Packaging News – Alcohol Free Wine Can Be Sampled Now

Recently in packaging news, Beringer Vineyards, based in Napa, CA, has a new way for prospective customers to sample the winemaker’s three most popular varieties of wines sans alcohol. Consumers in 20 states will be able to taste a sample of Beringer’s Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, or White Zinfandel at select Kroger stores, according to a recent article at Packaging Digest.

The Taste Station is a shelf-mounted self-serve display created by Beringer that dispenses flavor strips, each wrapped individually and contained in a foil pouch that protects the integrity of the flavor. The consumer simply peels the front and back panels of the foil package apart, then enjoys the flavor strip before placing it in a slot on top of the Taste Station designed for disposal of empty pouches. Because the flavor strips contain no alcohol, consumers can enjoy trying out the flavors any time of day.

According to director of public relations Elizabeth Hooker at Treasury Wine Estates, Beringer brand owner, Acupac Packaging, in NJ, packages the strips utilizing a “packaging machine that was designed and custom built for the Taste Station program.” The pouches use high-barrier sealant adhesives to protect the moisture, oxygen, and aroma levels inside the pouches.

Many consumers who shop for wine find the experience complicated; Beringer hopes to attract new customers to the category by providing an easy way to sample wines at the point of purchase, without tasting tables and other traditional methods.

At REA JET, we are always amazed at the innovative new packaging techniques companies devise to attract attention and potential new customers to their products and brands. While we focus on industrial coding and marking solutions, we are always interested in learning about new packaging concepts – after all, we must continue to develop our products to meet the demands of ever-changing packaging!