More and More Winemakers Get Creative in Labeling Their Product

For most of us our attitude, perspective, and lifestyle is reflected in the outside image that we show the world. The kind of car we drive, the clothes we wear, our home furnishings and even the kind of eyeglasses we put on all play a role. The same can be said about wine. In the past, a wine label was simply a way to inform a customer about the variety and vintage of the wine. Now, as the supermarket shelves fill with more and more wines from not only different countries but states and regions as well, the label has become a strategic marketing tool. It’s become something that needs to reach out and catch the consumer’s eye. There are a wide variety of labels that range from the cute and whimsical, to work from local artists, to high-end collectable art.

When you get into the pricier wines, the trend has been to collect the labels as posters. While pictures of wineries, landscapes, and classic art are still popular, the trend recently has been towards wine labels that more closely reflect our lifestyles and the way we drink wine. Despite our conflicts with France over the situation in Iraq, all things French, as far as wine labels go, is hot right now. Restaurant and caf�© scenes and anything that reflects the more relaxed French way of life is very collectable. The scenes of French chefs, waiters, wine stewards, and patrons enjoying dining, their company and of course, the wine are very popular. Sometimes the artists that create the labels will do limited edition posters that sell in the range of $3,000 to $10,000 each.

On the other end of the spectrum, the labels can be humorous and at times even bizarre and off-color. Consider a wine from Europe called “Frog’s Piss” or “Billy Hill” which features a label showing a goat carrying an umbrella with the words peace, harmony, verity, musical, mysterious, memory, reflective, and terror floating around it. Then there is “Suckfizzle” from Australia. This Sauvignon Blanc label has a picture of a barefoot issuing forth from a bank of clouds. Be sure to pick up some “Fat Bastard” with the rather obese hippo on the front or “Hogshead-Chapter Eleven.” Wonder what they were thinking?

Here in Missouri we’ve taken more of a “middle-of-the-road” approach for our local wines. Les Bourgeois Vineyards in Rockport recently hired an artist and completely redesigned most of their labels. Their philosophy was to have the label reflect the characteristics of the wine inside. Their LaBelle, which is very light and fruity, has a picture of a flower on the label while their Norton has big black letters reading “NORTON” because it is a full-bodied, bold, dry red. St. James Winery has tried to strengthen its ties with the history of Missouri by featuring artwork by Thomas Hart Benton, the same stuff that graces the walls of the state capital. A few of the local wineries are taking an even more unique approach by sponsoring local artist competitions to find that one of a kind label that will get noticed. Do labels really matter? Studies show that even some of the most educated and sophisticated wine consumers will chose the more interesting label if all of the other rankings are the same.