Bottling

Custom winemaking facility Phase 2 Cellars and Mercenary Bottling Solutions, a leading mobile bottling and co-packing service, are thrilled to announce their strategic partnership. This collaboration brings together two industry leaders committed to quality, innovation, and efficiency focused on expanded access to premium bottling services on California’s Central Coast.  

Starting in May 2024, Phase 2 Cellars, known for expertise in custom winemaking, wine storage, amelioration, stabilization, and filtration, will serve as the permanent location for Mercenary Bottling Solutions and their state-of-the-art Gai Monoblock bottling line. Offering both still and in-line carbonated bottling, this partnership provides flexibility for virtually all bottle sizes and types and is compatible with still and sparkling corks, screw caps, and crown caps. Alongside Phase 2 Cellars’ capacity to intake, ameliorate, stabilize, filter, and manage logistics and quality control of bottlings at all scales, this partnership marks a significant increase in bottling capabilities and cost efficiencies on California’s Central Coast, with up to 2,800 cases (9L) per day of premium-quality throughput.

Bottling Line Specifics: 

Capabilities: 

  • Bottling still and sparkling beverages at pressures up to 5.0 Atmospheres 

  • In-line carbonation  

  • Multiple closure options, including Stelvin-P (pressure), Stelvin-P (pasteurization), conventional screw caps, ROPP screw caps, pry off and twist off crown caps, technical and conventional cork, and Champagne cork with wire Muselet 

Bottling Throughputs:  

Still Wine with Corks:  

  • Maximum output: 4,200 bottles per hour or 350 cases per hour @ 2,800 cases in 8 hours continual run time 

Still Wine with Screw Caps:  

  • Maximum output: 4,000 bottles per hour or 333 cases per hour @ 2,666 cases in 8 hours continual run time 

Sparkling Wine with Corks, Screw Caps, or Crown Caps:  

  • Maximum output: 2,000 cases per continual run time day  

Equipment: 

  • Gai 4033 REHP electro-pneumatic, counter pressure Monoblock with automatic closure infeed hoppers for crown cap, screw cap, and cork applicators 

  • 16-spout rinser/sparger and a 20-spout filler 

  • Gai 6080-2L pressure sensitive labeler with automatic capsule dispenser and applicator, featuring 2 label stations 

  • Ozone machine 

  • Reimers Electra Steam Generator-Boiler 

  • Hydrovane air compressor 

  • 3M automatic case tape sealer  

  • Laser bottle etching and coding option 

About Phase 2 Cellars: 

Phase 2 Cellars is an 80,000 square foot, full service, vineyard-to-bottle facility capable of premium winemaking at scale, custom bottling, and a myriad of private label services.  Phase 2 Cellars boasts 13,000 tons of current annual capacity.  Permitted to 16,000 tons, we offer the opportunity for growth on the largest of scales.  We are opportunistic, entrepreneurial, and committed to being the premier custom winemaking facility on California’s Central Coast.  We offer the opportunity for AP relationships as well as strong administrative assistance for all your needs, from reporting to COLA submissions. Our in-house laboratory is efficient, accurate, and capable of all analysis from vineyard samples to bottling quality assurance.  Home to numerous iconic brands and clients, Phase 2 Cellars has sustained long-term success by fostering mutually beneficial long-term relationships with known wine business leaders. 

About Mercenary Bottling Solutions: 

An industry leader in the beverage canning space, Mercenary Bottling Solutions is the bottling arm of Jason Fullmer’s renowned mobile canning and co-packing operation focused on premium packaging services.  Specializing exclusively in counterpressure filling systems sets Mercenary apart from standard atmospheric fillers more commonly found in mobile canning and bottling operations. Our innovative bottling line boasts an extensive range of bottle sizes and closure options unparalleled by any other facility on the Central Coast.  Backed by a collective 40 years of experience in packaging and production, the Mercenary team has an unwavering commitment to delivering top tier bottling and filling services.