Wine Label Design | Famous Wine

Great wine is great wine, regardless of the packaging. Crappy wines are crappy wines, regardless of the packaging. But wine labels are often our first introduction to new brands. This is the first in a series of interviews about the importance of wine labels and how they can influence consumers purchases.

In this interview I ask my French friend, Nicolas from FamousWine, 7 questions about wine labels. Nicolas inspired this new series, and I'm thrilled that he agreed to answer these questions from the perspective of a wine aficionado.

Question 1: How did you find wine or how did wine find you? Tell me about your wine origin story.

I was born in 1982 into a family where the parents did not drink. Or very, very rarely. Neither wine nor aperitif. 4 or 5 bottles were picking up dust at the bottom of a closet, only there to be sure to have something to pour in the glasses if relatives or friends came to dinner. I imagine my mother used to take advantage of her shopping moments in the supermarket to occasionally catch a bottle on the shelf, only trusting the design of the label. 

I'm lucky that my parents are still alive. Today they've learned to enjoy a good drink (smile).

So, during my first 26 years, wine was of no interest. I even considered it to be reserved for people of a certain age: the old men with their noses red from years and years of drinking plonk. Can you imagine the vision? (smile). At the time, I only drank bad whiskey with diet coke at the student parties to give myself some courage to go & pick up girls (laugh).

When I met the woman who would become my spouse a few years later, things changed. She was born into a family of good-living people, for whom the pleasures of the table are important. Always a bottle of wine on the table, but never a very expensive bottle, and almost always the same cuvée (Château Le Tros, Bordeaux). For years, my interest in wine was limited to those moments spent at the table when visiting my in-laws.

For years, my interest in wine was limited to those moments spent at the table when visiting my in-laws.

In 2016, for my birthday, my wife’s brother offered me a bottle of Château Dauzac 2010, a Grand Cru Classé from Margaux (Bordeaux, France). The next day, I searched on the internet for more information about this bottle. Too late: I was hooked! That’s really when the serious stuff started. Since that day, the story is quite common: a real passion for wine!

Question 2: We both have very opinionated opinions about wine labels . Let's discuss! Do we agree that, without knowing anything about the producer, labels are THE first form of marketing...the first introduction to a wine?

Yes, I agree with you. When the consumer does not know anything about the producer or simply if she/he is not a connoisseur, the label is the first contact between the potential buyer and the bottle. I can even say that my mother chooses wine in the supermarket solely on this aesthetic criterion. Of course, she is not the only one to do so. There are surely surveys about consumer habits. I’m curious about the results. The label is a major business stake and I think the vast majority of estates are well aware of it. But some awful labels sometimes make me doubt that every estate or every producer has understood that the design should not be left to chance (laugh).

Question 3: Outside of names that you're familiar with, what sort of labels intrigue you enough to 'click for more info' or 'pick up the bottle in a store'.

I’m a little ashamed to admit this but I don’t buy any bottles based on the label. Never. I know, my way of proceeding clearly lacks madness. However, if I have to decide between a few bottles from my wish list, this criterion can sometimes be considered as a discriminating element.

However, when I dig on the Internet or at the wine merchants, a label can obviously catch my attention and make me want to know more about the cuvée. And this can ultimately lead to a purchase.

...this is very subjective

But you understand, the label alone will never trigger a purchase. When it comes to design, I see that my tastes are changing. Today, I am a big fan of clean labels, with a very abstract design not too colorful and a minimum of writing. Of course, the font used is important. It is not easy to explain since this is very subjective. It’s almost as hard to explain that as why I prefer brunettes to blondes (laugh).

Question 4: What makes a great wine label? What is your favourite wine label (in terms of purely aesthetics)?

Wow! The first one is not easy to answer. Ask 10 people the question and you will get 10 different answers. Don’t you think that great wines make great labels? I almost consider that the legend around some cuvées makes the labels iconic. For example, what about Opus One, Vega Sicilia, Château Figeac or Castillo Ygay? These are labels that fascinate every winelover. They are so famous that they necessarily become beautiful.

I’m not sure how to express my thoughts perfectly but I think you understand. I can sum up my thought by saying that some labels are beautiful for what they convey and other ones are aesthetically beautiful in the first sense of the term.

Regarding the purely aesthetic aspect, I can give some examples of stuffs that I like: I love the labels of La Grange de l'Oncle Charles (France), Giodo (Italy), 4kilos (Spain) and some cuvées from Eastern Peake Winery (Australia).

Question 5: I suspect this may be a different answer...what about the label will then make you actually purchase a wine that you know little about? What do you look at on the label that tempts you into purchasing the wine?

I’m not going to answer that question exactly because that’s not how I shop. As explain before, the label is never a factor.

My wine tastes are still very traditional today, and I have a hard time getting out of my comfort zone. In my opinion, funky labels often reflect funky wines. And I must confess that the natural wines that smell of the stable or the soaked fur do not drive me crazy. Sometimes I have the feeling that I must force myself to love this type of wine to be fashionable. On Instagram, my posts definitely would have many, many more views and likes. But it’s not my stuff. So, yes, I buy very few bottles with trendy labels.

In my opinion, funky labels often reflect funky wines.

Question 6: Have you also noticed a stark contrast between traditional wine labels and modern, funky label designs? Why do you think there is such a massive difference in styles? Is it 'different strokes for different folks'? Or do you think the wines are
intentionally marketed towards different types of consumers?

What a broad question! To caricature, we can make two categories:

• a) Conventional wines, produced by bourgeois families who have owned the property for many generations, with well established reputation: the labels are very old-school, very classic. Some have not been re-designed for many, many years. Sometimes they undergo a makeover but the changes are often very discreet: difficult and risky to revolutionize too much when the label is well identified by consumers.
• b) Natural wines, or at least very eco-friendly ones, often produced by young winegrowers who sometimes worked previously in a completely different field of activity. There, we realize that the labels are much more worked, they have been the subject of a long reflection, nothing has been left to chance.

It’s almost a generational question: why would young producers choose outdated labels to stick on their bottles? Why would estates that have years and years of history choose funky labels? Of course, we must not be naive: since the label is a marketing issue, it has also be chosen to attract the consumer.

Today, what kind of consumers drink the Bordeaux Grands Crus? What type of consumers taste the speculative natural cuvées of the Jura?

A few weeks ago, I paid exceptionally for an Instagram ad. At the end of the advertising campaign, the statistics module of Instagram provided me with the following information: 91.7% of people who saw my ad are men and 42% are aged between 25 and 34 years old. That’s why there are more and more labels designed for a younger audience.

Obviously, I caricature a bit but I think the truth is not so far away. The design of the label is probably a subtle mix between the producer’s own sensitivity and the profile of the target customers.

Question 7: You're lucky to live in France - arguably the birthplace of wine. Do you find that international imported wines 'look different' and perhaps 'feel different'?

I don’t think it depends on the geographical origin of the wine. Everywhere in the world there are classic labels and more modern labels. What do you think of the Sadie Family, Le Riche or Mullineux labels? Quite traditional, right? What about Van Loggerenberg or Luddite ones? More in the spirit of times, no? This demonstration can be done for any country. Again, I think it depends on the sensitivity of the producer or on marketing considerations.

Everywhere in the world there are classic labels and more modern labels.

I’ve asked you to recommend a wine, as well as tell me why you chose the wine and suggested pairings for it.

COGW: One of the most common tastings in SA is comparing Loire Chenin Blanc to SA Chenin Blanc. For good reason - it's a fascinating exploration of how climate, winemaking, mutation and, perhaps, culture influence wines made from the same grape variety.

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I adore Nicolas and the way he communicates his passion for wine. In his interview he said 'we’ve built a friendship that is very pleasant to me'...and this contrast in enthusiasm absolutely tickles me because I know that, in person, our feelings about befriending each other is equal - my expression of our friendship is a little hip shaking boogie and a fair amount of yelling and hugging! If you are on Instagram, I couldn't recommend his account more highly...the detail, the interesting French wines...amazing! And, if you're lucky, Nicolas will engage with you in ways that challenge you in the best way possible. We may disagree on a handful of labels, but we always agree about the wine. Because, marketing and design aside, it's the wine inside the packaging that truly counts!

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Stay tuned for upcoming interviews about Wine Label Design from Neil Tully MW of Amphora Design and Brenden Schwartz of Bravo Design.