Initial Findings from Context

The Context : Wine 

It’s impossible to deny that there is a small thing that can make or break the purchase for many people: the label. Wine.net proved this theory by surveying 2000 wine drinkers asking them to choose between three bottles of wine with only a picture of each bottle to guide them. 80% said their decision was based mostly on the label!

A wine label has very little space, so every element must be chosen for maximum impact. An illustrative century-old vineyard in France might want to communicate to a potential customer that they are trusted, historic brand, making them a solid investment. While a newer wine might want to sell to younger, more adventurous audience looking for something unique and new.

Wine has pretty standard bottle colours: reds are sold in dark green bottles to keep out the sunlight and prevent oxidisation. While whites are sold in clear or pale green bottles.

Typography

If a dark label is chosen for a red wine, the typography must be strong enough bring contrast to the design. Traditional wine often uses busier typeface styles and design that evoke their history and authenticity. The labels often rely on serif or script type.

Modern wines often use bold, sans serif faces to lend a contemporary feel. The labels often contain a lot of negative space. However, instead of putting emphasis on the full name, they often pull one letter or logo mark out and make it large and eye-catching.

Style and imagery

The most popular styles tend to fall into a couple categories: elegant, bold and modern, minimalist or classic/traditional. Often based on the personality of the wine, brand and audience.

E.g. An older, more sophisticated drinker? Will more than likely want to stick to traditional wines.

Whichever style of wine, the label needs eye-catching imagery to draw attention. A traditional choice might be a pencil drawing of the vineyard or estate where the grapes are grown.

A minimalist design might show a small character or logo with lots of white space around it.

A contemporary label might eschew graphics all together, using large typography to grab the consumer’s eye. Some brave souls are even choosing to push the boundaries even further and use cartoon or highly graphic, amusing designs.

Imagery allows you to really be unique.

Think about what sets you apart from other wines

-        Location?

-        A feature of your estate?

-        A fun family trait?

-        A pun?

A label style lets customers know if this is the type of wine for them, imagery allows you to stand out from the competition and be remembered.

Wine label materials and production
Thought must be given to the quality and texture of the paper itself! Wineries have evolved, bringing high-quality printing elements to what were formerly static labels. This can include textured papers, decorative foil stamping, embossed letters and other signature touches.

Hot foil stamping, embossing and die-cutting has become very popular. Most commonly recognised on bottles of champagne. Foil reflects light beautifully, giving your label an attractive, high-end feel. Embossing is the process of pressing an image onto the label paper, in the process making the image (or parts) rise above the rest of the label. Though embossing can be very subtle, it gives your potential customers a more tactile experience.

Custom-shaped (or die-cut) labels have risen in popularity in recent years. These are creative labels that feature cut-outs and custom designs. They offer an alternative to the rectangle label expected. An example of this can be seen on the Rose All Day label and Follow the White Rabbit label, which both use ornate die-cuts to make their labels stand out.