7 keys to design personalized wine labels

 If we talk about packaging and its power to connect with customers, wine labels are an example that never fails.

The wine sector knows that they are a powerful marketing tool, and are committed to innovative strategies to provide them with their own identity.If you have a winery and want to learn how to design wine labels to connect with the emerging public, don't miss this article.

Wine, one of our greatest legacies

Did you know that the Roman Empire was a time of great apogee for wine in Spain? It became a cult product exported in large quantities.During the Muslim era, Christians continued with wine production, and in the Reconquest the export channels to Europe were reopened. In 1925 Spain obtained its first designation of origin.Wine is synonymous with tradition in Spain. It has always been considered a high-end product popular with the adult audience.But trends change, and the public too. The current focus is to connect with the audience under 35, who continues to choose other types of drinks in front of the wine.

Good labeling positions your wine in the market

Spanish wineries know that the public between 18 and 35 years is key to the growth of the sector, but the truth is that the wine still has no impact among this audience.Therefore, cooperatives and wine producers have joined forces. They want the wine to stop looking like something serious and difficult to choose.

Fran Hidalgo, communication director of Bodegas Casa Rojo, states that:

“The new generations move by impulses, emotions and feelings. It is necessary to enter them through the eyes with attractive namings and labels , adapt the communication language to their interests to generate affinity, and move in social networks as one of their main sources of information ”.

In fact, marketing studies confirm this: the labeling is decisive during the purchase.

In 2016 Wine.net interviewed 2000 regular wine consumers, and asked them to choose a red wine among three possible and one white among three possible. The only thing the respondents saw was an image of each bottle.80% of the participants confirmed having made their choice based on the label.The conclusion is that a high percentage of consumers base their purchase on a visual instinct (if the client has no knowledge about wine, even more). Therefore, the presentation of the bottle is crucial for the choice.

How to design custom wine labels?

Taking into account the previous data, we can affirm that consumers (especially the youngest) look for a bottle with identity, which shows in an interesting way the sensations that it houses inside.This means that labeling is the first step to make your bottles stand out on any shelf, but how to choose the design that best suits your wine?

With 7 simple keys you can start designing wine labels. We'll tell you next!

1. Analyze your audience well

The wine labels are limited in size, so you must choose with you the elements that you will capture in it. Remember: the goal is to cause a great visual impact in a small space.To do this, the first thing is to define what makes you different.Is the history of your winery unique? Your vineyards are over 100 years old and you want to show yourself as a brand with tradition? Would you rather focus on a younger audience looking for bold flavors?When you define your story and your audience, think about how to translate your idea into one or two sentences, also including the most characteristic elements of your wines.In this example we see how the winery * la vinyeta has opted for a descriptive label and little seen for its Llavors wine.It includes anecdotes about the production of wine through newspaper clippings. No doubt, consumers will be curious to read it.

2. Play with colors to define your brand

Red wine is usually sold in dark green bottles to prevent contact with sunlight and does not rust.The labels of these bottles are usually dark to give a feeling of opacity and intensity, although white labels with bold letters in red, blue and gold tones are also used.On the contrary, white wine is usually sold in transparent bottles or pale shades. Their labels usually include light blue and green to give a feeling of freshness and energy.White, gold and pink tones prevail in sparkling and rosé wines.These are the most common color lines, but, of course, you can break the standards! Here we show you two creative brands that are committed to a design with varied colors and a lot of vigor.The Stella Wines Solera Beverage Group is committed to a floral design for your cellar. In addition, the upside down bottle becomes a bouquet of flowers, perfect for a double gift!The DOCA Rioja has the Vinsual line. The labels on these bottles  contain a code that the user can scan to discover the dedication inside. 

Project your style well

Designing wine labels implies reflecting the values ​​of your brand and speaking directly to your audience.If your clients are more adults and have a bigger budget, you can opt for a traditional style.If your goal is to address millennials who are developing their taste for wine, the options can range from a groundbreaking style to a range of contrasting colors, a contemporary design, etc.Similarly, your label needs an image that gives you exclusivity.You can capture an illustration with the location of your vineyards, a particular feature of your land, animal silhouettes, the type of grape you work with, etc.

Find that unique detail and think about how to translate it into your label. A well-designed image is a guarantee of differentiation from the competition.The design school Neosbrand made these labels in pastel tones, which combine perfectly with the pale lemon shade of the wine La Sonrisa de Tares.It is a refreshing, fruity wine, and aimed at a young audience that is beginning its path in oenology.With a modern and exclusive design, Porrón Molón has managed to introduce the classic wine porrones among the youngest.Its objective is to bring traditional customs closer to the new audience. As we can read on its website: "It is a tribute to the authentic and essential that leads us to that simple state of happiness that is so cool."

The Terra d'Art Wineries have chosen to design wine labels with a touch of their land. The design stands out for the representation of the Ahillas valley, a landscape that surrounds its vineyards.The Puente de Rus winery has opted for a groundbreaking design that targets (almost exclusively) the younger audience. Its combination of images and sayings makes its labels and packaging call attention to the naked eye.

4. Bet on novel materials

The quality and texture of the paper are important factors in your wine labels.If we take a look at any wine aisle we will see embossed labels, hot stamping, encrypted images, QR codes with additional product information, etc.There are also alternative wine labels to the traditional square design, but they tend to be more expensive, so you would have to place bulk orders to make the investment profitable.

5. Include the essential information in your tags

Finally, do not forget to consult the legislation in force in Spain.The regulations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries require a series of mandatory data that must be included on the labels of any bottle.In this link you can consult Royal Decree 1363/2011 of October 7 on the mandatory regulation for the labeling, presentation and identification of Spanish wine products.As a summary, it is important that your wine labels contain:

• The mandatory legal information to market the product.
• The necessary government warnings.
• The history of your vineyard shaped simply, interestingly and visually

6. Wine labels with sustainable design

If you produce organic wine or are thinking of producing it, a good option is to accompany it with sustainable labeling.

This is not a simple alternative with respect to the material of your wine labels, it is also a way of connecting with the public interested in environmentally responsible companies that reduce their carbon footprint on the planet.An example of this is the agri-food company Granza, which in 2018 began using the residues of grapes (pulp, skin and pips) for the role of its wine labels.

This respectful alternative to the planet accompanies its range of organic wines Granza Eco Verdejo 2016, Granza Eco Roble Ribera del Duero 2016 and Granza Eco Roble Toro 2013.The label is of good quality, adheres perfectly to the packaging, and complies with European regulations to come into contact with dry and non-fatty moist foods.

7. Sustainable packaging, your ally to design wine labels

Like the labels, the packaging of your wine should reflect the values ​​of your brand in a creative and close way for consumers.For this, there are many companies that choose a personalized packaging , with its brand and its logo, that combines with the labeling, and that has been manufactured thinking about the sustainability of the planet.

For your new packaging , the ideal is to think about:

• Your target audience
• The colors that define your brand and that combine with your bottle.
• Your style and how to project it through packaging .
• The quality of the box to protect the glass.
• Manufacturing materials.

The Nutcreatives studio has created a packaging for functional wine and recycled cardboard for Viajes de un Catador .It is designed to have a second life, as it becomes a construction set with hexagonal parts, and has a handle to transport it without using a bag.The Ciclus studio has designed this creative bottle packaging for Casa Berger . It is made of cardboard, and all the accessories for mounting a lamp in minutes are included inside the box.

7.1 Where to find  sustainable wine packaging

There are more and more agencies and design studios that work on sustainable packaging . With a simple search on the Internet you will find many options at your fingertips.From Packhelp we join the sustainable movement with recyclable wine boxes.They are mounted simply. The lower part contains a cardboard insert for easy assembly and disassembly.So, as with your labels, think of the target audience, the colors that define you, a logo or image, and voila! You can start designing your boxes.

So far our article today with 7 keys to design personalized wine labels.

We hope that it has been useful to you, and that your labels and your packaging become, from now on, your best allies for the presentation of your bottles.If you want to start creating your wine packaging , you just have to enter our wine boxes section and discover all the options at your fingertips.