14 Feb The Art of Wine Labels

How many times are you drawn to a bottle of wine by the label?  Sure, you may start by looking by varietal or region but you can’t deny that the label may catch your eye and make you take notice? While an attention-grabbing label is a great marketing tool, the meaning behind the label is also of significance. Here are some wine labels that have caught my attention, as well as the meaning behind some of the labels. Native9 wine label pays homage to the family land which is primarily used as a cattle ranch. Owner and winemaker Gavin Chanin was also an award winning art student at UCLA and each wine bottle has a piece of his artwork on the label. Owner and winemaker Jim Prosser combined the names of his grandfathers to name his winery J.K. Carriere. But, the wasp on the labels is a reminder of the two times that a wasp has nearly killed him due to a severe allergy. The Cowhorn Wine label honors, as does the name, the significance of the cow horn in biodynamic wine making practices. Alta Maria‘s labels honor the hand-hewn iron nails used by homesteaders in Santa Maria before the Industrial Revolution. Like wine, each nail is unique according the expertise of the craftsman. The pruning clippers on the labels of Matthiasson represent winemaker Steve Matthiasson hands-on care of his wines. The Shai Cellars label image is of the Hebrew letters “shin” and “yud” which make the word Shai, which  means gift in Hebrew. Here is a selection of other eye-catching labels.                      Of course, while the label may be what catches your eye, what’s inside the bottle is most important.  For any of the labels listed above, the wine inside the bottle is equally as palate pleasing as the labels are visually pleasing.