Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/369547
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m S e p t - O c t 2 014 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 9 9 Bryan, Texas. "It's been a great pro- gram for us and I think we're going to see a lot of growth, especially in the next two years." B o n a r r i g o s a i d w h a t m o s t appeals to him is being able to offer visitors a fresh product right out of the barrel. Also, he noted, " T h a t g e n e r a l i d e a o f m o v i n g away from disposable packaging is becoming more and more popular, even in Texas." He's currently put- ting in a tap system at his winery's second location, in Fredericksburg, and will be opening a third location later this year. "I'm going to have 18 taps at that winery and we're going to heavily invest in using growlers as a primary selling tool there," he said. The Messina Hof growler is a clear glass 1 L bottle made by Vitro Packaging, which includes the win- ery's logo and a flip-top closure. Each wine poured is identified with a collector's tag tied around the bot- tle neck, so visitors can later tuck the information about the wine into a wine journal. RETHINKING THE GROWLER Several of the people interviewed for this article expressed the opin- ion that opportunities abound for designers of wine growlers, simply because wine drinkers might prefer a more refined appearance than the plain jugs popular with beer drinkers. For example, Paneitz suggested that restaurant diners could have their filled growler brought to their table, just like a carafe, and at dinner's end they could close the top and take the unfinished wine home. Wineries concerned about the lack of branding for their wines at retail outlets using generic growlers can follow the lead of Beveridge, who only allows refills in his winery's logoed bottles. Or, as Paneitz sug- gested, wineries can supply retailers with their own distinctive tap han- dles to build brand recognition. Even the word "growler," said to have originated back in the day when the sloshing of beer in a tin pail carried home from the saloon made a growling noise, is under Southeast Wine Collective offers its wines in La Growlette, a jug-like container. examination. At Southeast Wine Col- lective, an urban winery in Portland, the 1 L glass jug is referred to as "La Growlette," and in a tongue-in-cheek manner is identified on the stenciled label as an "Artisan Jug Wine." La Growlettes are hugely popu- lar, said Southeast Wine Collective co-owner Kate Monroe, and many customers have joined the Growler Club, which allows for a $1 fill after a punch card has reached 10 fills. The jugs, bearing the image of a bicycle with a growler in the basket, were designed by a family friend and are made by Glass Tech in Hillsboro, Ore. In Eugene, The Tap & Growler has a wall of wine, adjacent to a wall of beer, with 20 wines on tap from Oregon, Washington, California and Argentina. Wine customers can pur- chase a 750 mL glass growler with the tap room's logo, either with a cork or a flip top, for $6. Occasional- ly, stainless steel and ceramic growl- ers are also available. Customers who order on weekdays before 4:30 p.m. receive a complimentary glass of wine to sip while their growler is being filled. And despite the fact that reusing a growler is meant to defeat ram- pant consumerism, Peterson-Nedry offers a nod to all the collectors out there. Chehalem already has its Col- lectors' Series of growlers under- way. "We're designing a second edition and the first edition is almost used up," he said. "What we like is for people to reuse it, Peterson-Nedry added. "The whole point is wine is not an effete precious thing that can only be enjoyed one way. It is basically a food complement. It's the way it's been done in Europe for years." For information about wine growl- er regulations in other U.S. states, check with your local alcoholic bev- erage control office. Susan G. Hauser is a freelance writer based in Portland, Ore., whose lifestyle and business writ- ing appears in a range of publica- tions, from Workforce Management to O, the Oprah Magazine. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com.