Mobile bottling

Journey Bottling Company, the Californian-based wine bottler, has
begun operating with two mobile lines.

Journey Bottling Company LLC, the Californian-base wine bottler, has begun operating with two mobile lines.

The facilities feature an extended array of services and the capability to handle nearly any winery bottling assignment of any size, according to Journey Bottling president Michael Gribben.

The new company offers self-contained mobile units operating in tractor-trailer rigs, with each capable of bottling more than 2,000 cases per day at maximum efficiency. Both lines can produce 375 ml, 750ml and 1.5ml bottles of wine.

Mobile Line One can apply straight cork, tin capsules, poly-lam capsules, shrink capsules and wax seals. It is also capable of applying pressure-sensitive and wet glue face, back and neck labels. The line is operated by a three-man crew, and is most often put in place for extended runs, bottling larger quantities.

Mobile Line Two, operated by a two-man crew, can apply straight cork, tin capsules and poly-lam capsules. It also is capable of applying pressure-sensitive face, back and neck labels, and also has the ability to apply face and back labels from the same roll.

Price varies based on volume and other requirements, but generally falls between $1.95 (€2.0) and $2.75 per case, according to Gribben. Most additional expenses are billed at cost, and include such items as filters and transportation costs. A typical run is 6-10,000 cases, but the company has bottled 60,000 cases for one customer.

Currently wineries provide electricity and water, wine-related gasses, all packaging and bottling supplies, and labour to stack and load the finished bottles and cases.

Journey Bottling Company currently serves more than two dozen customers, bottling more than 300,000 cases each year, including Carneros Creek Winery, Collier Falls and Hartford Court. Current customers range in location from Ukiah to Salinas. For further information check the company website.