Shipping out in style.

It seems like, not all that long ago, if you wanted to ship your casegoods across the street or across the planet, you packed up the bottles in a corrugated cardboard box, crossed your fingers and sent them on their merry way. Like every other aspect of the wine business, wine shipping materials

When we got our advance copy of the hot-off-the-press Wines & Vines 2004 Annual Directory/Buyer's Guide, we contacted suppliers of shipping materials to learn exactly what's available now to carry your wines safely, and in high style, to their destinations.

California Glass Company & Pacific Coast Container, based in Oakland, Calif., has been distributing corrugated products for half a century. Multi-faceted California Glass is 70 years old this year, with a customer base mainly in the Western United States. "In 1976, California Glass Company innovated the Ship & Store[TM] concept that has now become the standard for wine shipping industry-wide," according the Terry Sanzo, business manager. The familiar Ship & Store incorporates a "universal" inner foam piece to fit all sizes of domestic or imported wine containers. An interlock system allows the foam to convert for one- to 12-bottle shipping cartons, so foam stock inventories can be reduced. Prices for Ship & Store products start at approximately 62 cents each, or $12.40 per case of 20 for individual bottle shippers with outer carton.

"Materials for corrugated products do vary, depending on geographical location, due to different climate areas," Sanzo says. "The price-point of wines sometimes dictates the customer's request for packaging. Material can vary for different destinations and product lines, based on climate and DOT (Department of Transportation) requirements. Exported products are subject to international standards and transportation requirements," he notes, adding, "The general trend is leaning more toward the necessity of environmentally friendly products that can be recycled by the end user if need be."

Contact: California Glass Company & Pacific Coast Container, 155 98th Ave., Oakland, CA 94603. Phone: (510) 635-7700, e-mail: tsanzo@calglassco.com, Web site: calglasspcc.com.