Smaller brands seeking major shelf impact might consider a switch to screen-printed bottles. “A winery that currently is producing 1,500 to 3,000 cases of a one- to three-SKU tier” with languishing sales would be an ideal candidate to make the switch, according to Michael Bergin, owner of Bergin Glass Impressions of Napa, Calif. Rather than redesign a paper label, he suggested this could be the perfect opportunity to refresh the winery’s look and create something very different to pop on the shelf.

Less than 1% of all wine labeling is screen printed, Bergin said, making the process itself, also known as ACL, “rather unique and exclusive.” Although the look is expensive, for limited runs of 100-2,500 cases with multiple SKUs, “Pricing is competitive to paper,” according to Bergin. Quantities of 5,000 cases or more are more expensive to produce than paper labels, but “the perceived value of the higher end look is well worth the additional cost,” he suggested.

Less expensive at low volumes
“The lower the volume of bottles, the closer the price between the two processes,” Wilson Chiu, Monvera Glass Décor, Emeryville, Calif., confirmed. “You might even find that screen printing is cheaper than paper labels at volumes of 25 to 200 cases.” Monvera was founded late in 2007 and has grown “significantly” in every subsequent year, Chiu said.

“Screen printing was usually reserved for higher priced wines, but we have seen increased interest for wines that retail for $10-$20 per bottle,” he said. “Our clients include start-up boutique wineries that produce very low volumes, wineries producing value wine for the mass market and high-end Napa Valley Cabernet producers.”

As with any type of packaging, more elaborate treatments come with higher costs. “It depends on the nature of the art and the number of colors to be used. Screen printing is unique in that you can achieve, with the right art, a more elaborate look with just one or two colors. This cannot be done with paper labels,” according to Chiu.

Screen-print designs carry another sizeable advantage: Most cylindrical wine bottles can be printed with designs wrapped around all 360º, which vastly increases the space available for brand messaging. Side labels, traditionally used for government warnings, bar codes and blending information can serve as billboards for winery mottos or significant design elements.

Easy to fill
“Bottling line managers love to receive screen-printed bottles,” Chiu noted. “They don’t have any of the headaches with setting up the labeling and making sure they are applied correctly. Everything is already done. In addition, if wine ends up running down the side of the bottle, your label will not be destroyed, as it would be with paper.”

As detailed in our May 2011 issue, the bottling process can present significant challenges, so streamlining the operation brings obvious advantages. “With screen-printed bottles, when they hit the bottling line, winemakers can just fill, cork and foil,” Bergin explained. “Bottlers will tell you that their Achilles heel is usually the labeler: changeovers, hang-ups, glue issues, wrinkling, etc. Screen-printed bottles remove all problems of labeling.”

Both Bergin and Monvera work with any reputable bottle supplier and most sizes and shapes of bottles, although, Bergin noted, “Bottles shaped like a bowling pin give us very little print space.” All screen-printed bottles can be recycled. A bonus: No trees (or other living plants) are harmed during the labeling process.