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volume of the wine. Sodell puts the "magic number" at 5,000 cases or more. "Of course, it also depends on the price of the wine," he added. Like Sodell, Paredes sees the marketing benefits of bottle customization. "It's really about creating a disruption in the aisle – about moving away from the rest of the pack," he said. But he, too, understands the issue of cost. By adding a bucking bronco design to a stock bottle, O-I gave Pendleton whisky a custom look. O-I, which also supplies bottles for the spirits industry, has found a way to create a cost-effective, semicustom look by tweaking an item from its stock catalog, as it did with a bucking bronco design it created for Pendleton whisky. "It feels proprietary, even though it's in stock," said Paredes, adding that similar customizations are available for wineries. ECO-FRIENDLY FIX How does environmental friendliness factor into the latest bottle customization trends? "We talk about it every time we meet with a customer," Giovanni said. But while subtle changes, such as reducing the size of the punt, can be made, Saver Glass' premium customers don't want a "super-light bottle," he said. Gallagher at O-I concurs: "I don't believe the consumer has moved away from a heavier-weight bottle for premium wines." That said, there are a host of options, from 100% recycled glass to organic inks that appeal not only to sustainably farmed and organic wineries, but to traditional wineries as well. COLOR CHANGE Bottle suppliers agree: There has been a change to the color story with wine bottles. "The biggest consistent trend is that most wineries are using antique green bottles instead of Champagne green," Sodell said. "The color looks good and the wine looks darker in the bottle." In addition to the surge in antique green for red wines, Gallagher said O-I has seen a big shift with pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc producers opting for bottles with a light-green tint, or in the case of sauvignon blanc, a light blue tint. In other words, wine bottle customization is still on the subtle side – at least when compared to a crystal skull. Jennif er Strailey has written about food, wine and housewares for retail-focused business-to-business publications for more than 15 years. She is the Spotlight editor for Vineyard & Winery Management, a past editor with The Gourmet Retailer magazine, and a contributing editor with Progressive Grocer. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. 2013 International Women's Wine Competition Expertly judged by women... For women wine buyers Deadline to Enter: June 20, 2013 Details: winecompetitions.com Questions: 707.577.7700 x109 74 V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Mar - Apr 2013 PRESENTS w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m