Wine Bottling Equipment: Building a Supplier Brief

A wine bottling brief that leaves pressure, oxygen control or closure fit open can produce incomparable proposals and an unsuitable package. State the wine, measurement targets, bottle-closure interface and available bottling time before choosing a mobile service or an owned line.

Copy or print this brief and fill it in for each wine and bottle format.

The sections below explain those inputs. Use the bottling equipment RFQ checklist to compare completed briefs and supplier responses.

Start with the wine, not the machine

The first brief section describes the product, because pressure and oxygen sensitivity decide which fillers and closures are candidates at all.

• Still or carbonated. State the CO2 content, pressure and relevant temperature, then select the applicable CETIE guide and package specification. CETIE publishes separate guides for still wines, pressurized wines on BVS finishes and secondary fermentation with crown closures. Do not infer line or closure suitability from the wine-style name.
• Style and oxygen sensitivity. AWRI distinguishes dissolved oxygen from oxygen in the headspace; both contribute to total package oxygen. State the winery’s target, units, sampling time and measurement method rather than copying a generic wine-style threshold.
• Microbial stability. A filter maker’s technical page (Pall) notes that residual sugar plus yeast left after fermentation can cause refermentation and, in severe cases, broken bottles, and describes pre-filtration and final filtration as the way to protect bottled stability. Say what filtration you will deliver to the filler (for example, the sterile filtration step) and whether the supplier is expected to provide it.
• Volume and schedule. Annual cases, lot sizes, number of SKUs, bottling windows and any shift-length limits.

Oxygen management: what to put in the brief

Use public AWRI guidance to separate dissolved oxygen (DO) from headspace oxygen (HSO) when specifying total package oxygen (TPO). Its packaging guidance describes inert-gas treatment of empty bottles and the filler tank, and vacuum or inert-gas management of headspace. The brief should identify which controls the proposed filler and closer include, then define measurement conditions for the actual wine and package.

The brief can put these questions to suppliers:

A supplier’s oxygen figure is a claim until measured. Ask for the conditions under which it was obtained.

Bottle and closure: set the interface first

The bottle and closure define what the filler, closer and labeler must handle. Send the supplier the bottle drawing and, ideally, sample bottles. Two mobile bottlers interviewed by Midwest Wine Press said that bottle size variation causes problems (a bottle too large will not fit the equipment, one too small gives play at the cork or cap); one requires a detailed bottle drawing and both obtain sample bottles in advance. Weight also matters; lighter bottles may need handling changes, as covered in Lightweight Wine Bottles: What Buyers Should Verify.

Cork or screwcap

CETIE’s bottling guides state which finish goes with which closure: cork stoppers on a cork-mouth finish per EN 12726 (and the user must run sealing tests if applying on another finish), and aluminum screw caps for still wines on BVS-type finishes per EN 16293, applied with a thread and crimped seal. Cork and screwcap lines need different closers, and some bottlers offer only one. A Grapevine Magazine article quotes a mobile bottler saying many wineries keep cork for reds but use screwcaps for whites, so a bottler who cannot do both may lose clients.

For closure oxygen behavior, AWRI cites Kwiatkowski et al. (2007), a study of Cabernet Sauvignon stored for two years using different closures and headspace volumes. That historical study context does not establish a universal ranking for current closure grades; request the closure supplier’s product-specific oxygen data.

For finish codes and neck dimensions, see Bottle Neck Finishes and Closure Compatibility, and for closing machines, Choosing Capping Equipment for Glass Bottles and Jars. Brief items to state: closure type and supplier, finish designation, closure dimensions, tamper-evidence requirement, and who is responsible for the bottle-closure-machine match (CETIE’s pressurized-wine guide calls for a written agreement among cap supplier, bottle supplier and filler).

Capsules and labels

Capsule materials commonly listed by a capsule manufacturer (Croxsons) are PVC, polylaminate and tin; its page describes polylaminate as aluminum and polyethylene layers with consistent shrink behavior on high-speed lines and notes it is a composite for recycling purposes. State capsule material and application method (heat shrink, spin-on or other) and whether the supplier must provide a capsuler. If you skip capsules, say so, since it changes the closure and line layout.

Check labels early. Midwest Wine Press reports that mobile bottlers recommend testing a label with a machine applicator before bottling day, that long labels increase wrinkle risk, that label winding direction matters, and that white or clear labels and white backing can confuse reflective sensors. Give suppliers the label size, material, roll or magazine format and whether you need orientation to a capsule or mark. See Bottle Labeling Methods: Pressure-Sensitive, Wet-Glue and Sleeve Systems for label method trade-offs.

Cleaning and sanitation

The Midwest Wine Press interviews assign winery hoses, pumps and wine preparation to the winery. Define the filtration specification and sanitation responsibility with the process lead and bottler; do not treat an interviewed operator’s filter rating as a universal sterile-filtration prescription. A Virginia Tech enology notice describes culture-based sterility checks as a way for winemakers to monitor the effectiveness of sanitation procedures on bottling lines and other equipment; the notice dates from 2006, so confirm current services.

For the brief, state: the sanitation method and chemicals allowed, whether steam or hot water is available, water quality, drainage, whether clean-in-place is expected, and who documents sanitation. Ask suppliers how the filler and closer are cleaned and how long changeover between lots takes.

Configuring the equipment: stations and scale

A commercial wine bottling setup needs a defined route from wine supply to packed bottles. Typical stations cover the tank, pump and final filter; bottle preparation; filling; corking or screwcapping; and labeling and case packing. Rinsing, air cleaning, inert-gas flushing and capsuling depend on the product, closure and validated process. Scale determines which operations use machines, how bottles move between them, and who runs them. Home winemaking equipment is outside this comparison.

Name the stations you need in the brief and say which ones you already own, which the supplier should quote and which stay manual. A supplier asked for a “wine bottling machine” can reasonably quote a filler alone; a brief that lists the stations gets quotes for the same scope.

Equipment makers sell rinsers, fillers, corkers and cappers as separate machines and as monoblocs; Criveller, for example, lists all of these. The Washington State University extension bulletin on small winery costs describes a mobile bottling service as a semi-truck equipped with all the necessary bottling equipment, with the service providing one experienced operator and the winery providing the rest of the labor in its cost model.

How the filler itself is automated is covered in Glass Bottle Filling Machines: How to Compare Filling Principles, and how to size and buffer a linked line in Planning a Glass Bottling Line: From Empty Bottles to Packed Cases.

Small machines and machines listed for sale

A small wine bottling machine or a machine listed for sale still has to answer the brief: which closure and bottle finish it handles, what oxygen controls it has, which change parts fit your bottle, and how it is cleaned. A listing gives the seller’s description of the machine. Ask for the model’s datasheet and operating manual and check them against the items in this guide before you compare prices.

Mobile bottling or an owned line

A Grapevine Magazine article quotes a mobile bottler who classes operators as small hand-fed units (up to about 75 cases per hour), automatic trailers (about 150 to 250 cases per hour) and large truck units (up to 100 bottles per minute); these are one operator’s descriptions, not a standard. The usual winery-side responsibilities are supplying bottles, closures, labels, staff, utilities and inert gas. Midwest Wine Press lists examples such as single-phase 240 volt, 100 amp power and fresh water, and reports one bottler putting the minimum for mobile bottling to be cost-effective against hand bottling at 500 gallons while the other found the advantages compelling at 2,000 gallons (2012 interviews, region-specific).

What to put in the brief depends on the route:

• Mobile: ask for the equipment spec, closure options, oxygen controls, insurance and references, and confirm what the winery must provide.
• Owned line: define space, utilities, staffing, maintenance and changeover for different bottles, and compare total cost over your own volume and horizon rather than relying on published break-even claims.
• Hybrid: many wineries use both; state which lots go where.

Questions to send suppliers

1. For the wine style, still or carbonated level and pressure range described, which filler and closer configuration do you propose and why?
2. What dissolved oxygen and total package oxygen results have you measured at similar settings, under what conditions?
3. How are bottle pre-treatment, headspace control and stoppage handling done?
4. Which closures (cork, screwcap on BVS finish, other) and bottle finishes are supported, and what change parts are needed for each?
5. Which capsule and label types and sizes are supported, and what sensor or orientation limits apply?
6. How is the equipment cleaned and sanitized between lots, and what must the winery supply?
7. What utilities, space, staffing and gas supply are required?
8. For a mobile service: capacity range, references and what documentation you provide after bottling.
9. What are the exclusions, trials, acceptance tests and training included in your quote?

Evidence and limitations

This guide covers table-wine bottling in glass and does not cover bag-in-box, cans or spirits. Oxygen controls come from public AWRI guidance, which cites older studies including the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon work; results depend on wine, package, setup and measurement conditions. Mobile-bottling figures are trade-press interviews and may be dated or regional. The equipment-scale examples describe individual wineries or one maker’s range and are not a classification standard. No supplier is recommended, and a supplier’s performance statements should be confirmed by acceptance testing.

• Oxygen pick-up during packaging: understanding total package oxygen, Australian Wine Research Institute: public DO/HSO/TPO guidance and references, including Kwiatkowski et al. (2007); reviewed October 8, 2026.
• Bottling guides, CETIE: BVS, cork-mouth and crown-closure guides, still versus pressurized wine definitions. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• How to Be Ready for Your Mobile Bottler, Midwest Wine Press: mobile-bottling preparation, labels, sanitation and utilities (2012). Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Choosing a Mobile Bottler for Your Winery: Questions to Ask Before Hiring One, The Grapevine Magazine: mobile-bottler classes, closure options and winery responsibilities. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Wine Bottling Filtration, Pall: manufacturer technical page on pre- and final filtration before bottling. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Wine Bottle Capsule Closures, Croxsons: capsule manufacturer’s description of PVC, polylaminate and tin capsules. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Enology Notes #121, Virginia Tech Enology-Grape Chemistry Group: sterility and sanitation check service for bottling lines (2006). Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Small Winery Investment and Operating Costs, Washington State University Extension (EB1996): description of mobile bottling services and the labor split assumed in its cost model. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Criveller, Criveller: equipment maker listing rinsers, fillers, monoblocs, corkers and capping equipment as separate offers. Accessed October 8, 2026.