Monday, May 16, 2005
Canned Wine? Why not vacuum packed, in bags?
Canned Aussie wine a hit in Japan
"By Michelle Hespe
SYDNEY — Suggest buying wine in a can to most people and they will baulk at the crudity of such an idea. However, talk to Barokes, the Australian winemakers responsible for launching and patenting wine in a can, and they will tell you change is in the air.
They will also tell you that it is the Japanese, rather than Australians with their "anything goes" attitude, who are bypassing the wine bottle to crack open the can."
It's natural enough since Japan already is a major consumer of canned coffee. What's ironic is that Japanese are also one of the leading nations in the break away from the can. Americans, and Australians, buy far more canned foods. Part of this is the preference for fresh food, but a bigger part is simply that Japanese love new things in new packages. Prepared meals, fruits, vegetables and meats, not to mention drinks are already widely available in high tech vacuum packed plastic bags. In just about every aspect, these are superior to cans. They have fewer associated costs, and are lighter, cheaper, more attractive, easier to open and easier to dispose of. And they don't corrode. The problem is, Americans just don't trust food in plastic, even though they can actually see it. They prefer cans, where the food is hidden and an opener is required. It's one of the frustrations of selling to America. They see themselves as willing to try anything, but they are in fact deeply conservative about food and food packages.
"By Michelle Hespe
SYDNEY — Suggest buying wine in a can to most people and they will baulk at the crudity of such an idea. However, talk to Barokes, the Australian winemakers responsible for launching and patenting wine in a can, and they will tell you change is in the air.
They will also tell you that it is the Japanese, rather than Australians with their "anything goes" attitude, who are bypassing the wine bottle to crack open the can."
It's natural enough since Japan already is a major consumer of canned coffee. What's ironic is that Japanese are also one of the leading nations in the break away from the can. Americans, and Australians, buy far more canned foods. Part of this is the preference for fresh food, but a bigger part is simply that Japanese love new things in new packages. Prepared meals, fruits, vegetables and meats, not to mention drinks are already widely available in high tech vacuum packed plastic bags. In just about every aspect, these are superior to cans. They have fewer associated costs, and are lighter, cheaper, more attractive, easier to open and easier to dispose of. And they don't corrode. The problem is, Americans just don't trust food in plastic, even though they can actually see it. They prefer cans, where the food is hidden and an opener is required. It's one of the frustrations of selling to America. They see themselves as willing to try anything, but they are in fact deeply conservative about food and food packages.
