Beer and wine – an unusual liaison

There is currently an unusual liaison brewing between beer and wine that the supply industry in particular finds extremely satisfying. Winegrowers and craft brewers are increasingly relying on convergent equipment and focusing on modern packaging and stylish bottle design. The SIMEI@drinktec highlights new possibilities.

For trade fair companies, it’s all about responding quickly when markets change and new players enter the game. With the rapid rise of the craft beer industry, more and more small and medium-sized breweries are starting to produce individual specialty beers that often hit the shelves in smaller quantities. The trend toward individual brews corresponds with the situation in many wineries, which also produce their wines in limited quantities.

Craft brewers and winegrowers share a similar form of artisanship

Practices that used to apply only to winemakers are now increasingly critical for breweries as well. Their artisan specialties are stored in wooden casks previously used to age whiskey, sherry and fine red wines. The brews are then filled into sophisticated bottles, often sealed with natural corks and delivered to consumers in luxurious packaging. Like winemakers, craft brewers also need special storage tanks for their products as well as modern filling and closure technology for manageable quantities.

More than wine: SIMEI@drinktec as a source of inspiration for craft brewers

For the first time, the Italian wine technology fair SIMEI is taking part at drinktec as SIMEI@drinktec. This presents not only the wine industry, but also other target groups such as craft brewers, with a great source of inspiration and new opportunities. The SIMEI fair has been organized since 1963 by the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) in Milan and maintains a tradition lasting more than 50 years. Because wine technology is also geared toward smaller batches, it has grown increasingly popular with specialty brewers as well. An exhibition space of more than 20,000 square meters gives visitors to the SIMEI@drinktec 2017 the chance to learn about all types of equipment for both wine and beer production, including intelligent marketing concepts and packaging solutions. Along with family businesses and large breweries, craft and hobby brewers will also find customized solutions at SIMEI in halls C2 and C3.

The drinktec and SIMEI@drinktec alliance thus forms a perfect symbiosis and offers a full array of solutions for the needs of every brewer. “All in all, this offering is unique worldwide,” says a delighted Petra Westphal, drinktec’s Project Manager. Incidentally, visitors to drinktec have access to SIMEI@drinktec included in their entrance ticket.