The beauty of the wine business is that wineries have the potential to draw a direct line from growing the grapes to selling the finished bottles of wine. The ability to trace wine production through every step is a valued asset in a food and beverage marketplace where transparency has become more important to consumers.
Today’s marketplace has placed an imperative on attracting younger generations rather than simply relying on established consumers. The industry has expended significant time, energy and effort to understand what appeals to these consumers and how to reach them. Some core lessons learned: sustainability and authenticity matter to these consumers; moderation is trending; and theirs is an on-the-go, experiential lifestyle. With these new trends in younger consumers, wineries are adjusting everything from how they grow grapes to their messaging to share their sustainability journey.
One of these transitions is in how wine is bottled, and it is driven by cost savings as much as a changing customer base. During the past decade, the use of more environmentally friendly, lighter-weight bottles has increased, often accompanied by beneficial sustainability claims in marketing campaigns. This shift is a plus for these young customers, but wineries may worry that changing to a lighter bottle will affect the brand’s reputation with their loyal consumers.
Rightweighting instead of just lightweighting
“Many of our customers in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino are using 900-gram bottles and have built their brand around that particular presence,” explains Stephanie Ramczyk, Senior Director of Product and Business Development for Wine at Saxco, a leading value-added supplier of packaging solutions for the food and beverage industry. “Switching to a 400-gram bottle would be a significant and bold change that could alter their branding and market identity. This shift might negatively influence how people perceive their wines.”
She also points out that a 400-gram bottle might not be the best choice for the winery. “Although many wineries use super lightweight bottles, they are not always the most efficient from a manufacturing standpoint. Thinner glass used in these bottles demand more precise production techniques, which can drive up costs compared to a 500-gram bottle.”
To help customers make the best bottle choices for their brands, “We talk to customers about ‘rightweighting’ their products instead of simply lightweighting them.”
The rightweight concept is an outgrowth of Saxco’s history of focusing on building rapport with its customers to help them succeed. Ramczyk holds sustainability consultations with Saxco customers who request them.
“It helps us understand who they are,” she says. “We go through their entire packaging lineup to assess current use. The sustainability consultation is also an efficiency consultation. We ask wineries, ‘What’s important to you? What does your brand need to stand out on the shelf and achieve your goals?’ From there, we explore opportunities to reduce costs across the board.”
Ramczyk provides an example: “We can move a brand from a 900-gram bottle to an 800-gram or 700-gram bottle to gain potential cost savings and sustainability upsides while maintaining the brand’s identity.”
Sustainability metrics
During the consultation, Ramczyk uses a sustainability calculator to assess the environmental impact. She inputs the number of bottles needed, their gram weight, and the transportation logistics to calculate the CO2 emissions.
“For a 600-gram bottle produced in Tracy, California, and delivered to Napa,” she explains, “we calculate the CO2 emissions for the trip and compare it to that for a 900-gram bottle produced in Mexico.” Having the estimated CO2 emissions of these two options side by side makes the impact on sustainability crystal-clear for a customer.
Ramczyk smiles, adding, “Our calculator presents the results in real-life terms. For instance, the CO2 emissions saved might be comparable to planting 1800 trees, recycling 4500 bags of trash, or saving 180,000 miles worth of fuel.” She also covers other packaging materials during the consultation since Saxco provides wineries, breweries and distilleries with bottles, aluminum cans, closures and more. They also offer completely custom bottles, closures and labels to help brands stand out on the shelf.
A wine’s sustainability can be a deciding factor in whether consumers, particularly younger generations, will end up putting a wine bottle in their cart—whether shopping online or in-store. Ramczyk’s goal is to apply the company’s years of experience to help customers select the best materials for their brands, including the eco-friendly options of rightweighted glass and recycled materials. Reach out to request a sustainability consultation here.
