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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.

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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

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.

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).

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.