by Hoke » Sun Jun 18, 2006 5:01 pm
Oh, I was remiss in my previous posting in not mentioning how bottling/labeling works.
Most wineries of size have their own bottling lines. A lot of smaller wineries job their bottling/labeling out to either larger wineries or people that specialize in doing bottling only.
You usually do your bottling and labeling all in the same run (but not always!). The labeling comes in after the bottle is filled and corked, and the capsules are put on. Virtually every bottling line I know does multiple bottlings, which requires you to reset the line to handle different sizes and shapes and specifications, so the line has to be stopped (down time!!!) and 'change parts' have to be installed and calibrated.
Most labelers now use pressure senstive, which comes on a roll pre-glued with a very strong adhesive, versus the old single-label glue-on process. Sometimes, if some one is not paying close attention or hasn't had their coffee or is suffering from excess consumption from the previous night, the rolls might not be changed correctly, or the wrong roll might be inserted before someone realizes it...so mistakes happen. Anyone in retail can tell you several stories about the "Burgundy on front, Rhone on back" French labels, or the "Cabernet on front, Zinfandel on back" California label. Almost always simple operator error, despite the best QC.