Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/63248
COVER STORY By Ted Rieger, senior feature editor Wineries now have more management and logistics options rowth in the craft brewing industry has led to the creation of more keg packaging prod- ucts, and facilitated the startup and expansion of keg management and logistics services. This, in turn, has led to adaptations in products and services for wineries looking to expand into the wine-on-tap market. Packaging wine in kegs can help wineries and their on-premise res- taurant and bar customers reduce costs and increase profits for by- the-glass sales. Refillable kegs with dispensing and preservation sys- tems reduce wine and profit losses associated with wine spoilage in open bottles, eliminate some pack- aging costs and waste associated 36 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT MAY - JUNE 2012 with glass bottles, and reduce labor at the retail level associ- ated with bottle handling, storage, opening and disposal. Richard Wagner, president of Wine in a Keg, a division of Schae- fer Kegs North America, estimates that 400 wineries in the United States package wine in kegs. "It's a growing trend, and it will only grow bigger," he said. Jim Neal, proprietor and wine- maker with N2 wines based in Napa Valley, packages and sells multiple varieties of wine in kegs nation- wide. "It's a better way to serve wine by the glass," he said. "Bars and restaurants are very interested in having wine on tap, and consum- AT A GLANCE Refillable wine kegs for on-premise by-the-glass sales can reduce wine and packaging waste, and increase profits. Kegs, wine-on-tap systems and keg cleaning and filling equipment are now available. Suppliers offer options to reduce upfront costs for wine kegs and can manage keg shipment and retrieval. Wine packaged in kegs must be ready to drink, and winemakers may need to adapt wine processing and wine chemistry to suit this format. WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM Photo: Micro Matic