Wineries pop corks over new packaging

NAPA, Calif. - The pop of the cork, the elegant bottle and the sophisticated labels are the elements that have defined the wine industry for years — until now.

Winemakers are twisting tradition and altering the age-old ritual of opening a bottle of wine.

They are taking risks with innovative packaging to improve their wine and grab the attention of more wine drinkers, turning to screw caps, boxes with spouts and even aluminum cans, as well as creating funky labels and off-the-wall names.

“You won’t find a winemaker that says packaging doesn’t matter,” said Sheldon Parker, general manager of Napa Wine Co., which produces 80 brands for various wineries at its facility in Oakville, Calif. “It’s all about image. Winemakers are fighting for shelf space and brand awareness.”

The taste, of course, is what gets drinkers refilling their glasses. But getting them to try a wine is no easy task.

Consumers have to sift through thousands of brands on store shelves or peruse a heavy-hitting list of wines on a menu in an upscale restaurant. It’s a daunting task to most people, who have little or no knowledge of wine.

“Wine can be way too intimidating,” said Scott Turnnidge, a wine consultant who works in the wine-tasting room at the Napa Wine Co. “It’s supposed to be fun and enjoyable.”

There are 12,000 to 15,000 brands sold in the U.S., according to John Gillespie, president of the Wine Market Council, a group that is trying to encourage people to drink more wine.

All of those brands are vying for the customer’s attention.

The good news for wineries is that there are more wine drinkers in the U.S. than ever before, and they are drinking more of it.

Last year, U.S. adults drank an average of 2.77 gallons of wine, compared with 2.46 gallons in 2000 and 2.13 gallons in 1995, according to Adams Beverage Group, a market research group and trade publisher.

That pales in comparison to how much wine is drunk in other countries. In France, seven or eight times more wine is consumed per person than in the U.S., Mr. Gillespie said. In Australia, they drink twice as much, he said.

The number of Americans drinking wine is increasing, for a myriad of reasons ranging from social- and health-related to the popularity of movies such as “Sideways,” in which wine figured prominently.

According to the Wine Market Council, the number of U.S. adults who drink wine weekly or more increased 32 percent from 2000 to 2003.

While wine consumption is growing, many Americans still perceive wine as a “special occasion” drink or consider a wine with a screw cap or in a box as cheap, wine industry officials say.

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