PET wine bottles with a "Plasmax" barrier coating from Plasmax (Hamburg / Germany; www.valueaddedbottling.com) are making a strong impact on the North American market. US converter Ball has now also started manufacturing 750ml bottles in addition to the 187ml bottles it had been producing. At the beginning of 2007, PET bottles featuring the Plasmax barrier technology were introduced on the market for beer and fruit juice – see Plasteurope.com of 23.01.2007.

The Artisan Wine Company intends to sell the Semillon/Chardonnay and Cabernet/Shiraz of the "Painted Turtle" brand in these larger bottles. Plasmax says the main reasons for deciding in favour of the new system were the fact that it had already been approved by the FDA for food contact applications, and that it offers reliable product protection. Other arguments include the robustness and low weight of the PET wine bottle compared with glass. These benefits, says the company – a subsidiary of Salzgitter (Salzgitter / Germany; www.salzgitter-ag.de) – make the bottles very popular, as they are ideal for outdoor events such as sports competitions and picnics. The aluminium screw closure also allows easy resealing.

The Plasmax coating process involves coating the inner wall of the bottle with an ultra-thin, transparent, impermeable and completely non-reactive layer of silicon oxide (SiOx). The coating preserves the appearance, taste and durability of the contents and prevents O₂ and CO₂ permeation.