08.31.07
Ever wonder how those rows of wine labels in your local market get to the shelves looking like newly minted $20 bills? And keep on looking fresh and crisp, even when they're highlighted by that "label killer" called fluorescent light? One person who knows exactly how it's done is Mike Fassler, quality control manager of Bronco Wine Company, which produces an astounding 20,000,000 cases of wine a year with more than 31 brand names, including the Charles Shaw 2005 Chardonnay, the winner of the 2007 California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition Double Gold 98 award. (US readers who patronize Trader Joe's grocery stores might know this wine as "Two Buck Chuck" - so put to rest the belief that wine competitions are for oenophiles only.) The California competition has been running since 1855 and the judges picked the Charles Shaw as the best chardonnay from a grouping of 250 other California chardonnays.
Mike Fassler has to stay on top of the quality of the labels, whether it's a $2 bottle of Charles Shaw ($3 in the eastern US due to transportation) or one of Bronco's more expensive brands, like Napa Ridge Triad, which is currently selling for well over $300 a bottle. If you can find it. As the fourth largest US producer of wines, Bronco Winery was started in 1973 by Fred, John and Joseph Franzia, nephews of Ernest Gallo, in Ceres, CA, about 95 miles southeast of San Francisco. The winery now has the capacity to produce more than 230,000,000 liters a year, or 306 million 750ml bottles, so there's plenty of room for growth if Fred Franzia realizes his goal of repeating the Trader Joe's scenario (good wine, low prices) in the restaurant business.
For those who think that creating wine labels is simply a matter of classy and artistic design plus lots of embossing or foils, think again. At Bronco, quality control is involved in the whole process. Fassler works with Bronco's design coordinator in selecting the paper stock and the size of the label. "You can't have it too tall to fit aesthetically on the bottle," he says. "The width of the cap or neck band is another design issue - the creative people feel 'skinnier is better', and production wants 'fatter or thicker' labels that will maximize application speeds." Fassler's job is to find a happy medium.
Another concern is to determine whether the final design will be produced as a cut label (Bronco has some of the fastest and best glue-applied equipment - Krones labelers with servo drives) or self-adhesive. If the label shape is exotic and they don't have change parts on hand that fit, the decision will be made to go with pressure sensitive. "We need to avoid design faux pas," Fassler adds, "Certain color inks just don't hold up well in shipping. Blue metallic, for example, isn't scuff resistant. If we're printing on foil, we have to know that the printer can do it flawlessly.
"The team effort at Bronco involves the technical people at the printery," Fassler says. "Because of the complex designs that utilize foil stamping, embossing, custom colors and complex protective coatings, it is important for the printer to understand our expectations. Having someone in-house who can advocate for us really makes the print jobs happen. Because the labels are heavily regulated, every period and comma has to be in place, as well as the size of type, barrel aging, registered trademarks, etc. And by involving the label partner's technical people in the design from the get-go," he adds, "we can avoid placing unrealistic expectations on the printer and our bottling department while giving the designer as much flexibility as possible to come up with a creative approach."
Fassler and his team work with a detailed checklist that includes all of the Federal Tax and Trade Bureau requirements as well as the glues or adhesives required, the strength of the liner or backer, and so on. "We don't want labels to stop our bottling lines," Fassler says, "So we can't have web breaks, cut throughs, etc." Asked if the designer works with the checklist, Fassler chuckles and says, "It's the left-brain, right-brain thing: We want the designer to be as free and flexible as possible, not bogged down with details, but we also need the printery's technical people as well as our own coordinator and myself to be right on top of things so we don't get so creative that we can't produce the label."
Once everyone is happy with the design, the printer is selected based on Bronco's knowledge through past performance and on-site visits. "We need price, on-time service and quality," Fassler says, "and we need all three. We have one printer who can do fast deliveries of non-complex labels as well as mid-range embossing and stamping, and high-end multiple colors (up to 14)."
After the contract to print is awarded, there are quality inspections upon delivery prior to payment and use of the labels. Bronco performs a statistical sampling of rolls - the print has to match exactly. Incoming tests check alignment, ensure no fisheyes or hickeys, and registration has to be better than 1⁄64" and in some cases 1⁄128". Details such as scuff resistance and adhesion/cohesion of the ink or foil to stick to one another are thoroughly checked out. Bronco does tape testing as well as the ASTM standard #2 pencil test (round off the pencil and rub against the ink and foils) plus the unscientific but effective fingernail test. Samples are checked against the "hold back" labels the winery keeps for five years and color standards are kept on file.
"We also do manual count tests of both roll and stack or cut-type labels," Fassler says. For rolls, they weigh 20 labels on a highly accurate scale to determine the individual label weight, which then is used to calculate the theoretical weight of a roll. They then weigh the balance of the roll including the core's weight and check it against the theoretical. To account for core weight they keep a record of average core weights. Even when electronic counters are used at some printers, the count can be off by as much as 300 labels. The wine labels come with UPC codes, and Bronco tests to ensure correct scanning. Label boxes are bar coded with part and lot number information so anything that slips through the thorough test process can be identified down the road. They also track the lots as they are used on the bottling line and know down to the minute the source of the label on a bottle of wine.
When the scuff testing and adhesion/cohesion tests are finished, ship testing begins. Wine is sent on a 1,000 mile test run, which takes a few days. If the truck is empty, the cases bounce around more than usual and scuffing could appear worse than it would be under normal shipping.
Fassler explained "We have control samples which we can check against the ship test run."
If there is an issue, decisions have to be made immediately. Can the job be salvaged? Sent back to the printer for rework? Or the dreaded last resort, rejected and reprinted? Bronco demands an ISO type response: Identify and research the problem and prevent future occurrences. The printer has 30 days to provide a full answer. "While this seems very demanding," says Fassler, "it helps our vendors help themselves on future jobs."
Sometimes the bottles come in with varying levels of polycoat, which can raise issues of the labels falling off, peeling, lifting, etc. Fassler says, "We run glue tests to determine the most effective glue for the cut labels. Our PS labels are not as sensitive to the polycoat." Even the bottles get tested, he adds. "We rub them together and if there's too much polycoat they don't scratch."
The company also puts the bottles through "ice proof testing" to ensure that the label stays on if it is served in an ice bucket. "Ideally, we have to pick at the label to get it off," Fassler says. Labels that are going to be subjected to a lot of abuse when damp can be manufactured from a wet strength paper stock selection.
Speaking about the recent rash of label printer consolidation in the wine industry, Fassler feels it has hurt the wine label business overall. "Because some printers lowballed to buy contracts, it put extreme pressures on other printers for a while but things have seemingly leveled out now" "From Bronco's standpoint, investor-owned companies are almost at a disadvantage," Fassler says, "because they have to continually justify their existence while the independent printer has a strong vision, stability and an overall business attitude that includes keeping quality people and producing a quality product."
Bronco currently uses four primary label suppliers, each having their own performance portfolio. Fassler says, "G-3 Enterprises of Modesto, CA, gets our toughest jobs because they're a very elite group, one of only a handful of wine label printers out there who really know what they're doing and know what it takes to do the job. Their technical people like Dave Osmundson and Annie Cheung are really outstanding, and they work as an extension of our own company to ensure we are going to get what we need when we need it."
The wine company has more than 1,000 SKUs. "Keeping them straight is a full time job," Fassler says. "Our goal is to have all of the labels arrive on time and defect-free so we can get on with what the company does best, producing affordable wines of exceptional quality."
Fassler reports directly to the winery owners and points out that "Our ownership responds quickly because they grew up in a winery and really know the business. They understand the value of getting things right the first time and catching mistakes before they become costly." For the folks at Bronco Wine Company, it isn't just numbers on a balance sheet. It's a way of life.
For those who think that creating wine labels is simply a matter of classy and artistic design plus lots of embossing or foils, think again. At Bronco, quality control is involved in the whole process. Fassler works with Bronco's design coordinator in selecting the paper stock and the size of the label. "You can't have it too tall to fit aesthetically on the bottle," he says. "The width of the cap or neck band is another design issue - the creative people feel 'skinnier is better', and production wants 'fatter or thicker' labels that will maximize application speeds." Fassler's job is to find a happy medium.
Another concern is to determine whether the final design will be produced as a cut label (Bronco has some of the fastest and best glue-applied equipment - Krones labelers with servo drives) or self-adhesive. If the label shape is exotic and they don't have change parts on hand that fit, the decision will be made to go with pressure sensitive. "We need to avoid design faux pas," Fassler adds, "Certain color inks just don't hold up well in shipping. Blue metallic, for example, isn't scuff resistant. If we're printing on foil, we have to know that the printer can do it flawlessly.
"The team effort at Bronco involves the technical people at the printery," Fassler says. "Because of the complex designs that utilize foil stamping, embossing, custom colors and complex protective coatings, it is important for the printer to understand our expectations. Having someone in-house who can advocate for us really makes the print jobs happen. Because the labels are heavily regulated, every period and comma has to be in place, as well as the size of type, barrel aging, registered trademarks, etc. And by involving the label partner's technical people in the design from the get-go," he adds, "we can avoid placing unrealistic expectations on the printer and our bottling department while giving the designer as much flexibility as possible to come up with a creative approach."
Fassler and his team work with a detailed checklist that includes all of the Federal Tax and Trade Bureau requirements as well as the glues or adhesives required, the strength of the liner or backer, and so on. "We don't want labels to stop our bottling lines," Fassler says, "So we can't have web breaks, cut throughs, etc." Asked if the designer works with the checklist, Fassler chuckles and says, "It's the left-brain, right-brain thing: We want the designer to be as free and flexible as possible, not bogged down with details, but we also need the printery's technical people as well as our own coordinator and myself to be right on top of things so we don't get so creative that we can't produce the label."
Once everyone is happy with the design, the printer is selected based on Bronco's knowledge through past performance and on-site visits. "We need price, on-time service and quality," Fassler says, "and we need all three. We have one printer who can do fast deliveries of non-complex labels as well as mid-range embossing and stamping, and high-end multiple colors (up to 14)."
After the contract to print is awarded, there are quality inspections upon delivery prior to payment and use of the labels. Bronco performs a statistical sampling of rolls - the print has to match exactly. Incoming tests check alignment, ensure no fisheyes or hickeys, and registration has to be better than 1⁄64" and in some cases 1⁄128". Details such as scuff resistance and adhesion/cohesion of the ink or foil to stick to one another are thoroughly checked out. Bronco does tape testing as well as the ASTM standard #2 pencil test (round off the pencil and rub against the ink and foils) plus the unscientific but effective fingernail test. Samples are checked against the "hold back" labels the winery keeps for five years and color standards are kept on file.
"We also do manual count tests of both roll and stack or cut-type labels," Fassler says. For rolls, they weigh 20 labels on a highly accurate scale to determine the individual label weight, which then is used to calculate the theoretical weight of a roll. They then weigh the balance of the roll including the core's weight and check it against the theoretical. To account for core weight they keep a record of average core weights. Even when electronic counters are used at some printers, the count can be off by as much as 300 labels. The wine labels come with UPC codes, and Bronco tests to ensure correct scanning. Label boxes are bar coded with part and lot number information so anything that slips through the thorough test process can be identified down the road. They also track the lots as they are used on the bottling line and know down to the minute the source of the label on a bottle of wine.
When the scuff testing and adhesion/cohesion tests are finished, ship testing begins. Wine is sent on a 1,000 mile test run, which takes a few days. If the truck is empty, the cases bounce around more than usual and scuffing could appear worse than it would be under normal shipping.
Fassler explained "We have control samples which we can check against the ship test run."
If there is an issue, decisions have to be made immediately. Can the job be salvaged? Sent back to the printer for rework? Or the dreaded last resort, rejected and reprinted? Bronco demands an ISO type response: Identify and research the problem and prevent future occurrences. The printer has 30 days to provide a full answer. "While this seems very demanding," says Fassler, "it helps our vendors help themselves on future jobs."
Sometimes the bottles come in with varying levels of polycoat, which can raise issues of the labels falling off, peeling, lifting, etc. Fassler says, "We run glue tests to determine the most effective glue for the cut labels. Our PS labels are not as sensitive to the polycoat." Even the bottles get tested, he adds. "We rub them together and if there's too much polycoat they don't scratch."
The company also puts the bottles through "ice proof testing" to ensure that the label stays on if it is served in an ice bucket. "Ideally, we have to pick at the label to get it off," Fassler says. Labels that are going to be subjected to a lot of abuse when damp can be manufactured from a wet strength paper stock selection.
Speaking about the recent rash of label printer consolidation in the wine industry, Fassler feels it has hurt the wine label business overall. "Because some printers lowballed to buy contracts, it put extreme pressures on other printers for a while but things have seemingly leveled out now" "From Bronco's standpoint, investor-owned companies are almost at a disadvantage," Fassler says, "because they have to continually justify their existence while the independent printer has a strong vision, stability and an overall business attitude that includes keeping quality people and producing a quality product."
Bronco currently uses four primary label suppliers, each having their own performance portfolio. Fassler says, "G-3 Enterprises of Modesto, CA, gets our toughest jobs because they're a very elite group, one of only a handful of wine label printers out there who really know what they're doing and know what it takes to do the job. Their technical people like Dave Osmundson and Annie Cheung are really outstanding, and they work as an extension of our own company to ensure we are going to get what we need when we need it."
The wine company has more than 1,000 SKUs. "Keeping them straight is a full time job," Fassler says. "Our goal is to have all of the labels arrive on time and defect-free so we can get on with what the company does best, producing affordable wines of exceptional quality."
Fassler reports directly to the winery owners and points out that "Our ownership responds quickly because they grew up in a winery and really know the business. They understand the value of getting things right the first time and catching mistakes before they become costly." For the folks at Bronco Wine Company, it isn't just numbers on a balance sheet. It's a way of life.