Page 44 - Packaging News Magazine Sep-Oct 2018

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FOOD & BEVERAGE PACKAGING
www.packagingnews.com.au
September-October 2018
Wine designs
From wine-in-a-can to pre-filled PET glasses, packaging for one of Australia’s most popular beverages continues to evolve. PKN spoke to David Messum from Just The Drop about the latest wine packaging trends.
Australian winemakers, it’s difficult to source good-quality glass,” he says. There has been a shortage of glass available in Australia – and it costs money to ship glass from other places. The shortage has been due to a recon- ditioning of one of Australia’s largest furnaces – which is a process that has
to happen every five or six years. Local furnaces are mostly back on line now, and there has been a shift to selling a lot of wine in bulk, in
larger bottle formats.
Larger format double magnums
are increasing in popularity for ven- ues that can handle those volumes – because they make a difference in terms of wastage.
“In the UK, there is a trend to- wards more wine and pre-batch cocktails on tap, which cuts down on bar staff time,” he says.
“There are inbuilt insert gas sys- tems which prevent spoilage. You can get full kegs without worrying about wine going off.”
Another trend under the conve- nient packaging umbrella is wine in PET plastic glasses. This suits long- distance commuters who want to wind down with a glass of wine on the train, which is more relevant in the UK than Australia,” Messum says. “I think we will see more take- up in the future. The trouble will be balancing supplying decent quality wine with an enjoyable drinking ex- perience with a decent shelf-life.
“There’s currently a lot of work be- ing done to extend shelf life on this type of packaging, though, so there’s potential for growth in the future.” ■
DAVID Messum says demand for greater convenience is driving the wine industry – and its packaging – in completely new directions.
The huge increase in con- sumer acceptance of wine-in-a- can is notable, with the market for this format already very big in the US
and starting to emerge in Australia. Messum, who runs a wine-fo- cused marketing agency called Just the Drop, as well as oversees the wine label Born & Raised, says the canned wine trend is gaining ground in the UK as well, and he expects Asia will start to take notice of the
segment wine more and more.
“The format – which is well-tested by craft beer makers – really does provide everyday convenience – it’s smaller, takes up less storage space, and there’s an immediacy to the drinking experience,” Messum says. “In terms of cost, you’d have to in- vest in it on such a scale that might be difficult for smaller winemakers – but some of the bigger guys such as Treasury Wine Estates and De Bor- toli could tap into it. The volume of
wine to packaging ratio is much less, so it does become cheaper.”
Messum says it’s hard to beat the premiumisation of wine in a bottle, however, with its suitability to long- term storage, and the endless possi- bilities labels offer in terms of design.
That said, the craft beer space has led the way in terms of innovative can designs.
“In terms of wine-in-a-can, it comes down to the consuming occa- sion – in the US, grab-and-go conve- nience retail is big – whereas we are limited to bottle shops,” he says.
GLASS MORE THAN HALF FULL
Messum says consumers are increas- ingly concerned about recycling, with sustainability becoming a hot topic among winemakers.
“People are much more aware of what they’re putting their wine into,” Messum says.
There have been challenges for Australian winemakers in sourcing good-quality glass in the last few years though, he says.
“Glass is the best material for hold- ing wine, and it’s recyclable – but as
MAIN: Wine cans on the shelf this month in Dan Murphy’s.
BELOW: David Messum from wine marketing agency Just The Drop.