottles are in stock now at Global Package’s Napa showroom, which is open daily and located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558 (www.globalpackage.net). Call 707-224-5670 for an appointment.
Global Package Supplier, Estal Glass, Wins Packaging Oscar
December 05, 2018
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Emballage for its Hot Rod bottle. The bottle interprets the classic flask silhouette and features Estal’s innovative track-ring/sommelier system. It’s the first industrial bottle specially designed for the spirits and distilleries market and that substitutes a conventional mouth ring with an anti-drip sommelier groove, or cut rail, which also facilitates cutting of the capsule.
Expo Trade Show and Conference this Thursday at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. The Sommelier wine bottles will be in stock in January. Harrop says: “We are breaking the glass ceiling of creativity once again!” Global Package’s Napa showroom is open daily. Call 707-224-5670 for an appointment.
Tariffs Bring Domestic and European Glass Suppliers into Focus
October 17, 2018
While statistics show people in the US and China are drinking more wine than ever, and the craft distilling industry continues its strong growth over the past three years in sales, exports, and volumes, the trade war with China is likely to put a significant dent in these trends. “ Due to the harsh tariffs the Feds have applied to the wine and spirits industries of 25% on imports on bottles, cardboard, and other packaging materials, this will deleteriously affect winery and distillery cost of goods in a competitive global market” says Erica Harrop, CEO and founder of Global Package LLC. “This will impact supply, not only from China, but from other glass producers, since demand could quickly deplete supply.”
Harrop has been in the business long enough to remember what it was like before China imports took hold, when US factories were the 
juggernaut of the glass suppliers back in the early 2000s, filling the needs of most of the industry. When glass shortages hit in 2007, distributors had to find new sources.
“Those new sources, like China, saved the wine industry at the time, she notes, “but that disruption blurred the lines between glassmakers’ quality levels. Customers became accustomed to lower prices at the expense of uneven quality and a lack of creativity.”
Harrop points out that domestic and European glass have many advantages, including well-tested production standards that ensure high quality, dependable supply chains for efficient delivery, and high-end design capabilities, from classical glass styles to innovative, eye-catching shapes, colors, and packaging.
Pricing, of course, remains important. But glass quality and creative design have proven to be of equal value in today’s marketplace. A recent article in Wines & Vines points out that “consumers are not only spending more on wine in total, they are also exhibiting a willingness to spend more per bottle,” which would include ultra-premium, high-end fancy bottles, and bottles heavier than 650 grams. (Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/2OxLPAs).
Given this trend, Harrop advises customers to take a closer look at imports from Europe. The exchange rate is good and European glass has a long and storied history of high-end quality glass that reflects each individual country’s local culture.
Premium bottles of about 500-650 grams are also now being made in North America, some of better quality than others, so buyer beware. For instance, if performance on the bottling line is important to you, you should look for qualified distributors who have been working for years with glass producers to know the intricacies of bottling line performance.
It’s also important to remember that domestic glass suppliers are good choices for varietals, which must fight for shelf attention. Harrop estimates that the world of domestic glass suppliers accounts for approximately 70% of the glass supplied to our industry, and availability is generally predictable. But Harrop advises customers to plan ahead, certainly in the short term, until the tariff issue is settled.
In conclusion, there may be a silver lining in this trade war, long-term. If it brings us back to focusing on distinctive design and quality production, we’ll all be better for it.
Endnote: For decades Global Package has provided stock and custom bottles for the premium and ultra-premium markets, creating new opportunities for wineries to build existing and new brands with adherence to the highest quality standards. We have a wide selection of domestic bottles in stock, and we specialize in European bottles, with the ability to source higher-end bottles at very good pricing.
Call and see what we can offer as the glass world continues to change. Contact info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670. Global Package is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558.
What Now? Global Package President, Erica Harrop, Speaks Out On New Tariffs
September 19, 2018
On September 18, 2018 Erica Harrop, CEO and founder of Global Package LLC, released this statement regarding new tariffs recently imposed on glass:
Does anyone remember what it was like before China bottles took hold of our industry? I remember it well. Importing was for specialty bottles and quality design was respected. US factories were the juggernaut of the glass suppliers, filling the needs of most of the industry until the glass shortages in 2007 forced glass distributors to find new sources. Those new sources saved the wine industry from catastrophic shortages and benefited the wine and spirits industries in the long run. However, that disruption blurred the role and quality level of glassmakers to the point where it was difficult to distinguish one glassmaker’s bottle shapes and glass source from another. Customers gave up searching for experienced high-quality suppliers, resulting in “good enough” pricing, but a lot less creativity and poorer quality.
So what can we expect now? Pricing, of course, remains important. But glass quality and creative design have proven to be of equal, if not more, important in today’s industry marketplace. A recent article in Wines & Vines points out that
“consumers are not only spending more on wine in total, they are also exhibiting a willingness to spend more per bottle,” which would include ultra-premium, high-end fancy bottles, and bottles heavier than 650 grams.” (Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/2OxLPAs).
Given this trend, I believe it is time to again look at imports from Europe. The exchange rate is good and European glass has a long and storied history of high-end quality glass that reflects each individual country’s local culture.
Premium bottles of about 500-700 grams are also now being made in North America, some of better quality than others as factories realize the complexity of making heavier bottles. However buyers need to beware of really cheap imports from unqualified sources. For instance, if performance on the bottling line is important to you, you should look for qualified distributors who have been working for years with glass producers and who know the intricacies of bottling line performance.
It’s also important to remember that domestic glass suppliers are good choices for commodity wines that must fight for shelf attention. 
The world of domestic glass suppliers accounts for 80% of the glass supplied to our industry, and availability is generally predictable.
In short, the current 10% and future 25% tariff in January will make imported glass from China more expensive. I personally think it would make sense for China to revise its quantitative expectations and start working with premium bottles, where value would equal paying a bit more.
For over a decade Global Package has created bottles, stock and custom, for the high end premium and ultra-premium markets, creating new opportunities for wineries to build existing and new brands with adherence to the highest quality standards. We also now have a wide selection of domestic bottles in stock, and we specialize in European bottles, with the ability to source higher-end bottles at very good pricing.
Call and see what we can offer as the glass world continues to change. Contact info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670. Global Package is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558.
Global Package Exhibits Internationally Award-Winning Designs in Booth 40 at the W&V Pack Show
August 08, 2018
Erica Harrop, CEO and founder of Global Package LLC, announced that the company will be exhibiting award-winning new designs, the “Sommelier ring” and the “Doble Alto® custom base” at the upcoming Wines & Vines Packaging Conference to be held Thursday, August 9th at the Yountville, CA Lincoln Theater, 100 California Drive.
On display, as well, at this one-day event will be Global Package’s signature line of Elegant Light® bottles, which are lighter and come in all 
traditional shapes and styles. The company will also be showcasing several of its newest offerings, including the Sommelier Mouth Bottle, which features a continuous straight (and thicker) neck, typical of premium and luxury brands, as well as a specially designed mouth, which results in a cleaner pour.
There will also be samples of the new Estal DobleAlto® patented bottle, featuring a podium-like base and an increased bottle height, both of which enhance brand presence. Importantly, neither of these innovations adds to the amount of glass used in manufacturing.
Customization options will also be on display, including examples of screen printing, coating, and on the DobleAlto® rosette fluting and a magnifying glass effect. Other decorative techniques, including pewter labels, will also be shown.
Global Package specialists will be on hand to answer any questions. For more information, contact info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670. Global Package (www.globalpackage.net) is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558
Global Package Introduces New Estal DobleAlto® Glass Innovations
July 23, 2018
Erica Harrop, CEO and founder of Global Package LLC, announces the arrival of the distinctive Estal DobleAlto® bottle. The Doble Alto® is a unique and patented glass technique that consists of a double base that adds elegance by increasing the height of the packaging and brand presence without increasing the amount of glass used in manufacturing. Acting as a podium, the double base enhances the brand’s image and 
value as desirable and exclusive.
“Since being introduced a couple of years ago, these Estal bottles have had great success in the market,” says Harrop. “Not only is the aesthetic of the design unique, Estal and Global Package now offer clients a range of new customization options that highlight the effect of the double base.”
Customization options include: screen printing, coating, rosette (Opera Roseta fluting), embossing, a magnifying glass effect, and other decorative techniques. (Refer to the attached Estal pdf). Developed for premium products in many diverse sectors, the DobleAlto® bottle is ideally suited to high-end wine and spirits brands.
“The visual impact of the double base—raising the contents of the bottle on a clear glass ‘podium’—makes the package stand out in retail, on premise, and in restaurant/bar environments,” adds Harrop. “The Kaava Sparkling Gin (http://www.kaava.es/es/ ) is a great example of the Opera Roseta customization.”
Global Package is now offering these distinctive Estal bottles, along with all decorative options. For more information, contact info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670. Global Package (www.globalpackage.net) is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558.
Global Package Client Tenshen’s Rosé Wins Gold
July 11, 2018
Global Package LLC is proud to announce the Gold Medal win in label and packaging for its customer, Guarachi Wine Partners’ 2016 Tenshen Rosé, at last month’s Central Coast Packaging and Design Competition. The bottle is from Global Package, and the package was designed by Oakland’s Cult Design.
Under the umbrella of Guarachi Wine Partners, which is a well-established marketer and innovator of fine wine for 33 years, Tenshen and Guarachi Family Wines have both recently received numerous awards and mentions. The 2016 Tenshen White was awarded 92 pts by Tasting Panel Magazine, and the Tenshen 2016 red blend “Santa Barbara County” was named one of the best Out of the Ordinary for Father’s Day wines by the Arizona Daily Sun. The Guarachi Family Wines also was featured this year on CBS Los Angeles’ Father’s Day Gift Guide. Both brands are current Global Package clients.
According to Global Package founder and CEO, Erica Harrop, “The Tenshen Rosé was sourced from Europe to fit the high quality look the customer requested. By considering a spirit bottle for the solution we found a great match. We are happy to be providing top tier glass for all Guarachi Family Wines, an important contribution to the winemaking and wine packaging honors they are reaping.”
According to its website, the Guarachi Wine Partners story is an inspirational one: “In 1985, founder Alex Guarachi came to the United States from Chile on a soccer scholarship. When an injury shattered his athletic dreams, he went back to his roots for inspiration on what to do next. While living in the backyard of Napa Valley and Sonoma County—where South American wines had been unknown—Alex saw an opportunity to educate the American consumer on the great wines from his native country.”
Today, Guarachi Wine Partners represents 16 brands across six countries as we continue forging the next chapter in our fine wine history. The company has built a reputation as the Pioneer of South American Wines. Tenshen, one of the brands represented by Guarachi Wine Partners, currently produces a red, white, and rosé, which is known to feature “a phenomenal structure and texture with a clean, fruity finish.”
Global Package (www.globalpackage.net) is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558, and can be contacted at info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670.
Global Package Introduces Estal’s Sommelier Mouth Bottles
June 25, 2018
Global Package LLC announced it is now selling Estal’s latest innovation in wine packaging: the new Sommelier Mouth Bottles. Global Package and Estal (https://www.estal.com/en/company) have long worked together to promote and sell exceptional, premium packaging solutions for the wine and spirits industry in the US, Canada, and Mexico. This new technology features a patented evolutionary process in the mouth of the bottle, with a modern profile which prevents drips while maintaining all the conventional bottling processes, including utilizing the same capsules, cork, bottling speeds, bottle height and weight. It’s also compatible to customization for creating a truly special bottle.
“We are delighted to be able to provide these unique, yet practical bottles to our clients throughout North America,” says Global Package’s founder and CEO, Erica Harrop. “The continuous straight neck and mouth results in a cleaner silhouette. It can also allow the neck to be thicker, which is a characteristic of premium and luxury bottles of wine.”
The biggest benefits to sommeliers, however, are the Sommelier groove (cut rail), which facilitates the cutting of the capsule and the anti-drip ring. “There is a clean, straight cutting guide at the neck of the bottle,” adds Harrop, “which is a huge advantage for 
sommeliers who need to be efficient and offer the most attractive presentation. We would be happy to show you samples and discuss how this technology will elevate your brand.”
The New Sommelier Mouth was recognized by the prestigious jury of the Oscar de l’Emballage in November 2017. It is available in a variety of glass bottle models.
Global Package (www.globalpackage.net) is located at 2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558, and can be contacted at info@globalpackage.net or 707-224-5670.
Global Package Customer, Marsh Mokhtari’s Gray Whale Gin, Sweeps Industry Prizes
May 30, 2018
Napa, CA May 28, 2018 — Erica Harrop, Global Package LLC president, announced the recent shared success of one of her clients: Golden State Distillery’s Gray Whale Gin (www.instagram.com/graywhalegin). Global Package created the packaging for Gray Whale Gin, which was awarded one of the wine and spirits industry’s most prestigious prizes at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America: First Place as 2018’s “Brand Bottle” of the Year!
“Some consider this award to be like winning the prize at Shark Tank,” says Harrop. “Having launched many prize-winning brands, it is so exciting to be part of such a genuine winning story.” Gray Whale’s stunning packaging reflects its unique brand story and positioning in the market: authenticity, a compelling true story, and social and ecological responsibility.
According to Harrop, she was contacted last year by Chef and Culinary TV Personality Marsh Mokhtari, who was looking for help with a number of design elements he envisioned for his new Gray Whale Gin package. Global Package was selected from a short list to be the only California resource for the bottle Mokhtari had in mind, as well as the only supplier he found that was able to produce the complex color using organic paint that was in line with the brand’s sustainability.
“It was a long process to fine-tune the perfect blue and the transparent surface that wouldn’t chip or scratch,” Mokhtari recalls. “But Erica worked with us every step of the way. The entire package, including the handsome 6-pack shipping box, has resulted in many awards and a huge boost in sales. Needless to say, she has earned this customer for life.”
The Gray Whale Gin’s brand story begins with the gray whale’s migratory path along the California coast, which is represented in its logo mark—designed by Mokhtari’s wife, Jan Livingston and design agency United Creatives—of a whale tail with dots tracing the locations from which the gin sources its botanicals, including juniper and fir, mint, citrus, almonds, and hand-harvested sea kelp from the Mendocino Coast. Distilled seven times it’s also gluten free. Sustainability and protecting the world’s oceans is one of the brand’s core values, so Mokhtari supports Oceana—a nonprofit that works to protect and restore the world’s oceans—and is “1% for the Planet” certified, contributing at least one percent of its annual sales to environmental causes. This information is detailed on the screen-printed back label.
“We know how important it is to bring an ideal image to reality,” says Harrop. “We will always take the time to get to the best possible outcome. Our work with Marsh helped him achieve his vision, within his price point.”
Global Package and Marsh Mokhtari are pleased that their collaboration is paying off.
Global Package Adds Marieshka Barton to Growing Sales Team
April 18, 2018
Napa, CA April 17, 2018 — Erica Harrop, founder and president of Global Package LLC, recently announced hiring industry pro, Marieshka 
Barton, as Sales Representative for the Napa, Sierra Nevada Foothills, Paso Robles, and Santa Barbara territories. Barton is the newest addition to the company’s growing sales team in support of its expanding business.
Barton comes with broad credentials in the industry, most recently in marketing and sales at Sonoma’s Canihan Family Winery, where she specialized in customer centric, intuitive sales methods. Her experience with copywriting of sales collateral, social media, and research, expertise Harrop believes will promote real professionalism in the industry. Prior to her work at Canihan, she worked as production coordinator/copy editor on the Wine Business Case Research Journal in Rohnert Park.
Marieshka shares her reasons for joining Global Package: “I chose to work for Global Package because I am attracted to strong, intelligent leadership, and Erica Harrop is on fire! She's a consummate captain who is steering Global Package and her team to great fortune. I am overjoyed to be a part of the adventure and add to our mutual prosperity.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Marieshka,” says Harrop. “Her many talents will be a huge asset to our sales effort, including help in developing sales strategy and sales literature, both for us and for our clients. We are very fortunate to have her as part of the team.”
Barton received her BA in Environment Science from Humboldt State, graduating Summa Cum Laude and as “Student of the Year.” She received her MBA from Sonoma State University, where she was awarded “Best Student Case” by the North American Case Research Association. She also has a Professional Certificate from the Wine Industry Sales Education (W.I.S.E.) in Napa; is a Certified Specialist of Wine with the Society of Wine Educators; and is a Level 1 Sommelier with the Guild of Master Sommeliers.
Global Package offers specialty stock and custom bottles for the wine and spirits industries, and provides a variety of other high-end packaging materials, such as pewter labels and specialty stoppers. Now in its 12th year of business, the company is continually expanding its packaging offerings, from custom bottles to unique decorative embellishments. In fact, two of Global Package’s spirits clients—New Deal Pear and Valentine Old Tom Gin—recently won top awards from the Association of Distillers (ADI).
Bottles: A Brand Bonanza Waiting to Happen By Erica Harrop
March 07, 2018
Silicon Valley Bank’s new State of the Wine Industry 2018 is out, and this portion caught my eye:
“ …Today, consumers are leaving the lower price segments in favor of better-quality offerings …Premiumization is still the dominant trend …”
The authors also point out that:
“ …the economic circumstances that set the stage for the industry’s 20-year growth trajectory cannot be repeated. The factors that made you successful to this point will not enable you to sustain that success. This means the winning sales strategies you are leveraging in the operating environment today will slowly prove fallible tomorrow.”
This prompted me to dig a little deeper to find out who and what is driving this trend and how wineries can adopt “winning strategies” for tomorrow’s sales.
As this study reveals, the wine consumer is changing, in attitudes, behavior, and buying patterns to “a customer who uses the internet in increasingly complex and interactive ways, is frugal and has less discretionary income than their predecessors. Successful companies 10 years from now will be those that evolve retail strategies away from the winery location …and find other, scalable means of delivering the experience—and the wine—to consumers where they live.”
There are four generations now influencing the market—Matures, Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials. Matures have never been a large wine-buying segment and Boomers are retiring, but Gen Xers (35-55) are now at the top of the income and spending curve. While Millennials today lag in buying power, the study suggests that by 2026 this cohort—who are both price and quality conscious—will surpass Gen Xers as the largest fine wine-consuming generation.
For me, one of the biggest takeaways in the report is this sentence: “Branding and marketing prove remarkable in shaping a consumer’s 
palate.”
This led me to a study done by the Texas Wine Marketing Institute that showed Millennials purchase wine based on these factors, in order of priority: Price, brand and variety, label design, and entire package design, with country of origin and location on the shelf last in importance. An earlier study by The Wine Market and Nielsen also found that: 750-ml glass bottles solidly hold 70 percent of the market, domestic wine sales, continue to grow (Oregon is top in growth), customers are trading up, and “local” stories move product.
Another study published for the New Zealand International Academy of Wine Business Research Conference found that both the label and bottle can have a significant impact on price. Story or history information on the label is most influential, after origin.
Link: http://academyofwinebusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/MuellerSzolnoki-Wine-packaging-and-labelling.pdf).
And this article, “A Balancing Act: How premium packaging leads to profits,” supports that claim: “Attributes like functional features, shape 
and graphic design have the ability to make a package and its content appear more desirable and thus more valuable in the eyes of the 
consumer.”
All of us at Global Package make it our mission to stay current with domestic and international wine consumer trends. We learned that for current Boomer and the younger Gen X and Millennial generations of wine buyers, a wine’s packaging plays a critical role in a sale and the sale price. Which leads me to a perfect case study of exemplary upscale packaging …Sine Qua Non, a bottle that reinforces all the caché and profits inherent in that storied brand. And on the home front, we have our Castello di Amorosa- custom bottle (see photo) that also sells uniqueness at a premium.
Give us a call; we’ll happily help you elevate your brand into a bonanza of profits. 707-224-5670 or contact sales@globalpackage.net.
Global Package Showcases Clear Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rosé Bottles
February 07, 2018
Even before our very busy and successful exhibit at Unified, we were noticing increased interest in Burgundy and Bordeaux clear bottles, especially from Oregon and California producers. The good news is we have a much larger selection of these bottles in both 750, 1.5L and 3 Liter than in the past. But remember, because of the high demand, it’s important to call us early. We’ll be happy to work with you to bring together the best bottle and embellishment techniques for a package that will enhance your brand and its shelf-appeal.
So what is going on with the Rosés … the hot item these days! They can now sell for much higher prices allowing for a much larger 
investment in glass styles than in the past. In the market, Rosé still wines can range from $15/bottle to $50 for a Rosé from Cotes de Provence, France. One could also pay up to $450 for a collectable bottle of Sine Qua Non Rosay 2010, a Rosé from Central Coast, CA. Of course, sparkling Rosés generally command even higher prices. All of this means that packaging creativity is also at an all-time high. Therefore, it’s important to take extra time and care in bottle selection and packaging design to make sure your brand is distinguished from all that competition.
Global Packaging has years of wine packaging experience, worldwide sources, and experts on hand to work with you and to answer any questions you may have.
Give Global Package a call at 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net.
Global Package Hires New Senior Sales Rep
January 22, 2018
Napa, CA January 18, 2018 — Global Package LLC announced that Milouda Larsen will join its sales team as Senior Sales Representative and to assist in business development for Sonoma, Mendocino, and Oregon regions.
Larsen began her industry career with Tonnellerie Radoux USA back in 1996, moving then to sales and marketing positions with cork suppliers Lafitte Cork & Capsule and M.A. Silva Corks, where she integrated cork and glass products for over 180 boutique luxury wineries to small case-lot 
customers.
“We are very excited to have Milouda join us, “ says Erica Harrop, founder and president of Global Package in Napa, CA. “She is a seasoned and highly respected sales person. In addition to assisting in developing new markets, her experience spans the cork, capsules, and glass industries over the past 15 years, bringing tremendous knowledge to our group.”
For her part, Larsen was attracted to join Global Package because of the company’s focus on unique products and customization consulting. “I see lot of opportunity for me to grow in the industry and in this job, and to be a part of a tight team,” she says.
“The fact that Milouda is multi-lingual is another huge asset,” adds Harrop. “She is a native French speaker with English and conversational Spanish in her repertoire.”
Global Package offers specialty stock and custom bottles for the wine and spirits industries, and provides a variety of other high-end packaging materials, such as pewter labels and specialty stoppers.
Starting its 12th year in business this year, the company is continually expanding its packaging offerings, from custom bottles to unique decorative embellishments.
Reminder: Global Package will be exhibiting this week at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium on Wednesday, January 24 and Thursday, January 25 in Booth #514. On display will be samples of the companhy’s distinctive glass collection, as well as a wide variety of adhesive pewter labels and specialty stoppers. Our team of experts will also be on hand to answer questions.
Contact 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information.
Global Package to Showcase the Burgundy LIBRA bottle at WINExpo
November 29, 2017
Global Package will be featuring, in Booth #230, its handsome new Burgundy LIBRA bottle at the upcoming WINExpo on November 30th at the Grace Pavilion. The tradeshow and conference will be held in two buildings—the (Grace) Pavilion and the Hall of Flowers—at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, CA.
The LIBRA bottle is well balanced, with a weight of 750 grams. While it’s a bit wider than other burgundy bottles, its height creates an elegant line
that’s comparable to high-end Bordeaux bottles. Impressively, the bottle’s extra width lends itself to unique label designs and placement, examples of which the company will also have on display at Booth #230.
Global Package will also have on display its full range of wine bottles—from its Elegant Light repertoire and stock inventory to examples of beautiful custom packages. In addition, samples of new pewter label colors and shapes and the extremely popular hot stamp metallic printed cartons will be exhibited.
Global Package invites everyone to visit Booth #230, where its marketing and technical experts will be on hand to answer questions and to offer suggestions that will enhance any wine’s packaging appeal, from custom molds and beautiful specialty glass to unique labeling and embellishment techniques.
Please Note: WIN is donating $20 for each paid registration to the #CAWineStrong Charity Fund, as well as $1 for every attendee.
Give Global Package a call at 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net
Visit Global Package in Booth #230 at WINExpo on November 30th
November 15, 2017
Global Package announced it will be exhibiting in Booth #230 in the Grace Pavilion at the 6th Annual North Coast Wine Industry Expo (@WINexpo). The trade show and conference will be held on Thursday, November 30th in two buildings, the Varallia (Grace) Pavilion and the Hall of Flowers at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, CA.
We invite everyone to visit us in Booth #230 to view our display of some of our most innovative and unique bottles, including the gorgeous new Burgundy LIBRA bottle. We’ll also be featuring samples of new pewter label colors and shapes, as well as our new fancy hot stamp metallic printed cartons, which are so HOT right now!
Our marketing and technical experts will be on hand to answer questions and to offer suggestions that will enhance your wine’s packaging appeal, including custom molds, beautiful specialty glass, and unique ways to use these pewter labels and other decorative elements. We look forward to seeing you there!
Please Note: WIN is donating $20 for each paid registration to the #CAWineStrong Charity Fund, as well as $1 for every attendee, so do your best to make it!
Questions? Give us a call at 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net
Global Package Helped This Young Entrepreneur Shine
October 04, 2017
As a business owner I am always thrilled to help other entrepreneurs who dream big. So when I met a dynamic young soldier, Levi Lawrence III, who founded his company, Shyn3, back in 2013, I was intrigued. Shyn3 began with a clothing and accessories line and is now releasing a new 
accessories line of unisex bracelets. For this project, he showed me the black oval metallic canister he’d selected to hold the bracelets, and said he had been attracted to the pewter labels he found on the Global Package website. After showing him the wide array of pewter label shade options we have available, he chose the 24-karat shade in a size that was appropriate for the size of the canister. Not only was the final package gorgeous, it was also cost-effective and in line with his budget.
I learned later that the clothing and accessories section of the company is just one piece of his company’s mission. This year, Levi rolled out an offshoot of the company whose mission is to “boost depression awareness, increase self confidence, and encourage love of one’s imperfections.” Levi explained that his life’s goal is to help others succeed and that the clothing/accessories line is his way of connecting customers to his larger goal of developing a summer program for ambitious youth who demonstrate potential for greatness, but lack guidance.
The summer program was created to “physically and mentally guide the youth towards their desired career goals, using a mix of basic military training and a private school style learning to give the focus and direction younger, less privileged students often need to fulfill their goals. The program also includes a mentoring component, which draws from a list of experienced professions from various occupations.”
You can learn more about this young man’s dream here: www.shyn3.com.
Levi’s ambition, creativity, and his social entrepreneurial spirit is so awe-inspiring, I wanted to share his story and encourage others to dream big. There are always people (and companies like Global Package) who are ready to help make those dreams a reality. Levi is just one of many diverse clients we serve. From sparkling and still wineries to spirits distillers and other producers of unique creations like Levi’s, we’ll help make your dream come true.
Give us a call at 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net to learn more.
Women in Champagne Industry Able to Charge Higher Prices Than Male Counterparts
August 23, 2017
A colleague recently forwarded an article about a study showing that female grape growers—a distinct minority of grape sellers— in the region of Champagne, France, were able to “charge systematically higher prices than male growers for grapes of the same quality.” This finding led two researchers, Amandine Ody-Brasier and Isabel Fernandez-Mateo, to conduct extensive field research to discover the underlying factors contributing to this unexpected advantage for minority growers.
While past research had focused on buyer-side discrimination against females in the industry, these researchers chose to concentrate on seller-side discrimination to see if minority sellers—women, non-whites, and older people—in the Champagne industry received lower prices for 
goods, as is generally the case in other industries.
The researchers decided on the Champagne grape market for two reasons: First, grape quality there is recorded by an official scale that is observed by all market participants, and second, pricing in the market is relatively inelastic due to limited supply and strong demand. “Together, these two characteristics—quality transparency and price inelasticity—would make it more difficult for buyers to discriminate against minority growers on price.”
The study included a detailed quantitative analysis of nearly 6,000 transactions over a 17-year period, as well as interviews with 37 grape growers (22 men and 15 women), 14 CEOs of Champagne houses, and 16 industry experts. From the qualitative research, the researchers found that the underlying reason for the price difference was the relationships developed and maintained by the women growers. Because minorities are generally excluded from male-dominated interactions in most industries, these groups tend to “seek solidarity with one another,” and these informal relationships facilitate the exchange of valuable market information that their male counterparts tended to keep secret.
It’s also well know that women tend to socialize with each other more than men, and they generally trust the accuracy of the information they share. One male grower in the study revealed: “Price is not something people talk about in Champagne. It’s a private matter.” Thus, because female growers obtained and shared more accurate market information, “they were able to price their own products more aggressively than the male growers.” For the full article, click here: http://bit.ly/2ioudvj
I was fascinated with this research, not only because it highlights the value of women in industry, but it also provides evidence that discriminating against minorities can result in unexpected negative consequences. As a female executive in the wine and spirits industry with a wide network of exchange partners, I am able to locate and acquire the best glass at the best possible price.
Give us a call at 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net to learn more.
Global Package Exhibits at W&V Packaging Conference
July 26, 2017
Wednesday, August 16th in Yountville - Global Package announced it will be exhibiting in Booth #40 at the up upcoming Wines & Vines Packaging Conference, which will be held on Wednesday, August 16th at the Lincoln Center in Yountville, CA (map here: http://bit.ly/2v42guK).
You’ll be able to see for yourself some of Global Package’s unique bottle shapes, colors, and embellishments that we’ve been writing about in past 
WIN newsletters. In addition to having our marketing and technical experts on hand to answer questions and offer suggestions that will enhance your wine’s packaging appeal, we’ll have samples of our most popular and most innovative bottles on display.
We’ll share new developments in glass manufacturing and show you some of our outstanding custom molds, beautiful specialty glass, and unique ways to use pewter labels and other decorative elements.
We look forward to seeing you at this one-day event on Wednesday, August 16th at the Lincoln Center in Yountville, CA. We’ll be in Booth 40.
Give us a call at 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information.
When Smaller is Better
July 11, 2017
We all know the advantages large companies have when it comes to purchasing power. However, this advantage becomes a liability when you have a customized type request for something that’s unique. Therefore, when it comes to ordering glass of a different shape or color, smaller is better.
Global Package has the breadth of resources and the flexibility to hunt down or create the perfect bottle shape and color for your wine. In an earlier WIN article, we talked about custom molds, so here we’ll discuss the wide array of bottle colors that are available.
Generally, red wines are mostly bottled in antique green glass to protect it from light. (Storage times are longer with less light effect.) Dry whites are bottled in dead leaf, antique, or green glass, and clear glass (also called flint) is most often used for White Zinfandels, rosés, and sweet whites. Champagnes and sparkling wines are usually bottled in green glass, often nearly opaque dark green glass. Dead-leaf green is a lighter, more yellow shade that also can be used for Chardonnays and some reds. The Italians have a long tradition of using darker browns for their reds and yellow, almost gold, tinted glass for their high-end white wines.
Brown or amber glass is a German favorite for Mosel, Alsace, and sometimes the Rhine regions. Ports, Sherries, and sweeter wines from 
Germany are bottled with this amber tint. Antique and Smoke are more unique, with antique being a deep, olive green and smoke being a dark gray color. Unfortunately this color is very rare now, but is still seen in older bottlings. Antique green is quite versatile and can be used for both red wines and whites because it is now ubiquitous in the market. Blue glass has long been used by German vintners, though cobalt blue glass is a non-traditional choice for wine—often used as a marketing tool—since its cool color can be associated with a crisp, fresh wine.
Though every wine region boasts its particular shape and color of wine bottles—a seasoned glass specialist will know the origin of a wine simply by the color of its glass— availability can be sporadic. Because of Global Package’s longstanding relationships in wine regions around the world, our flexibility allows us to access a broad spectrum of bottle shapes and color glass.
To select the best color for a wine, several factors should be considered. First would be preservation and storage of your wine. Sunlight will break down a wine’s antioxidants and tannins over time, so reds that need to be aged should be bottled in glass that blocks out sunlight. It’s fine to bottle a wine that’ll be consumed quickly in light or clear glass.
Shelf-appeal is another factor to be considered in glass color selection. Clear glass can show off the color of the wine inside, such as a rosé, and an unusual glass color can impart “uniqueness” to your product. However, remember that factories operate seasonally, so they won’t have their full range of products at all times.
Finally, as the granddaddy of wine regions, Europe offers the widest selection of unique glass, far ahead of the US and China. With Global Package’s hundreds of connections throughout Europe, our reputation for innovation, and our personalized service, we are uniquely qualified to find the shape, color, and price of bottle that matches your distinctive wine.
Give us a call at 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information.
Wine Label Placement Tips to Avoid Wrinkling
June 14, 2017
Because there are so many variations in wine bottle shapes and sizes, proper design and placement of the label can be tricky. And because these days glass comes from all over the world, not only European countries, even common bottle types—the high-shouldered Bordeaux, the slope-shouldered Burgundy, the tall Hock, and the heavier Champagne bottle—can have small but significant differences in mold label panels. To add complexity, most wineries also refresh their label design every few years, making this a continual issue. Therefore, everyone involved in label changes, from marketing to filling, should be involved in the label design conversation. It will ultimately save you headaches.
The most important outcome of knowing all this is to avoid the quality defects that occur on the bottling line …the wrinkled label syndrome. After all these years I still see this as an ongoing serious problem that is only addressed at the worst time when it is costliest.
How can one avoid these downtime hassles, wasted labels, and unanticipated rework costs? Get involved early, have the glass supplier work with 
the designer, and stay involved to confirm you have approved compatible materials. Ultimately, as the decision-maker, it is your call.
The first step in label design is to get from the glass company the bottle’s actual blueprint specifications from which to work. You want to make sure that a label isn’t too large for the bottle’s label panel or that you place it to high or low for the shape and size of the bottle.
Generally, each standard bottle style has a label panel that dictates the general area on which to place the label. However, while bottles may look exactly the same, designers shouldn’t just trust their eye. Proper placement starts by knowing the dimensions of the label and locating the area within the label panel area you have chosen. Keep a proof bottle as a template and write on a sticker the dimensions from the bottom of the bottle to the bottom of the label (it could be anywhere from 15 to 25 mm up from the bottom). Determine the preferred placement based on how it looks, but also how it fits on the blueprint, keeping in mind the bottle’s radius, as well. When you add the height of the label, are you still within that optimum area?
You should also contact the bottling line to make sure equipment can accurately position the label, without creasing. A common problem is placing a label too high on a bottle, which results in a crooked and creased label. And do everyone a favor by allowing 2 mm on top and on bottom of the glass label panel because marginal machine placement shifts may occur.
All of these initial steps still might not avoid later problems. Label wrinkling or bubbling may occur on the bottling line. If the sales company cannot be on site during bottling to address potential issues, make sure you collect a number of bottles for later inspection in order to expedite later claims. And provide at least 10 labels, both front and back, so your glass company can run their analysis. Tell the glass company the placement and size of the label in a consistent communication format as described above. Let them know the frequency of wrinkling and if it was consistent or spotty. And quickly send the samples to the salesperson so he/she can get the samples to the technical department.
Finally, don’t forget that labels are required to pass COLA (Certification of Label Approval) requirements, which are described here: http://bit.ly/2rknWQx
At Global Package, our expertise extends to every aspect, including label design and placement, when discussing bottle selection. Our glass partners will provide exact specifications to your designer for your chosen bottle. Our goal is to make sure everyone comes out ahead at the end of the day.
Give us a call at 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information.
Be Bold. Break the Mold!
May 31, 2017
It’s well documented that Millennials—79 million Americans ages 21 to 38—have become a prime market segment for wine producers. Last year, this cohort drank 42% of all wine in the US, according to research from the Wine Market Council. Because of their growing influence, Millennials, 
especially women, are driving trends in nearly every area of wine making and packaging. For example, while Boomers have 
traditionally bought California wine, Millennials are more experimental, purchasing wines from a variety of producers, from Oregon to Chile and even New York, and are “rabid cross-drinkers, drinking not only wine, but beer, spirits, and sparkling drinks. When buying wine, they tend to select more eclectic wines that may cost $20 or more.
This same appetite for experimentation also holds true in wine packaging. Many Millennials purchase wine based on the design of the label alone, according to a study led by Nicholas E. Johnston at Texas Tech University; they are attracted to simpler, modern, and sophisticated design elements, and they like to have information about the wine, producer, and eco-friendly programs on the label, since the environment is important to this cohort. In general, Millennials are “willing to purchase new or unfamiliar products, if there’s a perception of value,” so packaging that touts value and tells a winery’s local, ecological story would be appealing. You can find the study here: http://bit.ly/2rP6mrR.
In addition, a January 2017 PRNewswire survey found that “95% of wine drinkers prefer drinking wine that comes in a glass bottle, with taste (80% 
total/78% Millennials) and quality (81%) leading as the top reasons consumers prefer wine packaged in glass. Younger generations don’t rely on the style of the bottle when purchasing a wine. (Interesting footnote: 55% of wine drinkers surveyed noted that single-serve glass containers were “just the right size.”)
So why not meet the Millennial challenge and be as bold as they are with your packaging? Why not experiment with conventional factors like weight versus shape or what has been deemed appropriate for your varietal? Perhaps a Pinot Gris in a hock, or in a Burgundy or Bordeaux bottle? Maybe a Chardonnay in a Burgundy Antica? As “The Glass Bottle Specialists” my team at Global Package will search the world over for the glass shape that’s perfect for your wine and the story you want to tell.
Give us a call at 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information.
Small Production Wineries
May 17, 2017
While conventional wisdom holds that customization is only for wineries producing 10,000 or more cases, Erica Harrop of Global Package LLC, recently opposed that perception: “Forget the belief that you can’t customize a bottle for a run of less than 10,000 cases. You can! Our specialty in 
wine and spirits glass allows us to source worldwide to find custom solutions for nearly any production quantity.”
Global Package has customized 250 cases of unique spirits bottles, 700 cases of cartouche wine bottles, as well as customizing cartons, assisting with custom decoration, and managing entire custom projects from start to finish. Known as “The Glass Bottle Specialists,” the company has a team of experienced packaging and branding professionals who work with even the smallest wineries to reinforce wine brands with custom bottle shapes and decoration, including gloss or matte coatings, fine metals, enamel or organic silk-screening, and handmade details.
“We are as committed to our work as you are committed to your wine,” says Harrop. “Just give us a call and we’ll help make your brand a stand out!”
Contact 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information.
Global Package Salutes Pewter Label Supplier: Etiq’Etains
April 05, 2017
Since its founding in 2006, Global Package LLC has been working with Etiq’Etains, a long-established pewter casting company located in the picturesque town of Nontron in the Perigord region of France, a region famous for its cuisine, especially foie gras; its truffles; and its Bergerac and Monbazillac wines. As a family-owned artisanal business, headed by brothers Jacques Vandenbosch and Olivier Vandenbosch, Etiq’Etains has 
developed unique metallic self-adhesive labels that are used in a wide range of industries. However, pewter label application to wine and spirits bottles, has become its fastest growing market segment over the past few years.
The company has developed technology that colors the pewter to gold, bronze, and even standard shiny colors, such as blue. The company’s research and development team continues to advance new ways to enhance color effects and labels with ever more varied colors and patinas, allowing even more interesting designs to be possible. The company also offers flexo coloring, foil application, and metallization with very high gloss, and huge variety of different cutting shapes.
European bottlers have been applying the pewter labels automatically for years, and US wineries are increasingly interested in acquiring the fast application roller label method to bottling lines.
A new generation in the family is continuing to work on expanding design and technical possibilities to this old world technology. Global Package is proud to partner with this dynamic company!
Ask us what we can offer you to boost your brand!
Contact 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information.
Global Package Salutes Its Super Supplier: Estal
March 21, 2017
Arriving at creative solutions to packaging challenges is a top priority at Global Package LLC, which is why the company works with some of the most innovative packaging companies in the world. This month, we’d like to thank one of our long-standing partners: Estal.
For many years, we have partnered with this cutting-edge Spanish company as their sole distributor in the U.S. This provides our wine and 
spirits companies with comprehensive packaging solutions, including a wide range of premium glass bottles and customized bottles, closures, and decoration options, resulting in an enriched brand appearance. Here are just a few of the ways in which Global Package can embellish your brand:
Coatings:
- Pantone color coating, including opaque or translucent finishes.
- Partial Pantone color coating, with sharp limits or gradual effect.
- Metallization with Pantone color coating with an opaque, mirror effect finish translucent finish. This technique provides a premium metallic appearance with high brightness.
- Glass surface treatment for a frosted appearance, with standard or Pantone color finish with gradual effect or transparent window.
- Transparent window effect on coated glass, giving visibility to content.
Printing:
- Screen printing on glass (ink printed logo or text with a wide range of colors and brightness).
- Screen printing on coated glass (ink printed logo or text with a wide range of colors and brightness on coated surfaces).
- Metallic screen-printed logo or text with high brightness.
- Hot stamping thermal transfer technique for text or logo with high brightness level on glass or coated glass, in a wide range of colors and finishes.
- Hand-applied decals, a decorative element for irregular bottle shapes that provides a high definition graphic result.
Innovative Printing Techniques:
- Laser etching: engraved logo, text or effect directly on glass or coated glass. This technique can create relief.
- Direct inkjet: high definition (photo quality) direct printed image directly on glass or coated glass. 360º continuous printing process on squared shapes.
Our Estal relationship also allows us to offer a wide range of closures, including Bartop Stoppers for bottles with a cork opening and Thread Finish Closures, including GPI, PILFER and STELVIN styles, which can be customized with color, material, markings, etc.
Estal’s portfolio also includes the unique Doble Alto, a leading-edge bottle design that guarantees a double-take by customers:
(http://www.globalpackage.net/wine-bottles/customization-wine-bottles)
Please Note: Global Package will be exhibiting:
April 3 – 6, Booth #520 ADI Show in Baltimore, MD
April 18 – 21, Booth #1414, WSWA show in Orlando, FL
On display will be Estal products, including the distinctive collection of Doble Alto carafe line of European bottle styles, new custom shapes, and decoration. Our have team of experts will be on hand to answer questions. Contact 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information.
Global Package Celebrates Women of the Vine & Spirits
March 07, 2017
Global Package Founder and CEO, Erica Harrop, announced she will be attending the conferences at the upcoming Women of the Vine & Spirits Global Symposium next week, which will be held March 13th through 15th at the Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa, CA.
“As a woman business owner in the industry and a Corporate Partner of the Women of the Vine & Spirits Alliance, I am committed to support other women-owned businesses, which is the mission of the Alliance,” says Harrop. “The presenters are top industry leaders who also happen to be women.”
To celebrate just some of the contributions women have made in the industry, Harrop offers this summary of a 2015 American Association of Wine Economists’ Working Paper #178 http://bit.ly/1LEdrxz:
- In the US today approximately half of all medical degrees and degrees in the life sciences are awarded to women. Similar increases have occurred in the field of enology, the science and study of wine and winemaking.
- While close to half of graduates of premier enology program in California are women, only 9.8% of California wineries have a woman as a main or lead winemaker.
- Recent statistics indicate that women in the U.S. constitute 59 percent of regular wine purchasers and 50 percent of occasional wine purchasers, who are especially attracted to wines crafted by women winemakers. In addition, “only wines by women” are now featured in well-known restaurants and wine bars.
- Proportional to their representation in the field, the wines from California wineries having lead women winemakers are more highly acclaimed in comparison to those of their male counterparts, as evidenced by their inclusion in Jim Gordon’s Opus Vino, a widely cited and credible source of winery quality.
Other studies have found that women “who persist and achieve in male-dominated fields indicate that their success is related not only to high achievement motivation, ability, and self-efficacy, but also to performing better under working conditions of challenge, collaboration, and autonomy and doing better at managing risk …all factors associated with the challenges of winemaking.”
Another study, commissioned by American Express and entitled The State of Women-Owned Businesses in 2016: Summary of Key Trends, http://bit.ly/2bexPKN has some more compelling facts:
- As of 2016, it is estimated that there are now 11.3 million women-owned businesses in the United States, employing nearly 9 million people and generating over $1.6 trillion revenues.
- Over the past nine years, the number of women-owned firms has grown at a rate fully five times faster than the national average.
- Employment in women-owned businesses has increased by 18% since the recession, while among all businesses employment has declined 1% since 2007.
- Business revenues among women-owned firms have increased by 35% since 2007, at a rate that is 30% higher than the national average.
One of the most remarkable trends over the past decade has been the phenomenal growth in the number of firms owned by women of color, more than doubling since 2007, increasing by 126%. Also, there’s this from a 2015 San Francisco Business Timesarticle: “According to studies conducted by BNY Mellon Wealth Management, some 80 percent of women are solely responsible for their household’s financial decisions, and 42 percent of those women are the primary breadwinners in their house. Women make up almost half — 45 percent — of today’s millionaires, control $11.2 trillion of investable assets in the U.S., and make up 47 percent of the workforce.
“As a 100% woman-owned business, Global Package is very proud of the important contributions and the many inroads women have made in the wine industry,” says Harrop. “But we still have a way to go. Despite the extraordinary achievements our winemaking and wine management cohort have made, we still hold only 10-14% leadership roles in the industry. It’s been proven that exceptional talent and drive define these women, so working with them and/or hiring them is a clear win-win.”
As harvest time approaches, Global Package encourages customers to remember this important demographic when designing wine’s packaging. The company is also available to discuss appropriate bottles for a brand, including lots of inventory, including European fancy glass (which is quite affordable these days given the favorable exchange rate), a wide variety of magnums, as well as gorgeous, lightweight bottles for every wine category.
Call Global Package to order samples: 707-224-5670 - globalpackage.net - sales@globalpackage.net
Global Package Salutes Its Super Suppliers: Part 1
January 25, 2017
Because arriving at creative solutions to packaging challenges is a top priority at Global Package, we work with some of the most innovative packaging companies in the world. This month, we’d like to thank one of our long-standing partners: Estal. As we are the primary partner in the US for this cutting-edge Spanish company, we are able to offer clients a wide range of premium glass bottles, closures, and decoration options for wine and spirits companies wishing to enrich their brand’s appearance.
At Unified we will be showing off the Doble Alto ™ bottle line along with high end decoration solutions. 
Here are just a few of the ways in which we can embellish your packaging:
Coatings:
- Pantone color coating, including opaque or translucent finishes.
- Partial Pantone color coating, with sharp limits or gradual effect.
- Metallization with Pantone color coating with an opaque, mirror effect finish translucent finish. This technique provides a premium metallic appearance with high brightness.
- Glass surface treatment for a frosted appearance, with standard or Pantone color finish with gradual effect or transparent window.
- Transparent window effect on coated glass, giving visibility to content.
Printing:
- Screen printing on glass (ink printed logo or text with a wide range of colors and brightness).
- Screen printing on coated glass (ink printed logo or text with a wide range of colors and brightness on coated surfaces).
- Metallic screen-printed logo or text with high brightness.
- Hot stamping thermal transfer technique for text or logo with high brightness level on glass or coated glass, in a wide range of colors and finishes.
- Hand-applied decals, a decorative element for irregular bottle shapes that provides a high definition graphic result.
Innovative Printing Techniques:
- Laser etching: engraved logo, text or effect directly on glass or coated glass. This technique can create relief.
- Direct inkjet: high definition (photo quality) direct printed image directly on glass or coated glass. 360º continuous printing process on squared shapes.
Our Estal relationship also allows us to offer a wide range of closures, including Bartop Stoppers for bottles with a cork opening and Thread Finish Closures, including GPI, PILFER and STELVIN styles, which can be customized with color, material, markings, etc.
Come see Estal’s portfolio and their leading-edge bottle design that guarantees a double take by customers:
(http://www.globalpackage.net/wine-bottles/customization-wine-bottles)
Reminder: Global Package will be exhibiting this week at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium on January 25 & 26, in Booth #207. To register use Promo Code GP2017E4005.
On display will be our distinctive collection of Elegant Light™ line of European bottle styles, Estal’s unique Doble Alto bottles, our new 1.5L and 750ml Flint glass bottles in both Bordeaux and Burgundy styles, as well as a wide variety of adhesive pewter labels. Our have team of experts will be on hand to answer questions.
Contact 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information.
Detroit Takes “World’s Best Vodka” Prize from Russia
January 10, 2017
Erica Harrop, CEO of Global Package LLC, was overjoyed to see that Detroit’s Valentine Distilling Co—a Global Package client—won the World’s Best Vodka award at London’s TheDrinksReport.com’s World’s Best Spirits 2016 last March. To celebrate the award, Valentine created a spirits 
advertisement, using all-local talent and showing Lenin's reaction …it's a must see.
“Poor Lenin,” cajoles Harrop. “It must have been quite a shock to lose this top vodka honor to an American company. Of course, we are thrilled for our client!”
In making the commercial, the hunt for a ‘dead Lenin lookalike’ took weeks, until Jeremy Verdusco, who lives in Detroit and is a fan of Valentine Vodka, was spotted riding his bike down Stewart’s street. Rifino hired writer Jon Stewart of Huntington Woods, art director Bill Whitney of Oxford, director. All post-production was completed in Detroit. Stewart made Verdusco the awkward proposition: “You look like dead Lenin, how would you like to play him in a commercial for Valentine Vodka?” Verdusco ended up spending 10 hours in preparation for his day on the shoot, applying facial prosthetics and makeup. “It was a long day,” he says, “but worth it for a product I believe in.”
Rifino Valentine, Founder and President of Valentine Distilling Co, added: “Valentine is well known for its dedication to making quality products using American craftsmanship. We wanted to show the world that Detroit arts and manufacturing is alive and well.”
“I was really happy to learn about Valentine’s award,” says Harrop. “And even more fun to view their first-ever commercial …it’s a witty masterpiece!”
To view the commercial, click here: http://bit.ly/2iSEImT And here’s a link to a mini-documentary about Valentine Distilling: http://bit.ly/2jigEsH.
Reminder: Global Package will be exhibiting in Booth #207 at the upcoming Unified Wine & Grape Symposium on January 25 & 26. On display will be its distinctive collection of Elegant Light™ line of European bottle styles, its unique Doble Alto bottles, its new 1.5L and 750ml Flint glass bottles in both Bordeaux and Burgundy styles, as well as a wide variety of adhesive pewter labels. The company will have team experts on hand to answer questions.
You can contact 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information.
Global Package Showcases Innovation at Unified Booth #505
December 27, 2016
Erica Harrop, founder and CEO of Global Package, is pulling out all the stops for a spectacular display of custom bottles and innovative packaging solutions at the upcoming Unified Wine & Grape Symposium on January 25 & 26. On display will be the company’s unique Doble Alto bottles, an 
original design that was released in 2015 by Estal, a long-term supplier of premium packaging to Global Package. The Doble Alto line includes several Bordelaise designs, including the Cognata, Cognata Eco, and Lause, as well as sparkling wine bottles: Opera, Opera Roseta, and Gala.
The company also will be showcasing its new 1.5L and 750ml Flint glass bottles in both Bordeaux and Burgundy styles, as well as bottles Opera, Opera Roseta, and Gala.
New pewter labels in a wide range of sculptural styles, shapes, and colors will also be on display. Global Package partners with Etiq’Etains, the French manufacturer known worldwide for innovative and beautiful tin and pewter labels. The adhesive labels are supple and easily applied to any surface, including glass, ceramic, even wood and cardboard
In addition, the company will have samples of its distinctive Elegant Light™ line of European bottle styles, including the recently unveiled Bordelaise Fiona Carrée bottle …all at affordable prices.
“Unified is the not-to-be-missed show of the season,” says Harrop. “We’ll have our experienced team at the booth to answer questions and to provide expert guidance to help you create the perfect package for your wine.”
You can contact 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information.
Global Package Displays Pewter Labels at Upcoming Shows
November 29, 2016
Global Package is celebrating its 10th anniversary partnership with pewter label maker, Etiq’Etains. The French manufacturer is known worldwide for innovative and beautiful tin, pewter, labels. At upcoming shows—WIN Expo on 12/1/16 (Booth #230) and the Unified Show on January 25 & 26 (Booth #505)—Global Package will be showcasing examples of these unique labels for producers, marketers, and designers.
"These adhesive labels are supple and easily applied to any surface, including glass, ceramic, even wood and cardboard,” says founder and CEO of Global Package, Erica Harrop. “They are lead-free and come in a range of styles and colors to help products stand out on the shelf. It is a quick way to customize a bottle or package with lower costs and smaller runs.”
According to a Jim Gordon of Wines and Vines,knowing your market and tailoringlabel design to that market is essential in today’s crowded market: “Driven by increased sales and consumption, and fueled by the proliferation of wineries and brands across the continent, growth of the market means that packaging wines for instant shelf-appeal is vital.”
The pewter label models and stamped casts are all developed in-house at the Etiq’Etains workshop, including a roller label production line for which the company was 
awarded the “dynamic handcraft prize” from the Chamber of Trade and the Populaire Bank. The company offers a huge quantity of different cutting shapes in many metallic colors.
“We invite everyone to visit our booths at the shows to see the incredible variety of styles, shapes, and colors of these tin and pewter labels,” adds Harrop. “From patterns in full labels to neck wraps and cork tops, you’ll find a label that speaks to your market and positions you above the fray.”
For a preview of what will be on display, visit: http://www.globalpackage.net/other-products/pewter-labels or contact 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpckage.net for more information.
New European Bottles Show Big at WIN Expo in Santa Rosa
November 18, 2016
Global Package will be showcasing hot new bottles in Booth #230 on Thursday, December 1st at the upcoming WIN Expo in The Hall of Flowers at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa— all at competitive prices. Featured will be new stocks such as its new 1.5L and 750ml Flint glass bottles in both Bordeaux and Burgundy styles, as
well as beautiful new bottles for the dynamic new rosé market.
"We have seen an incredible interest in quality and variety that we haven't seen since 2008," says founder and CEO of Global Package, Erica Harrop. “We are tapping into all our European resources to ramp up the selections that are our hallmark.”
Also on display will be the company’s unique Doble Alto bottles, with their original double-punt design, which was released in 2015 by Estal, a long-term supplier of premium packaging to Global Package. The Doble Alto line includes several Bordelaise, sparkling, and spirits bottle designs, such as the Cognata, Tramo Alta and Clarior ®.
Visitors will also be able to pick up samples of attractive metallic pewter self-adhesive labels in a range of new colors, which are becoming integral to new creative designs in the industry.
“The Expo will give producers an excellent opportunity to view our impressive range of in-stock products, as well as samples of some gorgeous custom bottles,” says Erica Harrop. “Since this is the ideal time to order, I and my knowledgeable staff will be on hand to answer questions and discuss specific packaging needs. We look forward to seeing you there!”
Contact 707-224-5670 or sales@globalpackage.net for more information. Globalpackage.net
Global Package Introduces Rosé Bottles and Two New Magnums
November 07, 2016
If you’ve been paying attention to wine trends, Rosés have taken a leading role in America’s wine production and consumption. Today, the US is the world’s 3rd largest producer of Rosés, after France and Italy. And Americans drink 13% of the world’s Rosés, second only to France. In fact, Rosés have become so popular that producers are challenging traditional bottles with beautiful and unique custom shapes to boost their wine’s shelf appeal.
Global Package is proud to introduce elegant, custom bottles for Rosé producers. The company has many sophisticated and fun specialty shapes, all at reasonable prices. You can choose from curvy or sleek, with or without embossing, and screw cap and cork finish. Also new this year is the Extra Flint glass Magnums in both 
Bordeaux and Burgundy styles.
Flint glass comes in various shades of transparency, from Extra White Flint to Industrial Flint. The Extra White Flint is also used for spirits, which showcases its brilliance, clarity and highly refractive quality, making it a stand-out choice for Rosés. According to Master of Wine, Elizabeth Gabay, there are 353 shades of Rosés: http://bit.ly/2em0vjP, and each one has its own characteristic taste and color. A bottle choice can enhance or diminish this distinctiveness.
“We offer glass from around the world to give you the best selection in the US market,” says Erica Harrop, Global Package’s founder and CEO. “Standard bottles for Rosés are no longer sufficient in the increasingly crowded Rosé market. If you are a Rosé producer, now is the time to order.”
Call us today to order your samples: 707-224-5670 Global Package
Global Package’s Erica Harrop Makes Annual Inspection of China Glass Factories
October 04, 2016
At least once every year, Erica Harrop, founder and CEO of Global Package LLC, travels to China to inspect the glass factories, from which she has purchased wine and spirits bottles for over 7 years. She also regularly visits factories operated by her European suppliers, with whom she has relationships lasting as long as 30 years. In China, it’s well known that building trusting relationships is key to doing business, and her regular visits to the offices and shop floors of her suppliers have cemented these strong alliances.
“In-person contact with all our suppliers is critical to confirming that US- required quality standards are being precisely followed,” she says. “Having worked for 11 years inside a glass factory environment has give me a respect for the limitations of manufacturing, and also the ability to communicate with owners and workers in a constructive way.”
Customized glass packaging in the US lags behind both Europe, which specializes in high-end decoration and smaller glass plants that have greater flexibility, and China, which has taken off due to Baijiu, the world’s largest selling spirits products made in China and priced at thousands of dollars. “Understanding the uniqueness of customization and the reasons for variations between factories is important for us to know, which lets our customers reap the benefits,” Harrop stresses. “European glass remains at the top of the premium market,” she adds, “but Chinese glass is closing in terms of quality, with the added plus of value. Our specialty is that we work with all factories and know all of their unique capabilities. We have personal connections with all of them.”
Harrop’s intensive factory inspections include tracking ISO quality controls, from selection of raw materials through all production processes, including automated production lines and the design of molds, as well as warehousing of the finished product, and shipping procedures. Together with her partner company, Estal Packaging and their Asian office, she works directly with product development personnel at the factories to ensure customized products meet customers’ and quality conformance requirements. Within these stringent quality demands, Global Package’s alliances with both European and Chinese factories also focus on production efficiencies, which allows the company to control costs and pass on savings to customers.
Global Package’s Harrop Attends AGR Institute Seminar on Testing and Fracture Diagnosis
September 07, 2016
Napa, CA September 7, 2016 — This month Global Package LLC’s founder and CEO Erica Harrop will be attending an advanced seminar at the prestigious American Glass Research Institute (AGR) on glass fracture analysis and defects that affect loads and stresses related to bottle production and design.
Throughout Harrop’s career, she has continued her education in glass production and packaging, including AGR seminars on subjects integrally related to the products Global Package provides through custom productions. Having graduated from Audit of Glass Plant Operations, she is able to more clearly identify origins of quality that are important to her clientele.
While Global Package LLC is well known for supplying a wide range of custom, European glass, and lightweight Elegant Light™ bottles for the wine and spirits industries, it’s solid reputation has also been built on its expertise in all facets of glass manufacture. “We are not just buyers of glass,” stresses Harrop. “We are experts at what we do. And it is earned expertise you can trust.”
Harrop has a long history in the business, beginning her career in post-graduate international wine studies at the University of Bordeaux in the Department D'Oenologie and later earning her Enology degree from the University of California at Davis. After heading up some major US glass companies through the 1990s and early 2000s, she earned her MBA from Sonoma State University and then set her sights on starting her own import glass and packaging company. “Everyone hopes to find their passion in their work,” says Harrop. “I am so lucky to have found mine in my love of beautiful glass making.”
The American Glass Research Institute offers wide ranging seminars in locations around the world —many of which Harrop has attended—including fracture diagnosis; defect identification; the effect of design on bottle performance; coating technology; and cord, annealing, and batch and furnace operations.
Women of the Vine / Women in Wine
August 24, 2016
WOMEN ROCK!
As a female business owner in the wine industry, I make it my business to be supportive of other women-owned businesses. This is just one reason Global Package LLC recently joined Women of the Vine as a Corporate Partner www.womenofthevine.com/. This membership alliance is dedicated to the support and advancement of women in the alcohol beverage industry, and advocates for the industry at large to support gender-diverse teams and talent development.
We thought this would be a great opportunity to review women’s progress in business, and to highlight some of the amazing contributions women are making in the wine industry. Here are a few interesting statistics, pulled from the May 2015 American Association of Wine Economists’ Working Paper #178 http://bit.ly/1LEdrxz
- In the US today approximately half of all medical degrees and degrees in the life sciences are awarded to women. Similar increases have occurred in the field of enology, the science and study of wine and winemaking.
- While close to half of graduates of premier enology program in California are women, only 9.8% of California wineries have a woman as a main or lead winemaker.
- Recent statistics indicate that women in the U.S. constitute 59 percent of regular wine purchasers and 50 percent of occasional wine purchasers, who are especially attracted to wines crafted by women winemakers. In addition, “only wines by women” are now featured in well-known restaurants and wine bars.
- Proportional to their representation in the field, the wines from California wineries having lead women winemakers are more highly acclaimed in comparison to those of their male counterparts, as evidenced by their inclusion in Jim Gordon’s Opus Vino, a widely cited and credible source of winery quality.
Unsurprisingly, studies have also found that women “who persist and achieve in male-dominated fields indicate that their success is related not only to high achievement motivation, ability, and self-efficacy, but also to performing better under working conditions of challenge, collaboration, and autonomy and doing better at managing risk …all factors associated with the challenges of winemaking.”
Another study, commissioned by American Express and entitled “The State of Women-Owned Businesses in 2016: Summary of Key Trends,” http://bit.ly/2bexPKN has some more compelling facts:
- As of 2016, it is estimated that there are now 11.3 million women-owned businesses in the United States, employing nearly 9 million people and generating over $1.6 trillion revenues.
- Over the past nine years, the number of women-owned firms has grown at a rate fully five times faster than the national average.
- Employment in women-owned businesses has increased by 18% since the recession, while among all businesses employment has declined 1% since 2007.
- Business revenues among women-owned firms have increased by 35% since 2007, at a rate that is 30% higher than the national average.
- One of the most remarkable trends over the past decade has been the phenomenal growth in the number of firms owned by women of color, more than doubling since 2007, increasing by 126%.
Finally, there’s this from a 2015 San Francisco Business Times article: “According to studies conducted by BNY Mellon Wealth Management, some 80 percent of women are solely responsible for their household’s financial decisions, and 42 percent of those women are the primary breadwinners in their house. Women make up almost half — 45 percent — of today’s millionaires, control $11.2 trillion of investable assets in the U.S., and make up 47 percent of the workforce.
As a 100% woman-owned business, Global Package is very proud of the important contributions and the many inroads women have made in the wine industry. But we still have a way to go. Despite the extraordinary achievements our winemaking and wine management cohort have made, we still hold only 10-14% leadership roles in the industry. It’s been proven that exceptional talent and drive define these women, so working with them and/or hiring them is a clear win-win. We at Global Package encourage all our colleagues—male and female—to open the door to this incredible talent pool. Not only have we proven our value over the past decade, we just may be the key to your success in the future.
Also, as harvest time approaches, don’t forget that women are an important demographic to consider when designing your wine’s packaging. And don’t forget to contact Global Package to discuss appropriate bottles for your brand. We have lots of inventory, including European fancy glass (which is quite affordable these days given the favorable exchange rate). We also carry a variety of magnums, and unique, gorgeous, lightweight bottles for every wine category.
Call us today to order your samples: 707-224-5670
Global Package LLC is pleased to introduce a new addition to its Estal line of bottles: the Clarior Doble Alto
August 12, 2016
Napa, CA August 10, 2016 — Global Package LLC is pleased to introduce a new addition to its Estal line of bottles: the Clarior Doble Alto (see photo). This is a beautiful original 
design, with refined lines and a double base height that acts like a podium. The effect increases a brand’s shelf presence without increasing the amount of glass used in manufacturing. Released in 2015 by Estal—a long-term supplier to Global Package of premium packaging—the Doble Alto bottles have won 
numerous awards, including the 2015 Presentation Award Hall of Gourmets for the UNICO Vermouth Zarro, which used the handsome Tramo Alto bottle from the collection (see photo).
“During a recent trip to Spain, our good friends at Estal introduced me to this gorgeous Clarior Doble Alto bottle,” says Erica Harrop, founder and CEO of Global Package. “The Doble Alto bottles are perfect for sophisticated high-end packaging. Not only are they elegant, but they are also unique in their ability to enhance the image of the most exclusive sought-after still and sparkling wines.”
While Doble Alto bottles (http://www.estal.com/en/top-innovation-doble-alto.htm) are primarily thought of as spirits bottles because to their capacity for fine decoration, this characteristic applies perfectly to wines seeking that one-of-a-kind image of style and elegance. The Doble Alto line includes several Bordelaise designs, including the Cognata, Cognata Eco, and Lause, as well as sparkling wine bottles: Opera, Opera Roseta, and Gala.
Note: We’ll have samples on display at the August 17th Wines & Vines Packaging Conference, Booth 37 at Lincoln Theater in Yountville, CA. We look forward to seeing you there!
Thomas Bardessono has joined the Global Package sales team
June 15, 2016
We are thrilled to announce that Thomas Bardessono has joined the Global Package sales team, heading up sales in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. Tom comes to us with decades of experience in all facets of wine production, from vineyard management and winemaking to wine and wine barrel sales to business analyst, strategic planning and logistics. He was introduced to Global Package when he purchased the Fiona bottle for his Bardessono Vineyards and Wines winery in Yountville, CA.
“From my past experience and as owner and winemaker of Bardessono, I was very aware of the critical role the bottle plays in packaging,” Tom says. “Not only is it a key element of a brand’s persona, it also must perform flawlessly on the bottling line, hold up under sometimes extreme shipping conditions, look great on the shelf, and yet not break the bank in cost. When I contacted Global Package for advice on a bottle for my wine, I was very impressed with their inventory and their knowledgeable customer service. I was excited to learn they were looking for help with sales, so I jumped at the chance. It seems like a perfect match!”
Tom worked for almost 10 years with Miner Family Winery in Oakville, CA, where he increased new client revenue, from $50k to $250k. He also performed and updated production protocols, quality controls, and managed the winery’s safety program from harvest crush to bottling. Prior to Miner, he worked for Bouchard Cooperage, Greenfield Wine Company, Jack Neal Vineyard Management, and Kendall-Jackson and Robert Mondavi wineries.
Global Package founder and CEO, Erica Harrop, adds: “Tom comes with amazing credentials and will be a real asset to our team! He soon will be reaching out to all our contacts in the Northwest region, so I hope you will extend him a warm welcome.”
Estal News - March 2016
March 28, 2016
ESTAL NEWS - March 2016
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JACK - HIGH GLASS
We incorporate the new bottle to our High Glass collection. Its design is inspired by bourbon, seeking a balance between its simple rectangular shape and slight vintage fair.
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Glass Purchasing Trends
June 13, 2014
Wine Business Monthly, April 2014
Supply Side Economics:
Domestic vs. Imports
Erica Harrop, owner of Global Package in Napa, sees a mixed bag in glass
supply. “I think there is going to be a shortage, and, in fact, there might be
a disruption in supply this year in higher-end glass. Lower-end glass should
not be a problem since there are a number of factories domestically and
internationally that service that line. About three years ago, the proportion
of glass coming from China comprised 15 percent. Today it is certainly
much, much more,” Harrop said. “The reason is simple: our demand for
Global Package’s market, mostly higher-end glass, is growing, and product
availability of this type of glass in the U.S. is static.”
Encore Glass’ VP of sales and marketing Kyle Rossler said, “In our estimation,
there will be a tightness, if not an out and out shortage, of glass this
year. Wineries that can forecast and plan accordingly can get the glass they
want. Those that wait until the last minute may be disappointed and will
have to settle for something, perhaps not the right size or weight.
“Since there are no other furnaces being built in the U.S., the glass has
to come from somewhere. All glass companies would love to run 365 days
and sell all their output. But you can’t turn on and off a glass furnace like a
printing press.” Rossler said. “All glass furnaces need to go down on a periodic
basis for maintenance.”
“With North American capacity fixed, more globally sourced wine bottles
are coming into the U.S.,” vice president of Saxco International’s wine group
David Schwandt said.
Come join us at the WiVi Central Coast 2013 show in Paso Robles!! March 19-20
March 18, 2013
2012 Viticulture Fair
October 02, 2012
Please join us at the upcoming 2012 Napa Valley Grape Growers Viticulture Fair. Stop by our booth to see what's new in glass and packaging, or just to say hello. See you there!
Global Package - Booth #106
November 7, 2012
8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Napa Valley Exposition Fairgrounds
575 Third Street
Napa CA 94559
Sonoma State highlights graduates, such as Global Package’s founder
June 10, 2012
Introducing the Award-Winning….
March 27, 2011
Decanter MBS Bottle
Global Package is proud to present this innovative new bottle style designed by the Basque restaurateur, Martin Berasategui, to prevent wine sediments from reaching the wine glass during decantation. Produced by the Spanish company, Estal Packaging, the bottle was recently awarded a prestigious Packaging Oscar for its innovation and functionality. The design consists of a double base, with the lower base having two perpendicular ledges that create a narrowing that prevents non-filtered sediments and impurities from reaching the wine glass during decantation. The design can also eliminate pre-bottling filtration processes, allowing for optimal wine sensory characteristics to be maintained. For more information on pricing and availability for the Decanter MBS Bottle, or to order a sample, please contact our office 707-224-5670.
At the Glass Factory
February 13, 2011
Molten glass drops into the molds in this short video.
Here the glass goes into the lehr for annealing.
Spring 2016 Newsletter
May 27, 2016
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Founded in 2008, Valentine is a relatively new player in craft distilling, but it has risen to the top of a crowded field of high-end vodkas. Its signature vodka was recently judged Winner of the 2016 World Vodka Awards in London. It was also awarded a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits competition, and was recognized by Anthony Dias Blue, editor-in-chief of The Tasting Panel magazine, with a 94-point ranking, higher than Grey Goose, Ketel One, Belvedere, and Absolut. It is one of the few distilleries in the world to use a blend of grains in its vodka. In addition to its signature vodkas, Valentine also produces Liberator Gin, Liberator Old Tom Gin, and Woodward Ltd. Bourbon Whiskey …all of which are award winners. 
Global Package Fall 2015 Newsletter
January 06, 2016
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Global Package Summer 2015 Newsletter
June 09, 2015
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Global Package Winter 2015 Newsletter
January 23, 2015
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Global Package Fall 2014 Newsletter
December 09, 2014
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years ago, they took a side trip to France and fell in love with the historic Rhone region and the storied Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines. When they returned to St Helena, they wanted to duplicate the look and feel of classical European wine packaging for their line of wines. A new bottling line with extra features had just been installed, which gave them orientation options that allowed for the embossed crest of the Sattui family crest. “It all came together,” says Davies, “the inspiration, the technology, and the talent. We are very happy with the result.” Sattui’s designer Susan LeBlanc and Global Package worked closely together to arrive at a handsome custom package—label, capsule, and crest—that reinforces the Sattui brand (see inset photo).
After graduating from Cornell University and working on Wall Street, Rifino took a step back, looked at where he was headed, and decided to start all over. He left New York, took an artisan distillation course and, in 2007, opened the first distillery in the Detroit area since Prohibition. His award-winning spirits are examples of his dedication to craft and quality. In addition to his two vodkas, his award-winning cask gins and whiskey include Liberator Gin “Best American Gin,” Liberator Old Tom Gin “World’s Best Cask Gin,” and Woodward Ltd. Bourbon Whiskey. “I wanted a package that was both contemporary and timeless,” says Rifino. “Prohibition had a profound influence in the Detroit area, so I was looking for a unique bottle that conveyed that bootlegging time in the city’s history, as well as the bootstrapping ethos evident in the City today.” Working closely with Global Package’s Erica Harrop, they designed a custom cask bottle that would work well with both gins and the whiskey. With burgeoning sales in the States and an increasing international presence, it appears Rifino’s patience and attention to detail is paying off (see inset photo).
Spring 2014 Newsletter
May 07, 2014
Spring 2014 Newsletter
April 2014
Global Changes
No, we’re not talking about weather conditions or the fact that China has just taken the lead as the biggest consumer of red wine. We’re talking about the exciting changes that are happening at Global Package!
First, we have a brand new website, one that gives you everything you ever wanted to know about the wide range of bottles we carry. From a slimmed-down, eco-friendly line of bottles (our Elegant Light Collection) and our beautifully crafted standard collection to our exquisite, one-of-a-kind masterworks, we have what you want at every price point you’re looking for.
Second, we have seen an incredible increase in sales over the past few years. Despite the recession, we have been growing at a phenomenal rate and have staffed up to meet the demand. Our founder and leader, Erica Harrop, says she’s also excited to see the industry respond to positive sales indicators, which is bringing demand for high quality, unique bottles that bestow higher-price brand exclusivity.
Last, but not least, the downturn of the last few years has taught us (as well as many of our clients) to be smart if we want to stay healthy. We have used the time wisely, developing new tools that will address the future demands of each individual customer. For instance, we've expanded our Northwest warehouse capacity, hired a new administration assistant to our support team, and added new sales staff who will provide immediate solutions for customers. Our logistics company also added a new highly experienced manager ...more about him in our next newsletter.
Brand Building
Since shoppers are able to process only two or three messages at a time, it’s critical to distill your brand story to a few key points.
In a recent piece on TheDrinksReport.com, Derek Boltwood stressed the importance of point-of-sale packaging. And getting to know your customers is the first place to start. You can buy research to learn about their likes and dislikes or you can conduct your own just by listening. This will help you build a brand story that is meaningful, one that’s unique, evocative, and concise. You can even test a few out to see which one resonates most. You also want to build a personal connection with your consumers, so get them involved. Invite them to help prune back vines in slower winter months, participate in a special crush event, or host a tasting room social. And throughout the year, use social media tools to keep them apprised of what’s happening at your winery, in the field and in the cellar.
Millennial Opportunity
These customers want a relationship with a winery, not messages about awards or expert ratings.
To prove the importance of brand storytelling, research has shown that the younger generation doesn’t much care about how many medals a wine has won. Instead, these consumers want to develop a relationship with a wine. Constellation Brands’ Chris Fehrnstrom says, “They are adopting wine at a faster rate than any other generation. They are experimental …rebellious, they crave experiences.” Rowan Gormley, CEO of Naked Wines, agrees: “Younger drinkers are picking wines based on the story behind it, how they found it, what unique blend or region it comes from.” http://tinyurl.com/mcunguv
All of which presents those of us engaged in packaging with both challenges and opportunities. One challenge is that this generation won’t spend a lot on a bottle of wine—$10-$12 is average; $20 bottle is max. Silicon Valley Bank’s Rob McMillan cautions wineries to match marketing budgets with the capacity of the segment being targeted. “A twenty-something might have the willingness to buy that 2001 Silver Oak Cab, but do they have the capacity?” http://tinyurl.com/k3duu5n Good advice, but remember, these youngsters are likely to be the next generation of affluent wine buyers.
So if your brand is suited to these adventurers, make sure your packaging is eye-catching, tells a story, and is cost-effective. Our Elegant Light Collection is part of the solution. Check out these bottles on our new website www.globalpackage.net.
Like Beer Like Wine
Did you know your Malbec has the same dark fruit aromas and full-bodied mouthfeel as a Belgian Dubbel?
That’s just one of the creative pairings on this fun infographic. Zach Mack, the NYC-based co-owner of Alphabet City Beer Co., and the wine information website VinePair matches beers with wines based on taste preferences. For instance, Pale Ale is mellow and inviting, much like a Merlot. And Imperial Stout has the same full mouthfeel and toasted oak flavors as a Cab, both go well with steak and potatoes. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/mn3znfk
Europe’s Shifting Wine Regions
Rising temperatures in Europe are affecting some of the prime wine-producing regions, which in turn is impacting the character and quality of the wine.
Research carried out by the University of Oregon and a report by Just-drinks.com’s Ben Cooper found that “…while rising temperatures are creating stern challenges for some of the region’s most established wine-producing areas, production is becoming possible in northern regions where hitherto viticulture was not commercially viable.” Because there is a temperature threshold at which wine quality begins to decline, it may not be long before we start seeing some fine wines come out of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. http://tinyurl.com/menqv44
News & Notes
Glass remains the world's preferred packaging material for wine and spirits.
According to a recent piece in thedrinksreport.com, Asia Pacific is expected to lead in the future global demand for glass, and China is projected to account for the largest share of that demand. http://tinyurl.com/mdntys8 …According to the Journal of Wine Economics report, alcohol consumption in American States rises as the population’s politics becomes more liberal http://tinyurl.com/m7v6tjq …QR codes on wine labels are a smart way to add information, according Alexandre Penet of Champagne fame. In addition to utilizing innovative design techniques for his labels, he employs a QR code that provides critical information for the discerning consumer, such as the limited edition bottle number, date and year of harvest, date of disgorgement, how many bottles were produced, terroir information, etc. http://tinyurl.com/l46m9p5 …California Vineyards had a bumper crop last year, thanks to expanded acreage and good weather, according to an article in the 2/16/14 New York Times. It remains to be seen what impact our drought conditions will have on this year’s harvest. Let’s hope the recent rains put us back on course.
About Global Package
With an astute understanding of the industry and the needs of clients, Global Package sources wine and spirits bottles and packaging worldwide.
Bottles
- Elegant Light line
- Premium, in stock
- Ultra-premium
- Custom molds
- Competitively priced
Packaging
- Pewter labels
- Custom boxes
- Spirits bar-top closures
Decorations
- Silk-screening
- Medallions
Design
We are at your service.
Erica Hiller Harrop
President
GLOBAL PACKAGE, LLC, Napa, CA.
2793 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa California 94558 USA
707-224-5670 (phone) 707-294-7899 (mobile) 707-224-5683 (fax)
info@globalpackage.net globalpackage.net
Newsletter - May 2012
May 03, 2012
To stay up-to-date with packaging news, please make sure globalpackage@mail.vresp.com is white-listed with your ISP.
New Bottles from Global Package
We’re thrilled to introduce two new lines of spirits bottles and a gorgeous new Burgundy bottle to the Global Package collection.
- The new burgundy bottle—the Claire—is the most recent addition to our Elegant Light line of bottles. It boasts more reserved styling than other bottles in its category, with an elegant swan’s neck, and provides a more substantial label area compared to bottles in its category. And while it conforms to the standards of the superior, lighter-weight bottles in the Elegant Light line—including a 1.5” punt and 31.5mm capsule top—it is a definitive line extension which differs from the sturdier-formed Bella and Carré bottles yet in the same line with its taller and broader body. It’s available in antique green in any quantity and can be also ordered along with brand-printed boxes.
- A new line of competitively priced, mid-weight spirits bottles for the discriminating, high-end market is now available on the shop floor. These bottles come in a range of styles, from antiquity to modern, in high-grade clear glass. The Teo and Millennio have a fatter decanter-style neck, whereas the antique Apotheker has standard dimensions for bottling ease.
- We have also added a variety of premier European spirits bottles that have the capability of being elaborately decorated. Ask for the Pure Glass collection from Estal. The photo of the Senso bottle is an excellent example of the extraordinary silk-screen detail that’s possible with these unique bottles.
Of course, we still have an extensive local inventory of stock bottles, as well as metallic label and design services from internationally acclaimed Tucker Creative.
Intellectual Assets
Industry veteran Mike Meneghilli recently joined Global Package as Sales Representative. Mike comes to us with over 35 years of wine industry experience, beginning in 1977 in the cellars and aging winemaking departments of the legendary Robert Mondavi Winery. While at Mondavi, he also honed his technical technical knowledge of the relationship between bottles, corks, capsules, and labels all integrate to make a brand succeed in the marketplace. He later moved into sales and marketing to help educate distributors, sales teams, and consumers on all facets of the winemaking process. We are extremely happy to have his marketing expertise and customer service skills on our team.
- Those of you who have visited our Napa showroom may have already met Kathy Feder, our Office Manager and Assistant to the President. Kathy has been in the industry for over 15 years in the areas of customer account management, order fulfillment, sales and margin improvement, bookkeeping and cost-reduction strategies, and customer satisfaction enhancement. Prior to joining us, Kathy was Senior Account Manager at Bergin Glass Impressions and Operations Manager at Etched Images, two wine bottle-decorating companies specialized in custom screen printing and etching. Kathy’s background in high-quality, customized packaging make her an ideal fit for Global Package, and we’re very happy to have her with us.
Industry Boost
Wines sales in the US rose to a record level in 2011, solidifying our position as the world’s largest wine market. Global California wined sales also increased by an impressive 5.6%, with Napa vintages playing a significant role in that increase. Interestingly, the fastest growing wine varieties were sweet red wines, with Muscat/Moscato growing by 73% in volume and others increasing around 200%. Malbec and blended reds also grew at double-digit levels. Fine wine sales bettered projections, as well. At the same time exports of US wine soared by 22% last year to reach a record US$1.39bn, according to the California-based Wine Institute, which “puts the US on-track to meet the Wine Insitute's target of $2bn in export sales by 2020.” According to Silicon Valley Bank’s annual State of the Wine Industry report, sales grew 12.2 percent in 2011 for US makers of wine primarily retailing for more than $20 a bottle, up from 10.8 percent in 2010. After just returning from a trip to Kentucky’s wine region, I’m sure that burgeoning region is contributing to those record numbers. In just five years the number of Kentucky wineries has increased from 15 to 50, moving approximately 100,000 cases per year. For more, click here: http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/51321/california-wine-shipments-in-2011-rise-5-6-percent-to-new-record/ and http://www.kentuckywine.com/about/history/.
The Skinny on Wine Apps
With the rise of apps for just about everything, it was just a matter of time for developers to come up with iPhone and iPad apps for the serious oenophile, as well as the easily intimated wine consumer. Here’s a review by MacWorld’s Ben Boychuk that discusses four apps—Drync Wine Pro, Wine Snob, The Wine Enthusiast Guide, and Wine Cellar Pro by Velvet Vine—that are designed for both serious connoisseur and the beginning drinker. For example, The Wine Enthusiast Guide will let you search for wines that are rated 89 or higher for $15 or less. The Wine Snob “lets you track and rate the wines you drink, while letting you search for wines you might like, providing basic definitions, and offering helpful suggestions such as general food and wine pairings.” Drync Wine “lets you keep track of the wines you’ve drunk, the wines you own, and the wines you’d like to add to your cellar.” The Velvet Vine Wine Companion is a “full-featured experience …with a rich database of user-generated reviews and recommendations …much like a social-networking app for winos.” For the complete reviews, click here: http://www.macworld.com/appguide/article.html?article=139106
Wines By The Glass
We thought this recent survey by Napa Technology provided some great advice for restaurateurs, wine bar owners, and others in the hospitality industry to meet the growing demand for more interesting by-the-glass wine selections while maintaining margins. According to a panel of industry experts, a preservation system is a top priority for wine-by-the-glass programs to “protect the wine from oxidation either by sparging with an inert gas or by flash-vacuum.” Many of the panelists use the WineStation system, which provides “portion control and eliminates product spoilage while increasing profits through advanced 60 day preservation.” Other suggestions include: Know the Fill Line (Champagne pours are different than still wine pours); Monitor Temperatures; Emphasize Staff Education; Menu Within A Menu (offer unique wine prix-fixe or flights); and Wine Pairing Suggestions. For the full report, click here: http://www.napatechnology.com/press/napatech_winebytheglasstips.html
News 'n Notes
Some winemakers who are looking for on-shelf differentiation are experimenting with a trend that artisan beer brewers started: aluminum packaging. The newest entry in the market is the Flasq screw-cap aluminum bottle that holds two generous glasses of Merlot, Chardonnay, and Cuvee Blanc per bottle. (http://www.specialtyfood.com/news-trends/featured-articles/food-trends/food-trends-march-2012/). Diageo recently published its first Sustainable Packaging Guidelines, based on three principles: optimize packaging material to reduce its environmental footprint where possible; design with the cradle-to-cradle life cycle in mind; and use leading-edge technologies to minimize packaging and optimize recycled materials (http://www.packworld.com/sustainability/strategy/diageo-publishes-sustainable-packaging-guidelines). Imports of bottled wine to China hit a record US$1.27bn in 2011, up 94% year-on-year, while the value of bulk wine into China fell by 20% in the same period, indicating that the imported wine market is evolving from low-end to high-end, according to Lin Feng, VP of H&J Consulting (http://www.just-drinks.com/news/fy-imported-wine-sales-hit-record-high_id106708.aspx). Millennials are drinking wine at nearly every imaginable occasion, including when showering, reading a book to relax, and even eating Cheerios in the morning. This interesting study by the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State can be found here: http://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=90023.
Newsletter - January 2012
January 11, 2012
To stay up-to-date with packaging news, please make sure globalpackage@mail.vresp.com is white-listed with your ISP.
News for the New Year
It's show time again! This year we're excited to be showcasing two new beautiful bottles—the Fiona (photo below) and Claire—at the upcoming Unified Symposium in Sacramento January 24 – 26 (Booth 942) and at the Annual Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco January 15 – 17 (Booth 655).
- The Fiona boasts a daring look with a bar top and strong shoulders. It has the presence of a heavy, stately bottle, but is part of our Elegant Light line and weighs only 600 grams. The top can accommodate a traditional tin foil and the height is comfortably just a bit taller than a standard bottle. It’s a perfect addition to other tapered bottles and for partnering with an elegant new Burgundy Claire.
- The Claire is an elegantly appointed Burgundy bottle that will be available in Spring 2012 as an addition to the handsome line of lighter-weight, larger-neck bottles in the Elegant Light lineup. Its curvaceous lines make it sensually appealing, with a label area that’s extended to satisfy your labeling presence. Samples of both bottles are available upon request. Hope to see you at Unified (http://bit.ly/zmlJ1Y) and at the Fancy Food show (http://bit.ly/yZNgav)
Global Package in the News
One of our prestigious customers, Steven Burrows, Chief Operating Officer for Haas Brothers/Cyrus Noble, was featured in not one, but two packaging publications: Package Design Magazine (http://bit.ly/y32NKC) and Packaging World (http://bit.ly/ynwuw2) Check ‘em out. We think the pieces offer some good insight into updating a legacy brand, and we were honored to be a key player in the process.
Does Customization Pay Off?
As many of you know, for years I have worked with Barrie Tucker of the Barrie Tucker Company in Australia, who over the course of 30 years has spearheaded the design of many of that continent’s leading wine brands, as well as other leading international brands. He was inducted into the Australian Design Hall of Fame in 2008. Together, we have developed a new White Paper that discusses the value, benefits, and best practices of customized packaging for the wine industry (http://bit.ly/x0fX8E). He also contributed a case study (http://bit.ly/w3EebE) illustrating his design process when he created a propriety bottle and label for two premium Merlots for South Australia’s Smith & Hooper brand. Check out the bottles here: http://www.smithandhooper.com/wines.html
Originality Matters
Every so often a customer will tell me he wants his wine to “look like” the category leader’s wine …a bad idea in my opinion. Not only does knocking-off another brand invite legal action, it’s rarely a smart strategic decision. Here’s a great article by Marianne Rosner Klimchuk, Associate Chairperson, Associate Professor, Packaging Design Dept., Fashion Institute of Technology that discusses the topic. The Trade Dress Protection Act (amended from the Trademark Act of 1946) states that trade dress—which can include "fonts, font colors, window curvature and packaging dress”— functioning as a mark may be registered and protected without the need to show that it has become distinctive if the relevant public is likely to identify the source of the product or service by reference to the subject matter claimed as trade dress. In 1995, a Supreme Court Case stated that under the right circumstances, trade dress that consists purely and simply of a color can be protected; e.g., the Campbell’s red soup can. “Professional designers seek to design original and innovative strategic solutions to marketing problems. Certainly they want to create a design that beats out the competition for shelf visibility, but they seek originality over mimicry,” Kimchuk says. While marketers may sometimes encourage a follow-the-leader design to grab market share, they need to consider potential legal ramifications. In her view, the best solution is “a design that is a competitive instrument providing strategic results based on innovation rather than imitation.” We agree. Click here for the article: http://bit.ly/wIVe8y
Try Before You Buy
Tastingroom.com is employing its “Try Before You Buy” program in a partnership with retailer Cost Plus World Market to provide samples of luxury wines in 100ml bottles to customers, who can buy both the 100ml Wines by the Glass product and the full-size 750ml bottles at Cost Plus World Market stores. Tastingroom.com is already known for creating wine samplers that feature six 50ml mini bottles that hold 1.7 oz. of wine each. The Cost Plus partnership will feature the wineries selections—which will retail for $24.99-$34.99 at over 200 Cost Plus World Market stores across the country—in four 100ml bottles of their premium wines. Participating wineries include Duckhorn Wine Company, Pine Ridge (part of Crimson Wine Group) and Boisset Family Estates. Read the full story here:
http://bit.ly/xuw9Rx
Chinese Wine on the Rise
According to Business Insider.com, 10 French judges and 10 Chinese judges spent 40 minutes on December 14, 2011 in a blind tasting of five wines from Bordeaux and five wines from Ningxia, an autonomous region in Northwest China. The wines were all priced between 200 and 500 Yuan (or $30 to $80 USD) and “were wrapped in black cloth and tagged with a number.” When the results were announced the top four wines turned out to be Chinese …a sobering conclusion for wine exporters to China, particularly given the handicap the country’s import tax places on foreign wines. “We used a price range to compare top Ningxia wines with bigger and better-known Bordeaux brands sold here by major distributors—brands consumers are more likely to know and have access to,” said Jim Boyce, organizer of the Ningxia vs Bordeaux Challenge, and administrator of www.grapewallofchina.com/. But the price difference between the winning Chinese wine (488 Yuan or 80 USD) and the most expensive Bordeaux (350 Yuan or $55 USD) was significant, which presumably would favor the Chinese brands. You can read more and find the winners and losers here: http://bit.ly/w7M6yF
News 'n Notes
New regulations affecting members of the California wine and alcohol beverage industry in 2012 include clarification on third-party marketing and promotions, a new direct-to-consumer wine retail license, permission for on-premise infusion of wine and spirits with flavors, a change in the definition of “distilled spirits” for taxation purposes, new state Russian River frost-protection water rules and agricultural union elections law changes (http://bit.ly/wkFtDf) …France and Chile currently dominate as major players in the South Korean wine market, with Italy, California / USA and Australia forming an important second tier (see Country Power Chart in South Korea based on Vinitrac® data …62% of the 5.5 million imported wine drinkers in Russia and 72% of the 17.9 million imported wine drinkers in Brazil are under 44 and primarily live in the twin hubs of St. Petersburg and Moscow and Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Download the report here (http://bit.ly/xmNFCN) …Loved this video, “How Chinese Learn to Drink Wine.” Check it out: (http://bit.ly/yFf43E) …Ex-basketball player Yao Ming has started his own wine company, Yao Family Wines, in Napa, California and has appointed Pernod Ricard as its exclusive importer in China (http://bit.ly/yfWDM8) …94% of U.S. wine consumers still prefer natural cork, according to a recent study by to a recent survey by Tragon Corp. PDF can be downloaded here (http://bit.ly/A0GnGy).
About Global Package
With an astute understanding of the industry and the needs of clients, Global Package sources wine and spirits bottles and packaging worldwide.
Bottles
• Elegant Light line
• Premium, in stock
• Ultra-premium
• Custom molds
• Competitively priced Packaging
• Pewter labels
• Custom boxes
• Spirits bar-top closures Decorations
• Silk-screening
• Medallions Design
We are at your service.
Erica Hiller Harrop
President
Erica Harrop, GLOBAL PACKAGE, LLC, Napa, CA.
707-224-5670 (phone) 707-294-7899 (mobile) 707-224-5683 (fax)
info@globalpackage.net
globalpackage.net
October 2011 Newsletter
October 17, 2011
Innovation Spurs Growth for RTDs and Flavored Non-Scotch Whiskies
A new just-drinks/IWSR report has found that non-Scotch whiskies, comprised of US Bourbons and Irish, Canadian, Indian and Japanese whiskies, have been bucking the recession with an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9% due to their innovation in the cocktail space. Flavored whiskies, such as Jim Beam’s Red Stag, are particularly popular among new consumer segments like younger adults and women. Bartenders, too, are experimenting with these new and old-fashioned flavored variants, like rye and wheat, in cocktails. The US has been especially adept in the Ready-to-Drink (RTD) market by targeting a younger consumer demographic, which has steadily shifted from beer towards spirits. Remember that Global Package has been supplying standard and custom spirits bottles for years. Read a summary of the report here: http://bit.ly/oDEake
Speaking of Innovation (and Sustainability)-
Here’s an update on the revolutionary MBS decanter bottle we featured in our last newsletter. Louis Rapin 2008, an all-natural, sulphite-free Bordeaux ‘micro-wine’ produced from 65-year-old Merlot grapes from Maison Blanche is the first French wine to be bottled in the MBS bottle. Nicolas Despagne Rapin says of the bottle shape: “This is the ideal bottle for enduring wines, it is a flame, it is a fire, a fine elegant woman.” Photo of the bottle is below.
- The glass industry is continuously upgrading processes to reduce its carbon footprint. Last spring, Owens-Illinois (O-I) opened its photovoltaic plant in France equipped with photovoltaic panels that will produce energy “equal to the annual energy consumption of a town with 2,000 citizens.” The company has the goal “to reduce its carbon footprint by 65% by 2017, decrease its overall energy consumption by 50% and increase the proportion of recycled glass to 60% globally." Click here for more: http://bit.ly/qxGSGu
- Here’s research about the sustainable benefits of green glass over clear glass in all drink categories, from wine to whiskey. The report states that a shift to green (recycled) glass “will cut packaging related CO2 emissions by 20%, and recycling glass back into glass production saves energy and reduces mineral extraction compared to the use of virgin materials. Keep this in mind the next time you’re specifying your glass bottle. Click here for the report: http://bit.ly/oCK1Lz
Color-Blindness and Packaging
Did you know there are approximately 19 million people in the US who are to some degree color-blind? It surprised me and is making me think twice about color selection when advising clients. According to author Carol Kaufman-Scarborough of Rutgers University: “Reds and greens appear to pose the most consistent set of problems; dim lighting makes the problems even worse. Since color-blind persons process color information in a different way from color-sighted consumers, color-distortions can affect their abilities to choose products, to notice information in advertising and on packaging, and to operate effectively in store settings.” She says that while many folks may not technically be blind, there are some colors that are inaccessible to them, appearing instead as a confusing blend of grays. It’s something to keep in mind when designing your packaging. Click here:
http://bit.ly/nBbY8Q
Pricing Your Wine
It can be confusing trying to find a formula that works for pricing a wine these days. There are so many factors that need to be weighed and every year these change. I recently came across a couple of articles that attempted to take on this challenge, one relatively straightforward (“Margin or Markup”) and the other almost too complex to be helpful (“Pricing strategy for wine in today's marketplace”). I have a pretty simple formula: Your margin is a percentage that’s subtracted from the selling price, whereas your markup is a dollar amount you add to the cost. The topic is important because I often find that clients bring me in to discuss bottles before they’ve determined their wine’s price point, which is an essential first step. For example, a custom 100,000-bottle project with embossing and elaborate decoration cannot retail for $20, unless you want to lose money. You can read our White Paper on the topic here: http://globalpackage.net/category/news/white-papers/ To read the above-mentioned pricing articles, click here: http://bit.ly/g9Cc6q and here: http://bit.ly/pUBxhG
Rebranding? Try Crowdsourcing.
After reading about the GAP rebranding gaff, where management decided to alter the iconic GAP logo only to be inundated by a storm of protest, I thought this was an interesting idea for wineries that are thinking about launching a new brand or regenerating a mature brand. The idea is to begin a conversation with the creative community to elicit ideas. This can take the form of a ‘contest’ whereby creatives submit and collaborate on ideas—be it content for a campaign, a name change, new identity, or design for a label—with ‘winning’ ideas awarded a cash prize. Author, Peter Ryder, on Brandchannel.com suggests the process can yield not only great ideas, but insight about how your brand is viewed in the marketplace. However, a strict and transparent process must be adopted to ensure your creative community perceives this as legitimate and not a scam for you to get something for free. “Make sure you give due credit to participants’ work and if possible, provide a public online showcase for it either during the project itself or afterwards,” he says. Read more about the process here: http://bit.ly/fMiq3T
News 'n Notes
With a packaging industry growing by more than 14% annually and the volume of discarded packaging increasing by 8-10% annually, China’s cities are in peril of drowning in household garbage. To address the problem, the Chinese government has legislated controls to reduce excessive packaging, the only country in the world to do so (http://bit.ly/nXFTuo) … What will they think of next? Wine comes in cans, pouches, PET bottles, and now the Swedes have come up with the Bag-in-a-Bag wine package (http://bit.ly/pEGhPf) and the French company, Sleever International, has introduced the SkinSleever, tactile coatings created with Helioflex printing technology, which provides a textured surface with the feel of metal, stone, cloth, wood or skin. Photos can be found by scrolling about ¾ down on this site: http://bit.ly/bdWH3I … In view of flagging sales brought on by devaluation of the currency exchange rate, the Australian wine industry is hurting. The iconic Yellow Tail brand has been forced to raise prices and has launched a new rebranding campaign to reposition it not as the low price leader, but as the “go-to” brand (http://nyti.ms/rlYWZv) … Finally, remember that Global Package LLC offers a broad selection of screwcap bottles that are readily available from Europe, including 375mls and magnums.
June 2011 Newsletter
June 06, 2011
Bottles and Your Brand
Global Package LLC is developing a series of white papers to help customers navigate the complexities of bottle selection. Our first installment, “How Your Bottle Choice Impacts Your Brand,” provides guidelines about what factors you need to consider, including the price point at which you envision your wine selling, is your wine to be stored long-term or immediately consumed, and what style, shape, and color bottle will best reinforce your brand concept. We also just published an instructive case study that details how we worked with a spirits producer on the revival and launch of his unique bourbon brand. Both documents can be found on our website: http://www.globalpackage.net
Vineyard Property Values Around the World
I found this article in the Financial Times both interesting and amusing. Interesting because it compares vineyard properties worldwide. (See the Knight Frank Vineyard Index here: http://bit.ly/kSbwmG). I also loved this amusing anecdote from Viticulture, a group that helps amateur winemakers: “The way to acquire a small fortune is to start with a large fortune and buy an English vineyard.” In short, most wealthy investors in vineyards are “lifestyle” buyers who are more interested in a holiday property than in producing wine. However, according to wine expert, Jancis Robinson, entrepreneurs wishing to pursue the business of winemaking should select a property according to the appellation and the quality and type of grape, not the size or charm of the house that’s on it. Not surprisingly, the Bordeaux region in southern France—currently favored by the Asian wealthy—boasts the most expensive vineyard properties in the world, nearly twice the price of properties in Napa and Sonoma. Whereas the price of many of the established vineyard territories in France and California has fallen, the wine-growing regions in Argentina, Chile, South Africa and other emerging wine-growing countries have shown the most growth in price. Click here for a fascinating read: http://on.ft.com/iq8BEK
Standards of Fill for Spirits
My thanks to Steve Dalbey, of Distillery Code Consulting, who confirmed for me that 500 ml bottles are no longer permitted by the federal code; they were “authorized for bottling (only) until June 30, 1989.” Steve found the information on the GPO Access website in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations section, 5.47a. You can find current metric standards of fill and other useful information on this site, including tolerances and design and headspace requirements for distilled spirits. Click here: http://bit.ly/iBUtXd
Packaging Trends
Not surprisingly, pop culture, such as Lady Gaga and her over-the-top aesthetic, is impacting packaging design. I came across this great article by Cheryl Swanson on brandchannel.com that takes a look at what consumer packaged goods (CPG) designers need to know about “Trends for the New Decade.” Gilded and baroque designs are winning over consumers in China; educational apps appeal to the binary generation (those techno-tykes who were born after 2000); Boomers are “cross-breeding” with Millennials as college students; and women continue to be the most influential consumers. A good example of a sleek brand that appeals to today's sophisticated female consumer is Daviana Winery's Estate Grown Cabernache (pictured at right) that's designed by CF Napa Brand Design and bottled in Global Package's Elegant Light Bella burgundy bottle. Swanson explores other trends as well in this well-written and smart overview. Click here: http://bit.ly/mCfWmi
Millennials and Gen-Xers Drive U.S. Wine Growth
The Wine Market Council released results of its 2010 Consumer Tracking Study, which found that, despite the recession, total wine consumption in the U.S. has remained steady, with a slight .9 percent uptick in 2010. Most significant, Generation X adults, those in their mid-30s and early 40s, are leading the charge by incorporating wine into their lifestyles. The Millennial Generation, with its 70 million members who have been less impacted by the economic downturn than the older Boomer generation, are dominating the market. Even better news for the industry, “16 million members of the Millennial generation who have yet to reach the age of 21 gives some assurance to wine marketers of continuing market growth in the near term.” You can purchase the full report and read a summary here: http://bit.ly/mOUDGr
News 'n Notes
On June 9th, Erica will be speaking on Packaging and Brand Development at ADI’s “Hands-on Whiskey” Workshop in Petaluma. If you’d like to attend, click here: http://bit.ly/cfkRpQ …According to Fortune Brands, its Beam Global Spirits & Wine is being repositioned and renamed Beam Inc. as a standalone division with a pure focus on distilled spirits, no wine, and selling off its golf, and home & security holdings (http://bit.ly/mUsS5Z)
…Winelovesglass.com says that a glass wine bottle is best because it protects taste; is the classic, preferred choice of wine drinkers; is convenient because it can be found in many sizes, including single-serve bottles, with alternative closures for easy opening/closing; is made from all natural materials; and can be recycled endlessly (http://bit.ly/dPp4hd) …The U.S. is talking with South Korea about eliminating its 20% import duty on bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, which could result in a rise in exports to Korea of about $17.6 million per year (http://bit.ly/jEnNO8).
March 2011 Newsletter
June 06, 2011
Choosing the Right Bottle
In the over two decades I have worked in the production side of the wine business, I’ve learned that both winemakers and marketers often need help communicating their needs so they choose the right bottle for their wine. It’s not surprising because there are many things to consider: The targeted consumer and primary market (retailers, online sales, restaurants, on-premise, etc.) The expected price-point of your wine, which will help determine your packaging budget. The image your winery and wine’s brand needs to convey. And, last but not least, the capabilities and trustworthiness of your suppliers. This last point is critical because you need to rely on your suppliers to not only provide you with critical information, but also to be willing and able to communicate with your other suppliers. For instance, the ring finish of your bottle needs to conform to the closure you’ve chosen; the diameter of the bottle needs to accommodate the designer’s label; the height of the bottle needs to fit on the retailer’s shelf. Stay tuned to more in-depth tips about bottle selection in our upcoming newsletters. You can find more information on our website: http://www.globalpackage.net
Not Your Grandpa's Whiskey Jug
If you are looking for ideas for your next spirits launch, this gallery of spectacular spirits packaging would be a good place to start. It shows an incredible array of bottle shapes and embellishments. The wine industry should be paying attention because wineries are also embracing the exotic. I would argue that the spirits industry gleaned those ideas from the perfume industry because they are what sells to the consumer who buys. Global Packaging LLC prides itself on its leadership in innovative wine and spirits packaging working with designers, and was proud to introduce earlier this year the MBS Decanter bottle (photo on right), designed by famous Basque restaurateur Martin Berasategui and produced by Estal packaging, which won the prestigious Packaging Oscar. More information about this innovative bottle can be found on our website: www.globalpackage.net. Check out the spirits bottles here: http://www.thedrinksreport.com/spiritswhite.html
All Shapes and Sizes
While most of our readers probably know the names and sizes of many of the wine bottles on the market, I found this chart on the FriendsEat.com blog and thought it would be fun to pass along. The chart not only names names, but also tells us the provenance of the names, many of which originated in biblical times. Did you know, for instance, that Rehoboam was the first king of Judea? I did find an error in the chart, however: The Balthazar is generally said to hold 12 liters, not 15 liters. Wikipedia has a similar chart, along with a general description of the shapes, colors, and other bottle details, for those wishing a bit more information. The FriendsEat.com chart is here: http://blog.friendseat.com/different-kinds-wine-bottles-sizes-2/. The Wikipedia chart is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_bottle
How Much Wine and Spirits is the World Drinking?
The Drinks Report, a UK-based website devoted to wine and spirits news and research, recently released data about the world’s drinking habits, with some interesting findings. According to the study, worldwide wine consumption is growing and the U.S. is expected to overtake France and Italy as the “world’s biggest consumer of wine,” with China and Russia also witnessing impressive growth in wine consumption. Rosé will show the biggest growth over the next four years and sparkling wine consumption will increase by nearly 6% by 2014. Importantly, “wines priced at more than US$10 a bottle are taking a larger slice of sales and will grow by more than 15% between 2008 and 2014.”
Consumption of spirits declined in 2010, according to the report, but is expected to pick up to a 5% growth rate by 2014. Vodka is the “world’s leading spirit, with rum expected to grow 14% in the run up to 2014 and scotch whiskey to grow 5% by 2014. “Tequila, from a small base, grew more than 15% in the last five years.”
Asia, which is replacing rice-based spirits with wine, “accounts for 44% of all spirits consumed in the world in 2009.” Click here for a summary of the report: http://www.thedrinksreport.com/full.articles/business.folder/Business2011/full.0111_vinexpo-iwsr-global-trends.html
Restaurant Sales Are Up
Another survey, this one sponsored by Wine & Spirits magazine, yielded some interesting findings for our industry. It appears that wine sales are coming out of a two-year slump, with consumers spending more generously on a bottle of wine than in the past. Sommeliers in America's top restaurants reported that consumers are better educated about wine and are choosing the classics, rather than cult wines. Italian wines remain the most popular imports, with wines from Spain, Argentina and, surprise, Greece gaining ground. The article also lists the Top Ten Most Popular Wine List Brands. Click here: htttp://finance.yahoo.com/news/Wine-Spirits-Magazine-prnews-3746274745.html?x+0
News ‘n Notes
In case you missed it, there’s an informative article, “Looking Again At Glass,” in this month’s Wines & Vines, in which “longtime bottle suppliers,” such as Global Package LLC, are cited as “turning up the green with lighter weight bottles:” http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=84592&ftitle=Looking%20Again%20at%20Glass.
China Rising: China’s wine consumption is soaring, growing by 72 percent in the past five years. The country has become the largest consumer of French wines, outside of France, with Bordeaux a favorite: (http://www.beveragedaily.com/Markets/Chinese-consumers-develops-a-taste-for-French-wine). And China is also making wine these days, with Robert Parker ranking 18 out of 20 Chinese wines “average” to “good:” (http://www.grapewallofchina.com/) . . .Wineindustrynetwork.com lists “23 things people like most about their jobs in the wine industry; important points to stress if you’re looking for talent: (http://wineindustrynetwork.com/supplierprofile.php?s=6423&r=z24RJ3LHJL0.#whatsnew) . . .According to recent figures from Wines & Vines, glass still reigns supreme in the industry.
January 2011 Newsletter
June 06, 2011
Introducing the Award-Winning Berasategui System Bottle
Global Package is proud to present this innovative new bottle at this year's Unified Symposium! The bottle was designed by the Basque restaurateur, Martin Berasategui, to prevent wine sediments from reaching the wine glass during decantation. Produced by the Spanish company, Estalpackaging, the bottle was recently awarded a prestigious Packaging Oscar for its innovation and functionality. The design consists of a double base, with the lower base having "two perpendicular ledges that create a narrowing that prevents non-filtered sediments and impurities from reaching the wine glass during decantation." The design can also "eliminate pre-bottling filtration processes," allowing for "optimal wine sensory characteristics to be maintained." Glass producer Estal Packaging's CEO, Gerard Alberti, will be at the booth to answer questions on Wednesday. We'll also be posting more information on our website at www.globalpackage.net, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out the bottle at our Unified Booth 1801.
Meet Kathy Feder
We're thrilled to welcome Kathy Feder, a long-time bottle veteran, to the Global Package team! You can meet her at the Unified show, too. So, please come by and introduce yourself. We know Kathy will impress you with her knowledge and great personality!
See You At Booth 1801!
Yep, that's where we'll be, with a beautiful display of our comprehensive line of bottles, including our Elegant Light line of bottles that are specifically designed to have the aesthetic of "fancy glass," but not the high price or environmental negatives of heavier bottles. We'll also be showing our best-selling bottles—the Bordeaux Max, Bordeaux Daniel, Burgundy Bella, and the Vitae bottle, which is shown on the right. Our specialty is helping you determine the right bottle for your brand and budget ...We'll be on-site to answer any questions you may have.
News ‘n Notes
Looks like there may be good news on the horizon for the wine industry. According to recent San Francisco Chronicle/Bloomberg business news report, wine drinkers are again embracing more expensive wines. After a depressing, belt-tightening two years, consumers are again buying wines over the $20/bottle mark. "What we're seeing is that people are trading up from value wines," said Jay Wright, president of the North American wine unit of Constellation Brands. Recent data from Nielsen Co. indicates that "total U.S. wine sales rose 4.1 percent to $9.32 billion for the 52 weeks that ended Dec. 11 ...and the fastest-growing segment was wine priced at $20 and up, with sales gaining 11 percent ...Wines under $3 declined 0.6 percent." The study also found that "in the global wine market still wine sales are the most lucrative, Europe leads in sales, and supermarkets and hypermarkets are the most important distribution channel." For the full article, click here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/18/BU531H989R.DTL
Whitepaper - January 2012
January 11, 2012
Reaping the Benefits of Custom Packaging
Many studies have proven the important role that wine packaging design plays on consumer acceptance and perception of value. Aside from the obvious benefits that wine packaging provides, such as protection and preservation of the wine during shipment, wine packaging can add substantial value in the mind of the consumer, allowing you to achieve higher price points and higher margins.
Additionally, effective wine packaging can boost sales by making the wine attractive and accessible to the neophyte buyer. It can also differentiate your wine from competitors’ on the retail shelf. Finally, design that calls for lighter-weight bottles and less packaging materials will also reduce the impact on the environment. At the same time, successful packaging design will reinforce your brand image and messaging through the use of appropriate bottle shape, color, and embellishment; label color and design; and closure style and efficacy.
The Role Packaging Plays in Buying Decisions
A study co-authored by professors Orth (The University of Kiel) and Malkewitz (Oregon State University), found that consumers make the decision to purchase a wine in a POS situation according to two general responses: the affective response (attractiveness) and cognitive response (quality)—also referred to as extrinsic and intrinsic factors—both of which can lead to different price expectations. Their report states that “Consumers who value aesthetics base their price expectations more strongly on the package’s attractiveness, whereas consumers highly involved with wine infer price expectation more strongly from quality perceptions.”
But what constitutes “attractiveness” varies considerably and depends on the consumer’s age and his or her experience with wine. Another interesting study, The Influence of Verbal and Non-Verbal Information on the Consumer Decision, by researchers Dr. Gergely Szolnoki, Dr. Dieter Hoffman, and Dr. Roland Herrmann provides evidence that packaging attributes affect different wine market segments differently. It shows that younger consumers (younger than 26 years) with little or no experience with wine are heavily influenced by the bottle form and color when making their wine purchase decisions. On the other hand, older wine connoisseurs (over 45 years) appear to be more influenced by the brand name and country of origin. However, it was also noted that older wine buyers “try to minimize the influence of appearance,” even though subconscious visual cues are at play. Consumers in the mainstream segment (between 30-40 years) look for information on the label, with 60% of their buying decision based on overall visual cues.
Equally interesting, the same study analyzed how verbal and non-verbal factors influenced the perceived taste of the wine, this time dividing respondents into five segments: Younger consumers without experience, price sensitive consumers, older wine connoisseurs, red wine enthusiasts, and older wine drinkers with high income. This time packaging played a significant role in all of the consumers’ perceptions of the wine’s taste, scoring at the top of influencers for all of the study’s respondents.
Testing on the Shelf
While most packaging research is done in focus groups or laboratory settings, some researchers believe that the best way to measure packaging performance is by monitoring consumer behavior in an actual retail environment. An article by Scott Young, who is President of Perception Research Services, entitled Measuring Success: Using Consumer Research to Document the Value of Package Design” and sponsored by The Design Management Institute, found that direct questioning of consumers can be misleading because it’s difficult for shoppers to accurately gauge how much packaging influences their purchasing decisions. In fact, consumers will often downplay the importance of packaging because “they are reluctant to admit that aesthetics drive their purchase decision,” much like the “older wine connoisseurs” mentioned earlier.
Therefore, Young maintains that testing packaging in a competitive context is the best way for marketers to determine the strength of a particular design. Does the packaging enhance or detract from the consumer’s interest in the brand? Does the packaging enhance or detract from the brand’s competitive positioning? “Interestingly,” he notes, “in at least 25 percent of the studies, we’ve found that a brand’s current packaging is actually detracting from brand perceptions, positioning, and preference.”
Because differentiation is the key to success, it’s important to remember that trying to mimic the packaging of a category leader can backfire, not only with expensive legal consequences (see Fundamentals of Trade Dress Protection http://www.escm.com/uploads/publications/traded1.htm) but also by damaging the integrity of your brand and, thus, its power in the marketplace. To quote Young again: “Packaging is unique because it ‘lives’ on the cluttered shelves, and it has to make an impression within the limited time (often only a few seconds) that shoppers typically spend making their purchase decisions.” In other words, good packaging design should always be judged according to how it stands out—not blends in—from the competition.
However, packaging innovation can also be detrimental to a brand so don’t assume your new wine-in-a-pouch will wow consumers. When Skippy peanut butter introduced a new squeeze packaging system, consumers failed to recognize it as peanut butter, negatively judging it as more difficult to open and reseal. According to Young, any new packaging design should be measured on four factors: Shelf visibility (does the new system help the brand break through the clutter); Preference vs. competition (does the brand consistently win against the competition); Price expectation (does the packaging drive higher price expectations); and Satisfaction and usage frequency (does the packaging enhance satisfaction and/or lead shoppers to buy the product more frequently and/or in new situations).
These days, every expense needs to be justified, including packaging. because it can represent a significant portion of your product’s total cost. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect your new package design to result in a positive ROI.
Is Custom Packaging Worth It?
In my earlier White Paper, How Price Positioning Impacts Your Bottle Choice (http://globalpackage.net/category/news/white-papers/), I discussed how the Four Ps (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) influence the bottle you select for your wine, especially the price point at which your wine will be sold to achieve a sustainable profit margin. Of course, quantifying the value your packaging will have on sales is difficult to determine. However, some studies have attempted to do just that. One, in particular, a 2010 research paper based on real market observations, by Simone Mueller and Gergely Szolnoki—“Wine Packaging and Labeling; Do they Impact Market Price (in the US)?”—is worth noting.
Here are a few salient excerpts:
- Story or history information on the front label resulted in a price premium of $1.64, while additional wine specific information, such as estate grown, single vineyard, reserve or old vine attracted a premium of $3.22.
- Packaging characteristics follow as second most important in determining a price premium, specifically label style and label color.
- Packaging can be related to 42% of predicted price differences.
- Packaging and front label information contributes to price in the U.S. by 8%.
- Origin has the largest impact on wine prices.
- Wine packaging is almost as important as origin as it relates to price differences.
What about the bottle? Apparently size and shape do matter, not only in consumers’ perceptions, but also in their willingness to pay for a higher priced wine. For instance, results in the above research found that red wine in Burgundy bottles sold at $1.41 above average while Bordeaux bottles attracted a discount of $1.31, probably because of the subconscious association in the consumer’s mind of a Burgundy bottle with higher priced wines. While it’s generally estimated that the cost of the bottle is less than 10% of the price of the wine, the cost obviously goes down when the volume goes up. We also know that more expensive wines generally have expensive packaging, which has imprinted a correlation in the consumer’s mind between price and quality. Of course, bigger, heavier bottles are also generally regarded by winemakers to be better for aging wines, which also means wine aficionados are willing to pay more for wine in a heftier bottle.
While the industry’s recent focus on the environment has resulted in lighter-weight bottles, this doesn’t mean that aesthetics are compromised. In fact, innovations in glass production have created lightweight bottles that have the same forms and colors as traditional, heavier styles. Global Package’s Elegant Light line of bottles is a good example. These bottles provide the same aesthetic, but with lower manufacturing and shipping cost, hence reduced environmental footprint. Our new Fiona bottle and the soon-to-be released Claire are great examples.
The Fiona boasts a daring look with a bar top and strong shoulders. It has the appearance of a heavy bottle with presence, but, in fact, weighs only 600 grams. The top can have a traditional tin foil closure and the height is comfortably just a bit taller than a standard bottle. It’s a perfect partner for other tapered bottles and for coupling with an elegant burgundy shape.
The Claire is an elegantly appointed Burgundy bottle that will be available in Spring 2012. It’s an addition to the handsome line of lighter-weight, larger-neck bottles. Its curvaceous lines make it sensually appealing, with a label area that’s extended for labeling presence.
Bottle Embellishment
As wine and spirits producers look for new ways to individual their products, the Glass Packaging Institute recently noted that there’s been renewed interest in embossing glass bottles. Here’s a bit of background:
Prior to the development of inexpensive paper labels, food and beverage producers often relied on embossed glass bottles to carry the name of their brands from store shelves to consumers' pantries. In fact, from the mid-19th century until the early 20th century, embossed glass bottles were ubiquitous, the product of their functionality as much as their aesthetic appeal.
In recent years, embossed glass bottles have been making a comeback. While the process never fully went away, brands looking to separate themselves from the pack have begun to utilize the process more aggressively, in some cases doing away with paper and painted labels entirely.
A favorite designer, Barrie Tucker of Barrie Tucker Company, with whom I’ve worked for many years has distinguished himself with gorgeous embossed designs on bottles, creating one-of-a-kind packaging for such renowned brands as Stag’s Leap and Voss Vineyards in the US, Mission Hill Winery in Canada, Nautilus in New Zealand, and Penley Estate, Yalumba, and Greg Norman Estates in Australia, among many others.
A recent project for two Australian Smith & Hooper Merlot brands entailed creating the Smith & Hooper logo in a sophisticated, flourishing script, which was embossed across the shoulder of the bottles, as well as featured on the label. His S&H icon design was debossed and then embossed in a diamond shape into the front surface of the bottles. For the super premium, limited edition Merlot product, the S&H icon was also be acid etched, giving it a superior quality appearance and a point of differentiation between the two products. You can find a case study describing the Smith & Hooper project here: http://globalpackage.net/category/news/case-study/
As mentioned in our previous White Paper, the price you pay for the bottle, as well as the customization of your packaging elements, has to be considered in view of your pricing strategy. Bottle embellishments will cost more as will unusual label configurations and substrates, so it’s important to start at the end—determining your wine’s price point—and then work your way back through the production cycle to establish your packaging budget. That said, there are always ways to reduce some costs while preserving a portion of your packaging budget to create a unique package.
For instance, with the incredibly wide range of bottles that are in stock and readily available, you are likely to find a bottle that suits your brand and budget without incurring the expense of creating a new mold. You can also save by selecting a lighter weight bottle in the same shape and color as one that’s heavier and more expensive.
Of course, the expertise Global Package brings to your project will ensure you reap the benefits of custom packaging, without breaking the bank.
White Paper - October 2011
October 12, 2011
How Price Positioning Impacts Your Bottle Choice
Having supplied bottles to hundreds of wineries over the 25-plus years, I thought it would be useful to review the key marketing elements that need to be assessed in order to make one of the biggest long-term investments you will make for your winery and its brnad. Here, we review the Four Ps of marketing—Product, Price, Place, and Promotion as it relates to your wine or distilled spirit—and how they specifically apply to your bottle purchasing decisions. Of the four Ps, your retail price is arguably the most important since it will help determine the other elements and vice versa. I maintain that the investment price of your bottle is directly related to the retail price of your wine. Unfortunately, however, setting a price for a wine is not easy because it involves intensive market study and competitive research. This paper will look at ways to manage the cost basis and the importance of identifying sooner rather than later where you want your wine to sit on the shelf and how much you need to invest in your packaging to make that happen.
Product
A realistic assessment of the quality of your wine is the obvious first step in marketing your wine. Some wineries conduct focus groups or hire independent agencies to help them arrive at an objective quality judgment. Your wine’s type or style (young and fruity or age worthy and oaked ), personality (based on a particular winemaker; a specific winemaking philosophy, such as organic; or a famous personage), and the location (terroir or famed destination) all play critical roles in understanding and characterizing your product before you can market it. You also need to identify and understand the market segment where your wine is most relevant. For example, a ready-to-drink white might target a different customer than a complex red. This segmentation is necessary in order to help you differentiate your wine from competing brands on the shelf. Only then can you define the image your packaging needs to convey in order to attract that market segment. In other words, determine who will be making the selection before you design your packaging and messaging for them. And differentiation is critical; don’t play follow the leader. Rather, distinguish your wine and packaging with a careful study of your wine/winery’s own personality and characteristics.
Place
This “P” addresses the many avenues your wine can take to get to the consumer’s table: direct-to-consumer (tasting room, in-house sales team, and website) and through a reseller (distributor, wholesaler, on-premise, and retailer). The logistics of getting your wine in the hands of the right people at the right time can account for a large percentage of your total costs and must be carefully monitored as a factor in your pricing strategy. The more direct your sales the more you have to sell yourself and your values through the package. Therefore, offering extra perceived value with a classic or classy bottle is a smart investment.
Small production wineries have historically had a difficult time getting a distributor to represent them, which is a necessity if you want to grow in the US three-tier system. Therefore, many wineries have put more of their resources toward beefing up their direct sales via wine clubs, festivals, and in-person sales to local bars and restaurants, markets, and events. While time-consuming, it’s a strategy that has paid off for many small producers who boast a great product. But it’s important to select a bottle that is unique and recognizable.
Promotion
This “P” is where all forms of communication come into play, including written, spoken, and visual cues. These communications include everything from point-of-purchase displays, brochures and packaging to print, broadcast, and Internet advertising; direct marketing costs such as e/mailings, ecommerce, telemarketing, etc.; promotional expenses, including social media promotions, contests, tasting events, wine clubs, tie-ins; and PR, including press relations, sponsorships, and community events, among many others. Finally, your image must be consistently carried through in all these communication strategies.
Needless to say, these costs are not inconsequential. Therefore, it helps to map out a detailed framework for your wine, from production through distribution and promotion, with estimated costs at each stage of the plan. But remember your best promotion is the uniqueness of your brand image conveyed through your bottle, which should readily tell your distinctive brand story without the use words. This is what Global Package prides itself on doing really well.
Price
Now comes the hard part: pricing your wine, a fundamental component to its success in the marketplace. If it’s priced too high, you’ll be stuck with unsold inventory; if it’s priced too low, you may see it fly off the shelf, but you may also realize little, if any, profit. Pricing needs to take into account the cost of producing your wine plus a reasonable profit margin. There are dozens of pricing strategies to choose from, and which one you choose will depend on what your goals are. Here’s a short review of some of those strategies when approaching any market channel:
Cost-plus: Here you assess the costs (fixed and variable) to produce your wine and then add a standard percentage of profit (Cost is $10/bottle, plus 20% profit = Price of $12/bottle).
Cost-based: This is a fluctuating price that’s based on the cost of production, distribution, and then on a markup.
Value-based: Here pricing is based on the buyer’s perception, taking into account such factors as quality, prestige, healthfulness, etc., of the value of the wine, rather than on your costs.
Competitive: Your price, whether it’s lower, the same, or higher, is based on what competitors are charging for the same or similar wine. There are several online services that can help you determine competitors’ prices, such as
HYPERLINK "http://www.wine-searcher.com/price-notes.lml" http://www.wine-searcher.com/price-notes.lml and HYPERLINK "http://wineprices.vinfolio.com" http://wineprices.vinfolio.com .
Skimming: This strategy allows you to ‘skim’ the market by layers, initially pricing the wine high to attract affluents and then gradually lower the price to gain a wider market.
Premium: Here the price is set high to reflect the exclusiveness of a wine.
Penetration: The price is set low to increase sales and gain marketshare and, once accomplished, can then be raised.
Psychological: This is a standard pricing strategy based on what ‘looks’ better to the consumer; e.g., $9.99 versus $10.
Discount: A lowered price based on a promotion or advertising campaign.
Bundling: This is a retailer pricing strategy, such as buy-one-get-one-free (BOGOF) bundling.
The underlying premise of pricing a wine is to impart value to the consumer, so it’s essential to know as much as you can about the consumer you’re marketing to. For instance, according to a recent study by Wine Intelligence, the U.S. market can be divided into two simple groups of roughly equal size: the under-45s and the over-45s. The under-45 category, which accounts for approximately 48% of the nation’s wine-drinking population, is comprised of Millennials and Gen Xers, as well as the 21-25 year-old wine drinkers. These younger consumers have very different behavior patterns than their older cohorts in that they’re more likely to try new brands from emerging regions, spend more on a bottle of wine, but drink wine less often (weekly or for special occasions), and purchase a wider repertoire of varietals, such as Pinot Grigio, Malbec, and Sangiovese, and sparkling wines, dessert wines, and port. Most important, these under-45s are actively engaged in the wine experience, participating in tastings, visiting wineries, and attending wine symposia and festivals. Therefore, if you wanted to generally target the under-45 consumer, you could consider pricing your Pinot Noir a bit higher while promoting its suitability for a birthday celebration. Also consider if a retro or nouveaux look might be appealing to this group, which is much less set in tradition.
The over-45 contingent represents 52% of the wine consumers in the U.S. and, while they are possibly less progressive and more cost-conscious, they view wine as an everyday drink and, thus, purchase wine more frequently than the under-45s. Because of family and work obligations, they are also less likely to go out. Therefore, if you’re pricing a Cab or a Zinfandel for this general market, you want to make sure it speaks of value and not premium and pricey. This is the group to give more value for their money.
On the other hand, if your primary sales will occur on-premise in bars and restaurants, your pricing strategy will need to account for the markups these establishments apply. And these resellers also need to be aware of the perceived value of the wine with their markup. On their iPhone or BlackBerry, diners can now find the retail price of a wine being offered and judge whether or not they believe they’re being ‘ripped off.’ Consequently, some restaurants have reduced the huge markups previously seen in the industry to focus more on building trust and loyalty with customers rather than on reaping big profits on their wine sales.
If distributors will play an important role in the sale of your wine, you also need to factor in the costs associated with helping them promote and move your wine off the shelf, since volume is what these folks are all about. This can include a gorgeous bottle as well as carton display costs, shelf-talkers, bottleneckers, banners, etc. These costs, while promotional and not directly related to your wine production costs will cut into your profit margin and, thus, need to be considered. You also should consider other costs, such as free samples, discounts, and other promotional tactics you may employ in the course of selling your wine.
You basically have two routes to grow profits: focus on volume or focus on price. If your strategy is to grow by producing more wine, keep in mind the additional, often significant, sales and marketing expenses that will attend increased production volume. A number of wineries have cut back on volume by eliminating many labels in their portfolio and concentrating on improving their higher-priced, well-established brands. I believe that in order to be profitable in a business that incurs very high product, sales, and marketing costs, this pricing strategy needs to target the highest price tier in the luxury category rather than expanding your product line.
Australia’s Yellow Tail brand offers an instructive case study in pricing. Initially launched in 2001 at the low price of $6 per bottle in the US, sales soared from about 60,000 cases in 2001 to more than 8 million cases today. However, sales have not grown over the past several years due to many factors: the continued strength of the Australian dollar, higher production costs, and tougher competition by a slew of other ‘critter wines.’ To reclaim its momentum, the brand recently launched a $9 million ad campaign promoting Yellow Tail as the “go-to wine, the default option for anyone seeking an everyday wine, something to drink for most occasions.” Even if that strategy falters, it is hard for smaller players to gain traction against such a huge investment. In other words, going against cult brand pricing as an unknown quantity may lead to ruin. In short, knowing the strength of your competitor and developing careful projections is the best way to proceed.
There are so many factors that will impact your pricing decision—what, where, how, and to whom it will be sold—it’s important to have done your homework so that you can more quickly define your optimal bottle package to your suppliers and hit the target the first time. That is why Global Package is here … to simplify the task.
White Paper - June 2011
June 06, 2011
How the Choice of Bottle Impacts Your Brand
As a bottle supplier to many wineries, I have found some common misperceptions about sourcing glass. First, all glass is not created equal. Inconsistencies in the manufacturing process can produce deformities, some nearly invisible to the naked eye, that will wreak havoc on the bottling line. Despite their generally uniform shape, all bottles will not accommodate all labels; intricately die-cut labels and wrap-around labels are particularly troublesome. And a bottle’s lip and fill-line can be drastically different, depending on the style and manufacturer. These are just a few of the issues a competent bottle supplier can help navigate.
This paper discusses how the bottle integrates with all the packaging elements to complement and reinforce your brand story.Wine Bottles
A wine’s brand is built from many components. The grapes, the appellation, and the winemaker’s vision form the core elements of a wine brand. But there are many other elements that contribute to a compelling wine brand. The wine’s history, its personality, and the emotional and aspirational benefits the brand brings to the consumer are all part of creating a brand that is sought after and trusted. Another key branding element is the wine’s packaging, which must not only convey the essential brand concept, but it must also appeal to the consumer in multiple environments, from the retail shelf and tasting room to bars, restaurants and other on-premise settings. As for the packaging components, the bottle is by far the most important, since it will impact not only first impressions, but also the execution of all the other elements, from the label and closure to the fill level on the bottling line. The good news is that there is a greater selection of bottles now than ever before, including uniquely colored glass, recycled glass, and glass shipped from new sources, such as China. A bottle’s shape, style, color, finish, and glass thickness all contribute to the wine’s brand story, and each characteristic should be carefully considered before a bottle is finally selected. A knowledgeable supplier—one who not only knows about bottles, but also about brand strategy, closures, seals, and labels, and how the bottle acts on a bottling line—should be able to help you weigh all the various options to arrive at the perfect bottle for your brand. While a few adventurous brands have been experimenting with some new packaging trends—bag-in-a-box, cartons, plastic bottles, ring-pull cans, and flexible pouches—glass bottles remain the gold standard for most wine brands …for good reason. Glass confers quality, it’s recyclable, and, given the crowded and confusing marketplace for the wine consumer …a glass bottle can be dressed up or down to reveal a lot about your brand’s character and personality. To stay in tune with changing market trends and evolving consumer needs, glass bottles are also continually undergoing change. Over the past few years, for instance, as concern for the environment has escalated into a worldwide issue, lighter weight bottles have become standard in many suppliers’ inventories. Global Package, LLC, carries its own line of light-weight bottles—Elegant Light—in Burgundy and Bordeaux styles that are ultra-premium in shape and color, but with a significantly lighter carbon footprint. It’s important to remember, however, that, in the consumer’s mind, a lighter weight bottle may also be associated with “cheap.” So it’s important that the lighter bottle retain the shape, styling, and quality of high-end glass. Practical considerations play a role in glass selection, too. Is your wine going to be stored long-term? If so, a thicker bottle would be appropriate. If your wine is designed to be consumed immediately, a lighter weight, less expensive bottles could suffice. Price point is another critical factor. Will your wine be priced in the top tier along with other premium offerings at $50 or more? If so, a heavy, stylish bottle with a deep punt might be the solution. If your wine will be priced below $20, you may still want a stylish look, which a practiced supplier will be able to provide. After working with hundreds of customers over many years in the business, I’ll often ask what the wine’s expected price point will be and then work backwards to the consumer profile and brand concept to determine the ideal bottle. Customization and embellishment, too, can differentiate a brand from its competition. Though it adds to the cost, a standard bottle can be customized for a thicker neck, more tapered shoulders, or an embossed logo with custom molds. We recently introduced the award-winning MBS Decanter bottle, designed by the famous Basque restaurateur Martin Berasategui and produced by Estal Packaging to prevent wine sediments from reaching the wine glass during decantation: http://globalpackage.net/ Here are some head-turning examples of an embossed bottle: http://bit.ly/iYDKUy. And check out Spain’s Lazarus Wine, which developed Sensorial Winemaking, and its embossed Braille labels, designed by Baud.es: http://bit.ly/1HnMAJ. Of course, a wine’s label is a critical differentiator that can create high shelf impact. Here, too, there are many options. Labels nowadays sport Interesting die-cut patterns or are sometimes screened directly onto the bottle itself. The skills of refined decoration facilities in Europe, such as Sobodec, can create works of art on glass. A good example can be found here on the Decoration section of our website: http://globalpackage.net/category/decorations/. Another way of adding luxury personalization is with a pewter label that self-adheres, such as this example also supplied by Global Package LLC: http://bit.ly/ixnW9l. Typography can help tell a brand’s story, too. A good example is Precept Brands’ “House” brand line, which feature big, bold wines reinforced with big, bold type on the label: http://bit.ly/jtcUXr. Or check out Mendocino Wine Group’s 2004 Puzzle Time interactive wine label for another innovative use of type: http://bit.ly/7YF2aL. The closure plays a role in revealing the brand concept, as well. A spirited, youthful brand, such as Howard Leight’s Red Leight that’s designed to appeal to the Hollywood boutique club scene, gains from using the unique ZORK closure, which doesn’t require a corkscrew: http://bit.ly/m0zrqY. And, of course, there’s the innovative Bonny Doon brand, which pioneered use of the screwcap closure here in the US: http://bit.ly/kAYnk8. Your understanding of what makes your wine different, its target market, and its price point will help your bottle supplier deliver the perfect bottle.Spirits Bottles
The spirits side of the industry is without a doubt the boldest when it comes to bottle innovation. With contenders from all over the world, the spirits market is crowded and confusing to consumers, which is why distinctive packaging is so important. For a quick glimpse of an incredible panoply of spirits bottles, check out these links on the Drinks Report site: http://bit.ly/kThpTM and http://bit.ly/kyS7nV. While the price point is going to be higher than most wine brands, the same principles in bottle selection apply: Have a good understanding of your brand story, your target market and distribution strategy, and at what price it is expected be sold. As with my involvement with a winery customer, I like to be involved at an early stage with the design team to make sure all components work successfully together. Again starting at the expected price point and working back to the brand concept, here are some questions I typically ask when beginning a project for a spirits customer. Does the bottle help explain the brand’s premise? Is it distinctive and will it deliver strong shelf presence? Is it appropriate for the price point? Will it successfully accommodate the other packaging elements? Will it perform well on the bottling line? A recent project to revive a celebrated bourbon whiskey brand serves as a good example of how all these considerations play out. This brand harkened back to Gold Rush days in California where it was sought after in miners’ saloons as well as high-society homes. Our customer wanted the new package to have the feel of the original bottle but with an updated appeal to a new generation of bourbon drinkers. Thankfully, I was brought in early to interface with the design team to make sure the bottle we selected was consistent with the brand concept, and also to keep costs in line. I often function as the practical counterpoint to a creative team, since I know what will work and what won’t. We chose a handsome bottle with the same general shape of the original, but was shorter and stouter. Our customer, who is an expert in the spirits arena, knew that the neck needed to be longer for busy bartenders to grab hold of, so we made several custom molds until the neck was the right length. The customer also wanted to emboss the distinctive logo—a crossed pick and shovel representing the Gold Rush and a crown representing the regal nature of Kentucky’s bourbon whiskey—into the shoulder of the bottle, perfectly centered above the label. This required several practice runs on the bottling line to ensure that the notch that guides the bottle through the bottling line was in the exact location at the bottom so the label would be adhered precisely centered below the embossed medallion. The final result is an elegant, handsome update of an historic original. You can go to our website for the full case study and photo: http://globalpackage.net/ In conclusion, bottle selection is second in importance only to the wine that goes in it because the successful execution of all the other packaging elements hinges on it. The height, diameter, top ring, punt, neck, and shoulders of the bottle all play a critical role in telling your brand story. Therefore, you want to work with a motivated supplier, much like a personal shopper, who can navigate the entire process.
Case Study - January 2012
January 11, 2012
Proprietary Design for a New Brand and a New Wine Region
Barrie Tucker, founder and principal of Barrie Tucker Company, has had his share of accolades. Over the course of 30 years, the Australian native has designed packaging for some of wine industry’s most prestigious international brands, including Stag’s Leap and Voss Vineyards in the U.S., Mission Hill Winery in Canada, Nautilus in New Zealand, and Penley Estate, Yalumba, and Greg Norman Estates in Australia, among many others. His innovative work with glass has played a leading role in the advancement of contemporary wine brands, as well as Australia’s wine industry. He recent shared his work on a design project for Smith & Hooper that illustrated how proprietary package design can boost brand recognition in the marketplace and still be affordable.
The two-pronged project required Tucker’s design to not only introduce the new Smith & Hooper brand, it would also launch a new Australian wine region: Wrattonbully, an area located between Coonawarra and Padthaway vineyards. George McEwin was the first to plant wine grapes in this limestone coast region in 1885. Today, the area boasts 50 grape growers and close to 20 wine producers of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, and Chardonnay varietals. Smith & Hooper was launching two varietals, a Cabernet Merlot and a Merlot.
“The Terra Rossa mineral-rich soil, topography, and weather is perfect grape growing terrain,” says Tucker. “It all brings a unique character to the wines produced here. It was important to express that singularity in my design.”
To contain costs, Tucker chose to embellish an existing bottle rather than create a new bottle mold. For many years, Tucker has worked with Erica Harrop, founder and CEO of Global Package LLC. In fact, he created her company’s identity and also worked with her on the Stag’s Leap project. So he immediately contacted her former associate in South Australia. “Erica sources glass from many suppliers, and we had worked often together to select handsome bottles for a variety of projects.” Because both wines are priced at the mid-range level, Tucker wanted to demonstrate that customized, proprietary packaging could also be affordable.
Smith & Hooper was established in 1995 and is one of few pioneers to produce wines under the Wrattonbully appellation. The winery is now owned by S. Smith & Son, which also owns Yalumba wines, Australia’s oldest family-owned wine company. The wines are made from estate-grown fruit, which gives it a distinctive regional character. “I knew Barrie wanted to capture the unique ambiance of the region in the packaging, as well as the superior quality of the wine, so we didn’t want a bottle that looked or felt cheap,” Harrop says. “It needed to have some heft while being economical, so the Bordelaises Premier was a good choice. It weighs 715 grams and is 329.5mm high with a base diameter of 72.1mm.”
Once the bottle was chosen, Tucker went to work on the design details, beginning with the creation of the brand identity. He then tackled the bottle presentation design and, finally, the label and carton designs. Because there were two SKUs under the Smith & Hooper brand—a premium Cabernet Merlot and a super premium Merlot—Tucker was able to achieve economies of scale by using the same bottle for both brands, but embellishing them differently.
He first created the Smith & Hooper logo in a sophisticated, flourishing script, which would be featured on the label as well as embossed across the shoulder of the bottles. He then designed an S&H icon, which would be debossed and then embossed in a diamond shape into the front surface of the bottles. For the super premium, limited edition Merlot product, the S&H icon would also be acid etched, giving it a superior quality appearance and a point of differentiation between the two products.
The label presented its own design challenge. “Wrattonbully is an unwieldy and unglamorous name for a wine region. But it had to be front and center on the label, since we were also introducing this new wine-growing region to the world,” Tucker recalled. “The wines are reputed to be at least as good as those produced by the neighboring and more-famous Coonawarra region, so I decided to use an elegant traditional typeface to lend sophistication to the name.” Combined with the deckeled edge on the paper label, the entire presentation was one of exceptional refinement.
The package was voted “Author’s Choice” by the Australian wine company, Samuel Smith & Son, who described the Smith & Hooper package as “Exceptionally classy packaging for a wine at its price.”
According to Tucker, the two wines had immediate impact when they were introduced and they continue to succeed in wine shows and in the retail arena. “It’s gratifying to work on a project that has had such far-ranging influence and success,” he enthuses. “I understand my designs are still be used by the winery, even for a new white wine product. It’s proof positive of the effectiveness of proprietary design when it’s well-conceived, skillfully rendered, and doesn’t break the bank.”
About Barrie Tucker
Barrie Tucker founded the globally recognized Barrie Tucker Creative (also The Barrie Tucker Company) in Adelaide, as well as groundbreaking sister studio, Designer Wines. Over the years, his creative output has touched upon practically every facet of the design spectrum. Untold numbers of international awards, publications, exhibitions, distinguished commissions and successful brands are testimony to his talents. He is recognized as a master designer by his peers and was inducted in 2008 into the Australian Design Hall of Fame. He is a member of the élite Alliance Graphique Internationale, a Life Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia, and has been described by AGDA (Australian Graphic Design Association) as an ‘Australian graphic design legend.’ Samples of his work can be found at www.barrietucker.com.
Case Study - June 2011
May 26, 2011
Reinventing a Legacy Brand
With roots going back to the California Gold Rush, Cyrus Noble Bourbon has had a long and prestigious history. Named after a dedicated distillery worker when, intoxicated, he fell into a vat of whiskey, the Cyrus Noble brand was famous throughout the West during the 19th and 20th centuries. Backed by San Francisco’s influential Haas Brothers and promoted by the wholesale business entrepreneur, Ernest Reuben Lilienthal, Cyrus Noble Bourbon became one of the most lucrative and sought after brands in miners’ saloons, as well as in upper-class homes. Even Admiral Dewey, the hero of the Spanish American War, was a fan:
In May, 1899, when Admiral Dewey was informed of his promotion to Admiral of the U.S. Navy, to celebrate, “He then reached for a bottle of Cyrus Noble, a sour mash bourbon, filled two glasses..." and with his friend drank a toast.
When bourbon fell out of favor in the mid-1900s, the Cyrus Noble label was shelved …until now. According to Steven Burrows, Chief Operating Officer for Haas Brothers/Cyrus Noble, the time is right to reintroduce the brand to the world. “Bourbon is enjoying a comeback, particularly with the younger demographic,” he says. “We still had the original recipe, so it was really a no-brainer.” This decision led Burrows to Erica Harrop, founder of Global Package LLC in Napa, California. Burrows also had photos of the original bottle, the style of which the company wanted to duplicate, but with an updated look that would be relevant to a new generation of bourbon drinkers. Harrop was introduced early on to the design team at San Francisco’s Philippe Becker Design, which would produce the graphics and packaging. “We wanted Erica’s input early on not only to ensure the quality of the execution, but also to keep costs in line,” Burrows says. “She really knows her way around the entire process, from conception to sourcing the glass and finding the right closure and seal suppliers.” Harrop presented several bottles that were close matches, but the client team selected one that was shorter, stouter, and more contemporary than the original. Burrows’ long experience in the industry also told him that the neck needed to be a little longer for a busy bartender to grab hold of. Haas Brothers also wanted to emboss the distinctive logo—a crossed pick and shovel representing the Gold Rush and a crown representing the regal nature of Kentucky’s bourbon whiskey—into the shoulder of the bottle, perfectly centered above the label. “This was our biggest challenge on the project,” says Burrows. “We were working with antiquated equipment which had a centering device that wasn’t standard. But Erica rolled up her sleeves and quickly engineered a solution.” Harrop also navigated the process of making several custom molds until the neck was the right length and the notch that guides the bottle through the bottling line was in the exact location at the bottom to ensure the label would be adhered in the correct position, precisely centered below the embossed medallion. The final result is an elegant, handsome update of an historic original. Burrows has nothing but praise for Harrop and the design team, and plans to use them again on upcoming projects. “We only produced 5,000 cases, so we couldn’t afford any hiccups,” he remarked. “I give Harrop very high marks for customer service, customer satisfaction, and follow through. I will happily recommend her to others.”
Bordeaux
February 12, 2011
[gallery link="file"]
Glass factories throughout the world specialize in the needs of their core clients who push them for the most creative concept developments. From each glass company this creative competency can be tapped into.
Global package knows how to meet our clients' needs.
Global Package is the Western US representative for:
- Vetro Elite (www.vetroelite.com)
- Vetreria Etrusca (www.vetreriaetrusca.it)
- Estal Packaging (www.estal.info)
Burgundy
February 12, 2011
[gallery link="file"]
Glass factories throughout the world specialize in the needs of their core clients who push them for the most creative concept developments. From each glass company this creative competency can be tapped into.
Global package knows how to meet our clients' needs.
Global Package is the Western US representative for:
- Vetro Elite (www.vetroelite.com)
- Vetreria Etrusca (www.vetreriaetrusca.it)
- Estal Packaging (www.estal.info)
Spirits
February 12, 2011
[gallery link="file" orderby="rand"]
Glass factories throughout the world specialize in the needs of their core clients who push them for the most creative concept developments. From each glass company this creative competency can be tapped into.
Global package knows how to meet our clients' needs.
Global Package is the Western US representative for:
- Vetro Elite (www.vetroelite.com)
- Vetreria Etrusca (www.vetreriaetrusca.it)
- Estal Packaging (www.estal.info)
Various
February 12, 2011
[gallery link="file" orderby="rand"]
Glass factories throughout the world specialize in the needs of their core clients who push them for the most creative concept developments. From each glass company this creative competency can be tapped into.
Global package knows how to meet our clients' needs.
Global Package is the Western US representative for:
- Vetro Elite (www.vetroelite.com)
- Vetreria Etrusca (www.vetreriaetrusca.it)
- Estal Packaging (www.estal.info)