I had posted the news last week of Crushpad’s recent adoption of the French-made, vial-shaped, taster bottles which they’ve branded as “TinyBottles.” This week, another California company called TastingRoom, has launched their take on the 50ml sample sized vessels, which look more like shrunken wine bottles. They’ve developed new bottling equipment for this application which they’re calling TASTE Technology (yup you guessed it… Total Anaerobic Sample Transfer Environment). Check out TastingRoom Inc.’s press release here.
TastingRoom claims that this format is easier to bottle in large volumes (err… a large number of very small volumes) and is therefore more economical. They also say that they’ve conducted market research with various formats and bottles sizes, including the tube shape used by TinyBottles, but, in founder Tim Butcher’s words, “The American consumer overwhelmingly wanted the samples to look like wine bottles.”
On a strictly aesthetic level, I have to say I’m partial towards the tubes from TinyBottles. There’s something about the miniature wine bottle shape from TastingRoom that gives me the feeling that I’m making myself a gin and tonic on an airplane. Regardless of the shape, I still think it’s cool that more options in this scale will be available for potential buyers to give the wine a whirl, be them restaurant and wine shop people or consumers.
What’s your take?
A more in depth article on TastingRoom Inc.’s new bottles from Wines & Vines.
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2 Responses:
December 21st, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Gimmick.
And a step in the wrong direction. Other options (keg and BIB) have proven themselves qualitatively and environmentally for glass pours which is the only reason these little bottles would ever gain traction. Where do they fit in? Except in landfills and as recycling nightmares.
Positive side: If these things have a 10 cent bottle deposit the only benefit would be that the homeless will get a greater cash to weight ratio when they return the empties to the depot. That’s it. Less bottles, more Holsten Maibock. Great success.
And why are they in a wooden box? Really?
If half bottles lead to full bottles then tiny bottles lead to ….well, I don’t know..consumer idiocy.
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Hey Matt,
Good point re: added packaging waste. I think the vials are actually in a classy looking cardboard box.
They shouldn’t be used for actual sale in a restaurant or private retail but more for wine directors and buyers. I see it being easier for agents to leave a few vials than having to open up and pay for a full 750ml, especially if its a high-end bottle.
From a winery standpoint, you could send a potential private buyer a taste of the different labels from that vintage, before they call in a bigger order for a couple cases of that wine.
-jake