All That Sparkles A s . s ng p gi ar a kl ck ing pa w its ine of ’s po sity pular diver ity increases, so does the BY LAURA NESS igh-end Champagne With bubbles’ undeniable houses have always rise in popularity in just the sought to differenti- last five years, new as well as ate their products with established brands are look- packaging evocative of haute ing for ways to set their prod- couture. Perhaps none is bet- ucts apart. ter known for its artistry than In California, there are more Perrier-Jouët, with its hand than 80 producers of sparkling painted Belle Epoque bottles wine or Champagne (those adorned with anemones who are grandfathered to that evoke the floral aroma use the name on their of the house style. labels include Korbel), and Dom Perignon bottles they’re approaching 10 are so prized that even million cases annually. empty ones are going Unsurprisingly, given the for serious coin on flagrant spending habits eBay. The “Luminous — and power — of Cali- Lite Up” series has a fornians, more bubbles button on the bottom to are consumed there light up the label in the than anywhere else in dark. Empty bottles of the United States: More pretty much any Cham- than 4 million cases each pagne can be found year. Illinois is a close there selling for hun- second, followed by dreds of dollars. New York, Florida, Texas, Unsworth Vineyards uses silk screening and foregoes foil wrap on the cork cage. 52 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Nov - Dec 2016 www.vwmmedia.com Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylva- gone), we point to the outrageous nia, Massachusetts and Ohio. Armand de Brignac Brut Gold In the United Kingdom, spar- “Ace of Spades,” a lavishly gold- kling wine sales for 2016 soared plated Champagne that retails for past the £1 billion mark for the first $35,000 for a 15 L Nebuchadnezzar time, with retail sales up 20% and — they’re drinking more of it, and direct sales up more than 50% by the options for presentation will volume. It’s fair to say that spar- continue to multiply along with the kling is the hottest thing next to cli- choice of what’s inside. mate change. Italy has scored a winner with SINGLE SERVINGS MULTIPLY Prosecco, as it now accounts for more than half the sparkling retail Nowhere is packaging more market in the United Kingdom critical than in selling sparkling: alone. Meanwhile, the United King- it helps communicate the mes- dom’s own sparkling efforts just sage of the wine inside. Accord- foiled French judges in a compe- ing to the Wine Market Council’s tition where an English sparkling 2016 research, when women were called Nyetimber bested classic asked about labels, almost half pre- French Champagne entries. And the ferred “traditional/classic/sophis- elite French Champagne house Tait- ticated” designs, although nearly tinger is in the process of setting up 40% also responded well to “fun production in the United Kingdom. and fanciful.” With women making more pur- Classic, tasteful labels still chasing decisions (more than 80% rule the category (think Roederer, of wine purchases are made by Mumm, Schramsberg), although them), it’s no wonder Prosecco tops silkscreen, etching and full bottle the list as the fastest-growing wine wraps are becoming more popular. segment in the United States as Size matters. And tiny bottles well, with an increase of nearly 35% of bubbles like the 187 mL Mosca- in 2015 over 2014. Nearly a third of to or Brut Cuvee sparklers from those purchasing Prosecco last year Barefoot can be found at Safeway did so for the first time, having not or on Amazon, along with Chan- previously bought sparkling. Could it don’s mini classic brut and rosé prove the “gateway wine” to high- offerings. Like Korbel’s stylish er-end sparkling, even Champagne? minis, they make great wedding Regardless of how consum- favors. Coppola’s Sofia, an effer- ers are getting their bubbles (in vescent Blanc de Blancs, comes splits, cans, cleverly wrapped in stylish pink 187 mL cans that bottles, works of art that remain can be had as a four-pack in a dec- valuable long after the liquid is orative pink box. Then there’s Cangria, from the O’Neill Vineyard in California's Cen- tral Valley, whose red and white Sangria options come in eye candy AT A GLANCE cans. The website appeals to those who want to kick tradition squarely + Sparkling wine is more between the teeth with its #Start- popular than ever. Something message, which reads: “The routine. What’s ‘expected.’ Brands are employing + The path chosen for you. The fifth innovative packaging to night in, in a row. Drinking beer, stand out. again. That Friday night you had + Single-serve packages, last week and the week before and full wraps and alternative the week before that you’re having closures abound. tonight, again. The job you hate. + Expressing what’s in the The friends who bring you down. bottle is key. The haters. Bullies and bitches. The low-risk life. The traps and status quo. Screw ’em all. Life can be way www.vwmmedia.com Nov - Dec 2016 | VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT 53 more awesome than that. So grab a can or 10 and Start Something.” One brand that might not appeal to women is Mancan, carbonated white “wine with fizz” available in 375 mL cans on Amazon. It’s emblazoned with the image of a dog and a firehouse. Does sparkling in cans have a future? THE FULL WRAP One of the dominant brands on supermarket shelves, Chandon, was quick to jump on the full-sleeve wrap, employing digitally printed heat-shrink sleeves that envelop the entire bottle. Two designs appeared on store shelves in June called Limited Edition American Summer, featuring a red, white and blue stripe design for the brut and a Eye-catching, full-sleeve wraps are popular for limited-edition bottlings. red, white and pink version for the rosé. The bottles immerse in ice in the United States, Korbel has bel Champagnes are done in tradi- buckets with no muss, no fuss. been making its bubbly for 130 tional bottles with labels, but every Arguably the oldest continu- years according to the traditional once in a while, a special occasion ously producing Champagne house méthode Champenoise. Most Kor- brings out a full sleeve wrap, as “There was no need for this – • Wire-less Tank Temperature Control he stopped by this AM and got • Fermentation Status From Anywhere it humming again. I wanted to • Brix/Temp/Pump-over Tracking pass this along because I’ve seen Tony a number of times since I • E-mail Alarm Notifications got into the industry in 2008,”“ • Production Software Integration • Temp, Humidity, CO2, Night Air Alex Mossman, Asst Winemaker • Energy Saving Functions Italics Wine ...to be continued Napa, CA 707 938-1300 ® Carlsen & Associates WWW.ACROLON.COM 707-431-2000 54 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Nov - Dec 2016 www.vwmmedia.com was the case this summer, when spent 20 years at Roederer in allegedly created the first blended the blue and white bottle with a Anderson Valley, to craft the win- Champagne, “Come quickly! I am sky full of stars debuted on grocery ery’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay tasting the stars!” store shelves. sparklers in the true méthode Perhaps one of the formerly Champenoise. best-kept secrets in the sparkling SIMPLE ELEGANCE IN LABELS “When designing our sparkling world is Rack & Riddle. It produces wine package, the family’s main custom sparklings of every hue for Chloe, one of several Wine goal was to create a timeless, cur- many a winery: If it tastes really Group brands, sources and bottles rent feel that would match the good, and is priced somewhere its hot-selling Prosecco in Italy, elegance in the bottle. Creating a between $25 and $45 per bottle, it setting it off in a unique bottle cohesive and homogenous brand- probably came from there. with a distinctive black bow on ing experience for our customer is It’s planning to launch its own the label. Says Belinda Harcombe, of upmost importance. The heavy brand, 6 Bar, a nod to the “6 bar” associate brand manager for bottle, thin, dark label and seal that of pressure in a bottle of sparkling Chloe, “The Chloe design portrays drops from the foil all combine to wine. It created an eye-catching all that’s elegant and timeless. create an experience that’s distinct- label with large, colorful typography The memorable black ribbon motif ly Caraccioli.” and a bit of a twist. delivers a strong presence on the General Manager Mark Garaven- shelf, and ensures high consumer ta says of the large scannable bar- recall. Chloe is the embodiment of code on the front label, “There are classic beauty, bottled.” 12 fun, ‘secret’ messages in every case of 6 Bar wine.” It was created with brokers, retailers and restaura- teurs in mind, with a resale price of between $10.99 and $12.99. One of Rack & Riddle’s poster children is Breathless, a brand cre- ated by the three Faust sisters, who are part of the Rack & Riddle team. Their label, which was awarded Most Whimsical Wine Label at the 2014 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, actually took a while to bring to fruition. Cynthia Faust shares her story of dealing with designers here. She was glad she didn’t hold her breath: “Whether or not you’re creative, choosing designers to get all your assets created and branded is abso- lutely vital. We went to a couple designers, and the mockups they came back with were all so far off Caraccioli Cellars’ packaging creates a the mark, it wasn’t even close to timeless feel.