Streeter, who is packaging innovations director at Datamonitor and director of packaging innovations firm CPS International, said the new bottle (pictured above to right of standard glass bottle) skilfully used structure, graphics and positioning to look like an ordinary wine bottle at first glance.
Its shape, glossy surface and traditional green tint, allied with graphics and positioning, Streeter explained, indicated a reliable wine with a shape similar to the Bordeaux shoulder, and that of southern European wine bottles generally.
The bottle is the same height as a standard 750ml glass bottle but with a subtle softening in the shoulder to maximize width, which is where the major size difference to glass is.
Apes the shape of glass
Streeter told BeverageDaily.com that the bottle was not an industry first, but was very well executed, “mimicking all the aspects of glass and extra catches, with a screw closure, positioning and the graphic design”.
How important did Streeter think it was for a PET wine package – on sale for €4.49 ($5.88) in Belgium – to copy the traditional glass wine bottle shape?
“It’s because this example trades on the wine bottle so well and then adds more like being able to take the knocks, unpretentious, re-closable, keenly priced and so on that it really adds value without having a commodity persona.”
He added that liquid cartons, for example, were very convenient but had a "utility heritage".
Appeal to younger audience
Did Streeter see such PET launches as another way for wine to lend itself more mainstream popular appeal and, especially, attract a younger audience?
“It’s sort of straight and honest, nothing pretentious and ideal for barbeques and picnics. This has to appeal to younger audiences, on the go and because of its design – trading on the wine bottle. ‘The silvers’ would not be adverse I suspect, either, in an outdoors recreational scenario.”
Did Streeter see shelf life as an issue for wine packaged into PET rather than glass, in terms of preserving the drink's organoleptic qualities, and would such a solution naturally be multi-layered?
“I think it must be multi-layered. Shelf life is an issue but I see the whole positioning as implied reasonable short shelf products, you would not lay down this (PET bottle) wine but buy and drink,” he replied.