Wine in aseptic carton packs

SOUTH Wine Company (SWC)’s “Odyssey”-brand quality wines for the Russian market will now be available in aseptic carton packs. The company has partnered with SIG Combibloc for packaging and filling technology:  four of its own home-grown semi-dry wines are now offered in the combiblocSlimline 1,000 ml carton pack. The South Wine Company’s wines have previously been available in glass bottles only.

According to Vyacheslav Merkulov, deputy Managing Director of the South Wine Company, they believe the carton pack preserves the high quality of the wines. Compared to glass bottles, carton packaging is lightweight and unbreakable, so it is also convenient for consumers.  

South Wine installed a CFA 310 filling machine from SIG Combibloc to fill the combiblocSlimline carton packs at Krasnodar, immediately adjacent to the vineyards. Krasnodar is on the Taman Peninsula, between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. Protected against severe frosts in the winter and enjoying a warm summer climate, the region benefits from its location making it one of the most important wine-growing areas in Russia.

“For us it is very important that products are of high-quality and natural origin – and that relates to our wines and the packaging we use for our products,” said Mr Merkulov. “Especially young consumers have quite particular expectations when it comes to wine. They prefer high-quality locally grown and produced wines in practical and safe packaging at a fair price. So aseptic carton packs are absolutely ideal. They score because they are lightweight and unbreakable.”

“We are observing that not only low-cost table wines but also good standard products and quality wines are increasingly being offered in aseptic carton packs,” said Norman Gierow, Head of Global Product Management Market at SIG Combibloc, which is a leading system supplier of carton packaging and filling machines for the food and beverage industry.

“The four fully printable display surfaces on a carton pack can help change the image of wine in carton packs – they offer plenty of options for creative and attractive designs, which will draw attention to them on the wine shelf. At the same time, the logistical and handling advantages of carton packs create an ideal opportunity for wine producers and fillers to develop new distribution and marketing channels,” Mr Gierow added.