MUNCIE, Ind., Oct. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Three glass bottles manufactured by Verallia North America won 2013 Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) Clear Choice Awards. These include glass packaging for Green Flash Brewing Company's West Coast IPA beer, Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates' Anew Riesling and Maize Valley Winery's Mad Cow wine. The prestigious industry awards are given to products packaged in glass that demonstrate strong consumer appeal, shelf impact and commercial success. With these new wins, Verallia North America has produced glass packaging for 72 beer, wine, spirits, beverage and food products that have won Clear Choice awards in the last 25 years. The 2013 Clear Choice Awards were recently displayed at Pack Expo in Las Vegas.

The custom-designed, light-weight beer bottles Verallia North America manufactured for Green Flash Brewing Company's West Coast IPA beer won the GPI'S 2013 President's Choice Award for Advancements in Sustainability. These innovative 12 and 22 ounce glass beer bottles are an engineering and structural design marvel, striking an ideal balance between form and function. They feature an international style and expected volume and size, yet weigh significantly less than earlier versions. The revamped packaging design reduces the costs and carbon footprint associated with producing, filling and distributing the beer.

The beautiful, private mold glass wine bottle Verallia North America manufactured for Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates' Anew Riesling won the GPI's 2013 Clear Choice Award for Wine Packaging Design. Anew's unique brand was strategically designed for female consumers with distinctive tastes. The one-of-a-kind glass packaging stands out on store shelves, appeals to target buyers and perfectly represents the wine's sophisticated image. 

The whimsical wine bottle Verallia North America manufactured for Maize Valley Winery's Mad Cow wine won the GPI's 2013 People's Choice Award. This sweet white table wine is packaged in a classic Claret style glass bottle and features an eye-catching shrink sleeve with a black and white dairy cow pattern. Two other Verallia customers were contenders for this year's People's Choice Award.

The independent panel of judges for GPI's 2013 Clear Choice Awards included Robert Bush, Professor, Department of Sustainable Biomaterials, Virginia Tech University; Andrew Kaplan, Managing Editor, Beverage World magazine; Silvio Marcacci, lead contributor, Lost in the Beer Aisle blog; and Rick Edwards, head bartender of a major Washington, D.C. restaurant and bar.

"This year, GPI was overwhelmed with the stunning array of submissions – a true testament to the great work being done within the glass industry," said Lynn Bragg, President of the GPI.  "All of the 2013 entries underscore the significant advancements in glass design and innovation over the past several years. While each and every submission was impressive, the winning products truly stood out and showcased the artistry and consumer appeal of glass packaging."

This year's winners typify why so many high-end products are packaged in glass. Numerous food, beverage and fragrance companies recognize that glass is the optimal packaging choice because it preserves the integrity of their products, while also being 100 percent and endlessly recyclable.

"GPI's Clear Choice Awards are important because they showcase stand-out consumer products that represent a convergence of market demand, creative product development and innovative package design," commented J. Steven Rhea, Senior Vice President of Strategic Development at Verallia North America. "Over the last 25 years, Verallia North America has established a long legacy of producing glass packaging that wins Clear Choice Awards across the wine, beer, spirits, beverage and food categories. Not only is this industry award a badge of honor for our entire company, it is an indicator of our strong track record of successfully creating national market trends and setting new industry standards in glass packaging design."

About GPI On behalf of the North American glass container manufacturers, the Glass Packaging Institute promotes glass as the optimal packaging choice, advances environmental and recycling policies, advocates industry standards and educates packaging professionals. GPI member companies manufacture glass containers for food, beverage, cosmetic and many other products. GPI associate members represent a broad range of suppliers to the industry.

About Verallia North AmericaVerallia North America, one of the leading glass container manufacturers in the United States, designs, develops and produces glass bottles and jars for the wine, beer, beverage, spirits and food containers markets. Verallia North America has approximately 4,400 employees and operates 13 plants, a state-of-the-art machine shop and a distribution center. In 2012, Verallia North America manufactured approximately 9 billion glass bottles and jars and had sales of $1.6 billion. For more information: www.us.verallia.com

Images of Verallia North America's winning products can be found at http://www.gpi.org/product-showcase.

MEDIA CONTACTGina Behrman Verallia North America 765.741.7092 Gina.L.Behrman@saint-gobain.com

SOURCE Verallia North America

RELATED LINKShttp://www.us.verallia.com