Following Up On Developing Trends

Over the past few years, a host of wineries have joined a global trend in packaging their products in boxes, especially three-liter boxes. We reported on this trend most recently in the July 2006 issue of BRANDPACKAGING.

Hardy Wine Company has unveiled a new look for its popular Stamp of Australia three-liter box wines and released two new three-liter varietals—a 2005 Shiraz Grenache and 2005 Riesling. The new packaging was created by San Francisco-based design firm HKA.

“We changed the packaging to better meet the needs and preferences of our customers,” says Sally Osborne, director of marketing for Pacific Wine Partners, the US importer of Hardy wines. “These three-liter box wines are perfect to bring along on picnics and camping, boating and hiking excursions as well as to beach BBQs and outdoor concerts—basically they are premium wines that go anywhere and that fit every lifestyle.”

Three-liter box wines continue to be the fastest growing segment in the wine industry with dollar sales tripling in two years, according to IRI Scan Data. In fact, while the entire table wine category is enjoying strong growth, the dollar volume of three-liter box wines is growing nearly nine times faster than the overall category.

Among the benefits of the format: wines stay fresh for four weeks after opening, are portable (each three-liter box holds the equivalent of four 750 ml bottles) and cost effective (these wines cost a fraction of their bottled counterparts).

• Package design. At HKA Design, call 415.705.8800 or visit www.hkadesign.com.