Portavin SA’s Bottling Hall is equipped with a “state of the art” Italian MBF high speed automated bottling and packaging line with capacity to bottle in excess of 6500 bottles per hr. Equipped with latest technology PLC controls, the bottling line includes ”fully automated” de-palletising and palletising, and on line quality inspection with HACCP and BRC accreditation.

In addition to Line 1, we have a second bottling line with capability for “non-standard” packaging including magnums, 375ml and lay-down packaging. Line 2 is rated at 3000 bottles per hour. Bottling Hall technology with world-leading technical support 24hour, 7 day / week is provided from Verona – Italy via modem to make filling and closing machine parameter modifications.

Bottle inversion and rinsing (sterile filtered water or inert gas):
All bottles that are filled on Portavin’s bottling lines are pre-rinsed regardless of the fact that they have been delivered on stretch wrapped pallets direct from the manufacturer. This is to prevent any possible contamination from insects, cardboard, dust, plastic, etc in the manufacturing and transport process.

The rinser grips the bottle neck, inverts the bottle and sprays high pressure sterile filtered water or inert gas in to the container before shaking and returning to an upright position on the conveyor.

The water used has been passed through:

• carbon treatment
• coarse pre filtration
• A 1 micron membrane
• A 0.5 micron membrane
• A UV light steriliser

The water in the recirculation tank is replenished daily and sulphur dioxide additions made every shift. The water is also microbiologically swabbed on a regular basis. If you prefer gas rinsing, it is possible to blow high pressure nitrogen or carbon dioxide into the bottles during the rinsing process which gives the benefit of zero residual water.

It is not possible on our MBF line to use both methods but both can be employed on an Bertolaso line, with water rinse followed by inert gas.

CO2 injection to bottle prior to filling:
CO2 gas is injected into the rinsed bottles immediately after they enter the filler and prior to the filling cycle.

Low vacuum filling:
The MBF corking heads employ a vacuum attachment which removes the air in the headspace in the bottle before the cork is applied. This has a dual purpose:

• The vacuum removes any residual air in the headspace thus minimizing the potential for oxidation of the wine.
• The vacuum also allows the cork to be seated at exactly the same depth in each bottle as it is not being forced into the neck against atmospheric pressure and also ensures that any cork dust or fragments do not enter the bottle. This is particularly important if the wine is exported to excessive temperatures in transport as any headspace pressure will tend to push the cork out of the bottle. Corks are transferred to the corker hopper using high pressure air blower.

Vacuum corking:
To ensure the head space is evacuated prior to cork insertion.

CO2 headspace cover at screwcap application:
A jet of CO2 is fired into the head space prior to screw cap being applied.

Screw closure application:
The MBF screwcapper is fitted with 4 capping heads for the thread application of aluminum screwcaps. The screwcaps are conveyed to the capping machine by an air blower ensuring that there is no human contact with the packaging materials.

The headspace of the bottles are sparged with inert gas as the screwcap is applied to minimise oxygen uptake during the period between filling and capping.

Four bottles, one from each capping head, are removed from the line each half hour and tested for removal torque and bridge break to ensure conformity to internal standards. The thread roller and tuck under rollars can be adjusted to modify these readings if they are out of specification.

• Thermoshrink PVC capsules
• Spin on tin capsules
• Spin on polylaminate capsules

Case packing using glue hot melt:
On our MBF line bottles are automatically packed into stand-up cartons using an Apsol pick and pack machine. Dividers, if required, are inserted by hand. Cartons are sealed top and bottom using hot melt glue only by an automatic carton erector and sealed.

Cartons must be supplied to Portavin SA with the smaller end on the left hand side of the glue seam. when the cartons graphics are the correct way up. Cartons should be made with their height equivalent to the nominal height of the appropriate bottle, not over or undersize.

Bottle coding with inkjet:
All bottles run down the Portavin SA bottling line have an inkjet coding on the heel of the bottle to identify:

• the contract bottler
• the production line used
• a julian date code
• the time of day

The line does not run if this code is not functional as this information is vital in the identification of single bottles once they have been separated from their carton.

Batch coding (Carton/pallet):
Portavin SA have the capability of ink coding and adding extra information to cartons prior to sealing and palletising. We have latest technology inkjet printers that can add information such as vintage, variety, batch number, sequential carton count, julian code and time of day. The letter height is determined by the quantity of information required.

Print and apply barcode stickers:
We also have the capability of applying a pressure sensitive label to the end or side of the carton which can have a barcode printed on it or text as per the inkjet code. The barcode can be generated from the 13 digit number and has SG-1 approval. A range of USA and EU barcodes are also available.

Bottling Programming & Scheduling:

Generally wines are scheduled to be bottled at least 3 weeks in advance and preferably in the month previous to the scheduled date.

Portavin takes every care to schedule the bottling as close as possible to the required date but general conventions are followed:

1. All red wines are grouped together
2. All white wines are grouped together
3. Red wines usually follow white wine
4. Sterile vs non-sterile bottling are grouped together
5. 6 packs to 12 pack changes are minimized
6. Similar bottle styles requiring standard change parts are grouped together

Obvious deadlines for shipping cut-offs and transport requirements are given priority.

Once a bottling date has been locked in by mutual agreement it can not be moved or deleted if less than seven days remain unless by negotiation with the Production Manager. A stoppage caused by non arrival of wine or dry goods will be charged to the customer at $1000 per hour if no other job can be substituted by the delayed one.

If customers request to be present at their bottling then an action is included on the job sheet to call them at least 1 hour before the job is due to commence.

Customers are also notified of delays that may affect the scheduled start time at least 8 hours (1 shift) in advance. Generally jobs that do not require customer attendance are programmed to occur “out of hours” where possible.

Flow Chart of process from order to job completion:

• Customer enquiry
• Quote (unless contract in place)
• Job scheduled if accepted
• Specification received
• Packaging authorisation generated
• Packaging authorised approved
• Dry goods (Portavin supplied) ordered
• Job Sheet generated
• Bottling date confirmed
• Dry goods receipted
• Labels sent to customer for approval
• Job sheet issued to warehouse for dry goods assembly
• Schedule discussed and finalised in daily operations meeting
• Wine approval
• Job sheet issued to Production Supervisor for checking
• Job sheet issued to line
• Job requirements checked by lab personnel before wine brought in to filler
• Alcohol checked by operator
• Job commences
• Supervisor performs 30 minute packaging checks
• Job finishes
• Dry goods returned to warehouse
• Glass pallet sheets and dry goods ID collected
• Job sheet completed with all information (times, numbers, etc)
• Job sheet examined by Production Supervisor
• Job sheet to Production Manager for data collection
• Job sheet to Bottling Scheduler to generate reconciliation and transfer stock and goods on inventory system
• Pro-forma invoice generated
• Pro-forma invoice approved by Production Manager
• Reconciliation / Invoice generated
• Laboratory analysis sent to customer

Clients Responsibilities:

• All client supplied dry goods to arrive at the bottling facility before 5.00 pm on Wednesday of the week prior to bottling.
• Bulk wine should arrive a minimum of 2 days prior to the scheduled bottling date (within specification)
  As we are located in the Adelaide metropolitan area we are unable to perform any oenological adjustments to the wine other than SO2, CO2 and dissolved Oxygen. We expect the wine to arrive in the same condition of cleanliness as the customer desires in the final product other the requirement for sterile filtration. The wine must also be within the temperature range of 15 – 21 degrees Centigrade.

 Download General Conditions for Wine Bottling Form Here.