As we all know, wine improves with age…but we can’t say the same for wine labels! In an industry where revenues reached US $53.58 billion in 2022, it’s clearly important to keep up with the times. And with a forecasted growth rate of 10%, it’s a must for all vineyards and wine manufacturers to refresh your wine bottle labels to outlast competitors.
There’s a huge market for those referred to as “winos” aka wine lovers. These may include daily wine enthusiasts, wine collectors, or even weekly wine clubs where members attend social gatherings to taste different wines. If you can reach these selected audiences, then your company is in! But how?
If you fail to connect with your audience or rely on an outdated look, your product will get lost in the crowd. What helps brands stand out amongst the noise? Answer: personalized experiences! And one sure way to personalize your brand for the right audience is through high quality custom labels that make a positive first impression.
Are Wine Labels Really That Important?
Yes, they are! When selecting the best wines, customers go back and forth between red or white, local or imported, and not to mention their preferred price point. Based on the consumer’s preference, these questions will help them shortlist their favorite brands. But packaging also plays a part in finalizing the choice.
As a wine brand, redesigning your packaging may seem tough as you’re confined to the standard bottle shape. However, trust us when we say this gives us plenty of room to explore the label design possibilities! Here’s what you should consider as you upgrade your wine bottle presentation…
Wine Not: Designing the Perfect Wine Label
Consumer Experience
As a wine brand, you’re selling a story and an experience rather than just a product. Hence, it’s important to identify who your audience is and what they desire. Understanding what drinking and experiencing wine means to your target market will help you identify the best way to connect with them. Do they enjoy it on occasion, have a collection of hundreds, are they passionate about their wines? Your wine bottle labeling needs to speak to the consumer, offering and promising the experience they crave.
The packaging also needs to distinguish itself from other wine labels. If you search for wine today, french chateaus, old typography, and sepia-shaded labels are typical elements on wine labels. While they make the wine look vintage and fancier, they all tend to look the same and do not tell the brand story, or immediately resonate with the customer. They get lost in the saturated wine market.
Label Style
Once you have discovered the sweet spot between what your customers want and what you offer, start thinking about the overall style of your desired product label. Some typical styles most wine brands use include classic, modern, funky, and vintage.
Classic labels feature elegance and prestige. They make people feel more regal and dignified when selecting and sipping these fine wines and allude to tradition. Such wines often hail from vineyards seeped in traditional winemaking techniques. The labels are a tribute to d timelessness.
Modern wine labels appeal to people who look for uniqueness and want to stand tall and part. The wine labels on these are minimal, appealing to contemporary times signaling the unique wine they carry.
Funky labels accurately depict what the wine is for – a fun time with friends and enjoying yourself. Keeping with the theme, the labels are funkier with animations or animals, funkier cartoons, and bold typography. Such labels are used for fun and more affordable wines.
Choosing Colors
Choosing the right label color can help set your brand apart from all other wine bottles on the shelves. Typically, there are a few combinations you are likely to see on the shelf – red and black for the red wines, and the white and cream ones for the white ones.
Choosing an unusual color combination is more likely to help catch the shoppers’ eyes, helping your wine break the clutter. Choose a color that voices your wine and brand story but also goes well with the color of your bottle. Adding depth and contrast through your label is the best way to make your wine more prominent and your brand stronger.
Texture and Material
Wines offer an experience, and you can augment that experience through textured labels. Unlaminated paper labels offer texture, adding sophistication and elegance to your wine. However, these are not waterproof; labels may wrinkle if the wine is chilled or the bottle is wet.
For a wine that needs to be chilled, better options to go with are plastic and vinyl. They are waterproof and extremely versatile. You can opt for prints and colors, plain or metallic, and rest assured, your label will come out perfect!
Typography
Product information, ingredients, brand names, and logos are all important components on a wine label, and so are the fonts that you use. The font you choose can elevate the look of your label or make it a difficult-to-read disaster. The best bet is to test out a few combinations of fonts and do a test print to identify which one you like best and is easy to read.
Bonus Tip: Fun Puns
Wine puns are all the rage these days. You’ll see people on social media posting pictures sipping on their favorite wine with a funny wine caption and hashtag that matches. Some examples include:
- Feeling really grape!
- It’s wine o’clock somewhere.
- On cloud wine!
- Sip happens.
- You’re the wine that I want.
Creating a fun, simple phrase like this and adding it to your bottle is a great way to encourage consumers to spread the word and get some free advertising out of it!
Partnering with a Wine Bottle Labeling Professional
Wine labels have limited real estate, which means you have a confined space to make a massive impact. It requires careful planning and design to communicate everything you need to while keeping the label minimal and interesting.
Therefore, wine bottle labels need to be designed, planned, and printed with meticulous detail for the perfect result. Correct printing bleeds, margins, and sizing is all vital for a precise label. An expert custom label printer can help you create the perfect label for your brand and do test prints first to make sure it lays on smoothly.
Whether you’re in the craft beer, wine, or spirits industry, you’ve come to the right place! Ask us about our Bottle Label Printing services for water bottles, wine bottles, and beer bottles.
M&R Label has decades of label design and print experience across many industries, including alcoholic beverages. Sip back and relax knowing we’re the premier custom label printing partner to help your product and business reach great heights!
