Australian company ACI hopes to satisfy demand from small winemakers for more innovative coloured and shaped glass bottles by following a trans-Tasman production strategy that uses new colouring technology, according to recent press reports. ACI, which was taken over by Owens-Illinois for A$5bn earlier this year, now produces a coloured bottle for the New Zealand Montana Azure Bay label from a plant which can custom design colours to winemakers' exact specifications. The plant, called a "colourant forehearth" and costing A$3m, will open up glass possibilities for other winemakers in Australia and New Zealand, ACI spokesman Peter Hansen said. "Different shades of the colours most used in the wine industry - green, amber and flint - will be available," he said. "The variety of colours is infinite in terms of depth," he added.
