Innovative packaging is playing an increasingly important role in the growing wine category as consumers seek greater convenience, variety or an easy way to try something new. Building on this need, Ball Corporation will present both its stock and custom PET wine bottles at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, Calif., January 24-26.

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Designed using input from consumers, wineries, distributors and venue operators, Ball's PET wine bottles combine the premium look and feel of glass with the modern convenience of plastic. They are an ideal vehicle for brand owners who want to target usage occasions like travel and outdoor venues where glass is not allowed. Because the plastic bottles weigh less than glass bottles, there also is an opportunity for cost savings on freight and distribution.

"Sales of single-serve, 187 ml wine bottles grew nearly 20 percent last year," says Jerry Rosenow, national wine category manager for Ball. "The size is just right for today's growing portion of smaller households and consumers for whom a 750ml bottle is just too much for the occasion."

In addition to its stock containers, Ball designed a custom 187 ml PET wine bottle for Sutter Home Winery which preserves the look of the existing Sutter Home glass container. The winery launched four varieties in the PET 187 ml bottles into select markets last fall and continues to expand distribution.

"We already had a single serve size in our 187 ml glass bottles and believed that adding PET would only increase the level of convenience for consumers and expand our package mix in line with market demands," says Wendy Nyberg, senior director of marketing for Sutter Home. "We are very pleased with consumer acceptance so far. We see this as an opportunity to capitalize on our existing brand awareness and grow our market share as well."

Ball designed the Sutter Home bottles to run on the winery's existing glass lines in order to minimize the need for change parts and simplify filling. "The transition into PET has been very smooth overall," says Nyberg. "We have had great support from Ball throughout the development, testing and production process."

Ball will exhibit with PackagingARTS at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in booth #842 and will display its PET and aluminum wine packaging.

Ball Corporation is a supplier of metal and plastic packaging products, primarily for the beverage and food industries. The company also owns Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., which develops sensors, spacecraft, systems and components for government and commercial markets. Ball Corporation employs more than 13,500 people and reported 2004 sales of $5.4 billion.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," and variations of same and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K. These filings are available at our Web site and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in consumer and customer demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials, including recent significant increases in resin, steel, aluminum and energy costs, and the ability to pass such increases on to customers; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; fruit, vegetable and fishing yields; industry productive capacity and competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions, including those associated with our beverage can end project; the German mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; changes in foreign exchange rates, tax rates and activities of foreign subsidiaries; and the effect of LIFO accounting. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental and workplace safety; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

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SOURCE: Ball Corporation