Rosé future for wine packaging

The future of wine packaging is looking rosy according to new Euromonitor International research.

By 2018, global retail demand is set to rise by a 2% compound annual growth rate to reach 29 billion units. Yet it is also going through rather revealing changes.

While glass bottles are finding a new lease of life among developing regions, the ‘Old World’ is making way for alternative packaging to glass, with PET bottles and bag in box making wine particularly suitable for less conventional consumption occasions, such as on-the-go and the outdoors.

Wine packaging also remains rather concentrated in format, with still light grape wine and the ubiquitous 750ml glass bottle with a cork representing the bulk of volumes. Red, white and rosé wine together hold a share of 70% of global packaging volume (83% for glass packaging); characteristics which come to a great extent from the traditions of wine production and consumption in the Old World. Western Europe still accounts for 41% of global wine packaging sales in 2013.

This homogeneity in the market for wine packaging and closures is not expected to change in any drastic manner through to 2018; yet there are some areas of diversification in evidence.

Michael Bennett of specialist packaging communications consultancy Pelican Communications commented: “Changing consumer consumption patterns and emerging markets are set to have a growing influence on the packaging choices of wine producers.”

Pelican Communications are specialists in the environment, food and drink, outdoor and leisure and packaging sectors and offer a range of services such as media relations, brand management, event management and people development. Contact us for marketing and communications expertise.