Wine producers are at the mercy of many variables when it comes to trying to turn a profit. Consumer confidence and the weather are probably at the top of the list. Well, in Italy at least, first signs are that 2022 will be a good vintage, even as consumers’ tightening wallets are having a negative effect. But there is a new hurdle to overcome this year: finding the bottles to put the wine in.
For reasons that are not completely clear, but which can mostly be filed under the heading “supply chain,” but which include rocketing costs for energy and raw materials, glass bottles are harder to find and much more expensive than they used to be. A wine maker buying glass bottles today could easily have to pay 30% more than they did last year.
The wine sector accounts for something like 45% of the market for glass bottles, which until recently was on a rapid rise – currently over 5 million tonnes, compared with 4 million tonnes in 2016, valued at over 2.4 billion euros. Sparkling wine producers probably paid much more for their bottles last year than they did in 2020.
Right on cue, SIPA now presents the first PET bottle in the world for sparkling wine. The company’s Packaging Development Team has developed a product that is perfect for replacing traditional glass bottles, capable of running on existing filling lines.
A key part of the SIPA innovation is the bottle neck, which looks just like the glass version, meaning that it accepts the classical mushroom-shaped cork with its metal cage. The base also looks the same as the original. The design provides a top-load resistance of 3500N.
The PET bottles have already been tested on glass lines, demonstrating perfect interchangeability with glass versions.
Sparkling wine consumers will enjoy the same experience with the new containers as they always have, from uncorking to pouring. But they may notice that the PET versions are lighter at just 90g (glass bottle average weight for sparkling wine is 720/750g) and less likely to break – which is also great for changing supply logistics as sales via e-commerce and home delivery continue to rise. It is always useful to mention that this dramatic decreasing on bottle weight may surely have a positive impact on Co2 emission due to a more efficient logistic.
So…CIN CIN, as we say in Italy!