No matter how good wine is in itself, however, it stills needs ‘garments’ to appear before consumers, i.e. a bottle and accessories thereto. No matter how famous the wine producer’s name is, their creation is judged in the market by its cover. Can you even imagine a reputable and famous brand in an unsuitable and ill-designed bottle? One can hardly remember something like that, because all the details, inclusively the cap colour, are well-thought, when a product (wine or any other alcoholic beverage) is created.
What does a bottle say?
Apropos, the producer’s attention to the details of their product package is an indication of such product quality, since there is no need in packing mediocre and low-cost wine in an expensive package. On the other hand, if good wine received no proper attention in this regard, its reputation and, as a consequence, its sales may experience serious harm.
The first thing, which our eyes catch, is the bottle, its shape, glass colour and weight (if you take it in your hands). All these aspects are very informative, because a bottle provides the details, what product is bottled therein and whom it is addressed to.
There are certain unwritten rules concerning the bottle shape. They can tell you about wine type and traditions of production thereof. For instance, Cabernet Sauvignon or, to a greater extent, Bordeaux Blend will look foolish in a flute-shaped bottle, which is traditionally designed for Riesling and Gewurztraminer, while Cabernet wine needs only Bordeaux-shaped bottles.
Besides the tradition-related aspects, there are also other features that show the producer’s attention to and respect for their wine. The deepness of cavity outside the bottle bottom means that the producer does care how their wine will be served. If such a cavity is deep, the sommelier will be able to hold it prettily with a hand and to fill in your glasses in an elegant manner. Moreover, such a detail is also important for bottle strength.
A bottle made of dark-coloured glass suggests that such wine has a potential for further ageing in the collection, so, it is protected against light. You need only to put this bottle in a cool place. Transparent glass is more suitable for Rose, since it emphasises its colour. However, the wine colour still changes in the course of time, so, it is recommended to use non-transparent bottles.
Thick glass protects wine against temperature fluctuations and increases the shock resistance of bottles. Certainly, there is no doubt that a bottle with thicker walls weighs more. The consumers associate this fact with premium-quality wine, since expensive bottles are used for valuable wines. However, glass houses have managed to reduce the glass weight over the last years. Nevertheless, the key features of the bottles, i.e. bottle shoulders, diameter and bottom cavity, are still kept.
The decorative elements (such as screen printing, glazing, impression and so on) on the bottles are used by those producers that want to mark out their product and to tell the customers about its perfect quality.
So, the producers have to consider the following when choosing bottles:
– whether the bottle shape and design correspond to the product type,
– whether that or other wine is suitable for long-time storage (in collections),
– where wine will be served, at HORECA establishments or at home,
– whether wine will be kept on shelves flooded with sunlight.
Riding on the last wave
Moldovan producers have been collaborating with SAROM Packaging Company over ten years. This Company was founded by Savoiu family in Romania in 1992. SAROM Packaging was based on the experience gathered in well-known companies dealing in packaging of foodstuffs and pharmaceutical products in Europe, inclusively with such French colossus as Saint-Gobain.
We have joined the technologies and mastery in production of high-quality packages for beverages and foodstuffs, with our knowledge and experience in their distribution and promotion’, says the General Director of SAROM Company, Jac-Eduard Savoiu. ‘Our glass is made mainly in Italy and France. However, it may also come from other European regions, depending on glass-house specialisation. For instance, we have an up-to-the-minute glass-house in Champagne region, for bottles manufactured according to a traditional procedure.
As for the production technologies, we are a part of the last industrial wave (Industry 4.0). This means that the major part of the equipment we use allows monitoring the manufacturing process and potential operational risks in a good way. That’s why we offer only the top-quality glass and technical guidelines for bottling process, quality standards, and compatibility with other accessories. Another very important aspect is the attention we pay to logistics management – from ordering process to final carriage of bottles. Moreover, we offer complex solutions, as well, from idea to bottling, so that the product will have the best chances to be noticed on the shelf’.
It should be mentioned that SAROM is a CETIE member. CETIE is the international association (established in 1960, with headquarters in Paris) developing preliminary standards and guidelines for the best practices in pouring industry. The documents developed by CETIE may be proposed as drafts of European and international standards (CEN/ISO). This means that SAROM is one of the first in the world industry to find out about new requirements to product safety and quality.
How the individuality may be pointed out?
The product catalogue of SAROM Packaging comprises 317 bottle shapes for still wines, 39 bottle shapes for sparkling wines and 189 bottle shapes for strong drinks. Glass may be of eleven various colours, without mentioning beer bottles, soft drink bottles, food jars and flasks for cosmetical and pharmaceutical products. Besides this, there are also proposed bottle accessories – caps and corking mechanisms, different top caps and cap hoods (for sparkling wines).
A standard bottle may be modelled with certain decorative elements in the moulding process (such as logotype on the bottle shoulders or winery name on the bottle body or neck), or upon manufacturing. In the second case, there is used
Screen printing (with the help of UV ink, ceramic and organic ink; this technology may be also combined with other decorative techniques),
Glazing (the whole bottle or a part thereof may be painted in one or several colours, while special varnishes allow products shining in the UV light and create ‘pearly effects’),
Hot stamping (the created elements acquire metallic lustre),
Acid embossing (exterior glass layers are removed, in order to make it matt, so that it will resemble smooth-surfaced frost flowers),
Jet technologies (they allow printing on bottles of nontypical shapes, as well as applying photographical images),
Precious metals (golden and platinum thermal greases containing up to 12% of precious metals are used for screen printing),
Laser engraving (this may be used at the bottle base, neck and so on, on the metallised surfaces),
Metallisation (there may be created transparent and non-transparent effects of various colours).
Decoration elements have a huge impact on consumer’s appreciation and contribute to product positioning in the market. A tactile element has a bigger effect than a label. All the more so, a bottle of unique shape may be also created by adding certain elements of decoration. There is also used 3D modelling for creation of such bottles (you can see it in this video spot). All such gimmicks may be of particular interest for producers of old divins, which require expensive styling, inclusively golden elements.
Does exclusivity cost more?
Our prices are competitive and fair’, says Jac-Eduard Savoiu. ‘As I have mentioned before, quality is our priority. The risks of defective bottles are very low for us. Besides this, our continuous consultations also serve as a warranty against other ‘accidents’ in the course of bottling process. We have been paying special attention to quality, starting 1992. And what is more, you can save up to 30% of the total cost if you order personalised services (such as design, adjustments, carriage and so on).
In point of fact, a supplier offering low prices for their services may have high shadow costs. Just as in any other business situations, collaboration with a serious and experienced supplier is that very same guarantee of their prices for you. As for our sector of production, a qualitative suppler may become a key partner, since they know the products or peculiarities of a winery and may successfully complement the logistic processes. As a consequence, this may help to avoid unpleasant situations and save time. And what is more, the consultations given may open new brand opportunities.
I think that if a producer values their efforts, products and consumers, they will choose high-quality bottles. This will contribute to easy recognisance of the wine on the shelves and, as well, will kindle the interest on export markets’.
You can find more information about SAROM Packaging products on the Company’s website that supports four languages – Romanian, English, Russian and Hungarian.
