Are you in the process of bottling your own wine for friends and family to enjoy? Perhaps you’re a graphic designer with a new vineyard as a client. Maybe you just love good design, wine, and want to read up on how the two team up.
There’s no denying that wine label designs can be essential for their sale. After all, most Americans don’t care about the wine itself until they reach age 30. That means that over a quarter of the population buys wine mostly based on one thing: the label.
Keep reading for some of the best label design ideas on the shelves right now. They’re sure to inspire, provoke, and probably make you thirsty for a glass of Pinot Noir!
Coma Fredosa
Coma Fredosa’s label works on a few levels.
First of all, it’s super simple, which is the one design trend that’ll never go out of style. It sticks to a color palette of black and white with pops of red. The typography is a simple serif font, which feels elegant yet not fussy.
On a deeper design level, the label helps the layman feel like they’re a part of the wine world. The map shows the greater region of the wine production, and pinpoints the area where the vineyard is. It helps the consumer understand where the wine is coming from, an essential point in wine tastings.
This thoughtful design makes the consumer feel intelligent. It also conveys the value of the wine, justifying a higher price point.
Gut Oggau
Gut Oggau recently created a line they call “Portrait Wines.” What they’ve done here is essentially translated each of their wines into human representations which embody them. On the labels are painted their portraits.
The portraits are simple, hand-drawn, black and white. They exude a cool elegance and speak volumes about the wine with a simple glance.
“Unique, refreshing, and charming” describes “Winifred,” the embodiment of the rose. Her face belies these adjectives, giving the consumer an idea of what the wine will be like based on the person printed on the bottle.
The Gut Oggau Portrait Wines are perfect examples of clever design that’s more substantial than merely a well-planned color scheme.
Bear Flag
Bear Flag wine is named after the Bear Flag Revolt in Sonoma County in 1846 in which California settlers overturned a tyrannical government. This act of rebellion inspired their wine. They state that their bold wine embodies the independent spirit of California.
It’s an interesting backstory, and they know it. That’s why it’s printed on their label. Instead of talking about the wine’s tasting notes, they described it through narrative and allow the consumer to make their own inferences.
It’s genius, really. It makes the consumer feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves when they buy the wine. That they’re rebellious, independent, and free-thinking by association.
To allow the story to shine, they stick to a simple, rich, and elegant color scheme: black and gold. They use a blackletter typeface to convey how old the story is.
Despite the minimal design, this smart move by Bear Flag Wine may just get their label up on the list of classic wine labels alongside wines like Veuve Cliquot and Dom Perignon.
Boarding Pass
Wine labels don’t have to simply state information for the consumers. Like the Bear Flag label, Boarding Pass’ wine label has the power to transport the consumer to a faraway land. A land where the sun shines on grapes in the vineyard, slowly ripening them readying them for pressing.
Boarding Pass’ label is fun, interesting, and super unique. The label’s shaped like an airplane boarding pass, and the wine’s information fills in the areas where name and destination would go.
They use a font just like real boarding passes feature. The label even features an instruction comic on the back that’s designed to look like the safety procedure booklets on planes.
The passenger in the comic first orders the wine on the plane, then holding the glass up to the light to judge its color, and swirling the wine to properly aerate it before drinking. Finally, he takes a sip.
On the neck of the wine bottle is a little tag which states the varietal and vintage of the wine. It’s reminiscent of a luggage tag, sticking off the sides like it’s an airplane crewperson taped it on.
If there’s one thing Boarding Pass’ label teaches us, it’s that thinking out of the box can go a long way.
Lazarus
The coolest Lazarus Winery label has nothing to do with its visual aesthetics. Scratching your head over that one?
It features raised braille in black and yellow (that distinct Veuve Cliquot yellow) that begs to get grabbed from the shelves and touched. Like Coma Fredosa’s wine, this one works on a few levels, too.
First of all, it’s very socially aware, in that most wine labels don’t feature braille for blind consumers. This probably has something to do with the fact that the winemaker is actually blind, so it’s second nature to create a braille label.
The blind aren’t the only people attracted to this label. Humans love to experience multi-sensory things, which is why they’re apt to grab this bottle from the shelf to feel the braille.
Once the bottle is in their hands, half the battle’s won. Before you know it, they’re on their way to the register, ready to bring this cool bottle to their next dinner party, along with the gift of a custom bottle opener (view here for cool examples of custom bottle openers!)
Beyond Wine Label Designs
Wine label designs can be so much more than simple Photoshop exports. They can contain ideas that transcend logos, speak to consumers on a deeper level, and encourage sales.
Now that you’ve read up on some of the best wine label ideas out there today, you’re prepared to start the design process yourself! Check out our graphic design tips and tricks for help getting started!
