EPS Newsline

VOLUME 1 | Spring 2014

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Over the last several years, two of the most talked-about trends in the wine industry have been increasing consumer- direct sales and reducing a winery's environmental impact. These trends converge when wineries choose containers for shipping their wines to individuals, either to consumers or to others in the trade. Wineries must consider several different factors before choosing shipping materials. Sustainability is a top concern encompassing not only recyclability but efficiencies in manufacturing, transportability and storage. Wineries are most concerned with the integrity of their shipments as the sole reason for the packaging is to protect wine from damage, including insulating against temperature swings and preventing breakage. Shipping fine wine presents unique, demanding and delicate challenges. When shipped under perfect conditions a wine's quality level can be maintained, however, the steps necessary to achieve this depend on multiple factors, including the route, the time of year, the mode of transportation and the packaging. Making sure wine gets treated right from the point it leaves the winery to when it arrives at a consumer's front door is crucial to its quality. That's why EPS foam is the preferred packaging material for wineries - its unparalleled shock and cushioning protection ensure wine shipments arrive in pristine condition. Breakage, without question, is the primary shipping concern with wine bottles. The International Safe Transit Association (ISTA), FedEx and UPS have developed strength and integrity tests for wine packaging; EPS exceeds standard criteria for these tests. Temperature extremes are also a serious concern because the taste of the wine could be spoiled. As much as $2.2 billion in wine experiences improper temperatures during storage and transport. Below 20°F, wines run the risk of turning slushy, if not solid. Low temperatures also compromise the cork. Without a good seal, the wine could be exposed to air, hastening oxidation, or leakage. The effects of the flip side of extreme cold – extreme heat – are better known to wine enthusiasts because they are so much more prevalent (especially during the summer) and damaging. Research on the impact of high temperatures on the chemistry, turbidity, color, and taste of wines exposed to high temperatures indicates 86°F is the "danger threshold" where wine browns quickly, has reduced flavors and tastes a lot older than it should because it is essentially cooked. High heat can also cause corks to swell or explode. Just how much wine is exposed to extreme heat on the journey from the winery to the consumer is always uncertain. Even if an importer ships via refrigerated containers, local distributors do not uniformly use climate-controlled warehouses and there are still some who deliver the last leg of the journey in a truck without refrigeration. Even overnight airfreight could subject wine to extreme heat while out for local delivery. Packaging Solutions for Fine Vintages 8

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