3 Stories Hidden Behind Cool Wine Labels
You know for sure that the suit doesn’t make the man.
But when we are talking about wine labels, how much power do they have to influence our decisions?
Obviously, there is a whole load of technical stuff reported on the label that plays an important role, but no matter how much wine knowledgeable we are, the marketing behind a cool wine label can be truly appealing especially when it is somehow telling us a story, something about that specific wine that makes it unique.
That’s why I have decided to tell you the interesting stories behind some wine labels that have recently caught my attention while working on the London Wine Fair 2019.
Wine Mechanics
Instagram: @winemechanics
Wine Mechanics is a one-year-old urban winery located in Göteborg’s Slakthuset District in Sweden (a toast to Swedish wines!)
Let’s start from the wine names: the producers wanted them to be easy to remember, they wanted them to be pop. So they named them after some famous songs: Fistful of love by Antony and the Johnsons, Gimme Gimme Gimme by Abba, and Skinny Love by Bon Iver.
With one exception: just like many rock bands name their first album after their own name, their first wine is a Syrah named “Wine Mechanics”.
The labels are fun, modern and with some funky touches. They all have an Engineering Graph Paper background recalling a direct link to the name of the producer and they are young, cool and practical. Just like one of Gimme Gimme Gimme listing useful food pairings suggestions (really useful if you haven’t installed a wine app)
Gimme Gimme Gimme is cool and practical: it recommends you food pairings for the wine. So, gimme please some fresh shellfish, cured meat and creamy cheese.
Viña Progreso
Instagram: @vinaprogreso
This is the story of a small winery in Uruguay and its owner Gabriel Pisano, a man who started to make wine somewhat for passion.
In fact, after working with his father for a while on a hundred years old winery he decided to start his own place but just to make wine for himself, his family and friends, not as a business.
And then, when he noticed that his wines were actually quite appreciated, somewhat for fun, he gave his uncle, who was a wine export manager, a couple of bottles to bring to the Bordeaux Expo so that wine experts could taste the wine and give him honest feedback. Obviously, he needed a label, and in the rush of the moment, he chose to use a copy of one of his auntie drawings.
That drawing with poetic name “Sueños” (from Spanish – dreams”) became a name for the wine – “Suenos de Elisa” or “Elisa’s Dreams”. Yes, Elisa is auntie’s name.
Well, that’s how it ended: the wine was a huge success, he found buyers that were ready to pay a fairly high price and the label seemed to be extremely appreciated as well, for its eclectic yet very personal style and for suiting the wine so well that…. it is still there 10 years after.
Renegade London wine
Instagram: @renegadelondonwine
Another urban winery, this time located in Bethnal Green in London. Here grapes come from around the UK and Continental Europe.
Their philosophy is to make innovative wines without the restrictions of the appellation system getting on the way. They work with different kinds of woods and natural fermentation. And innovation doesn’t end here: every year Renegade releases a new label design for their bottles.
And, since they believe that, what makes London interesting is the people who live here, on the bottles of the 2018 vintage, you‘ll find the eyes of some Londoners staring at you. These, of course, are real people, they can even reply to you in Instagram 🙂
The eyes of Jamie, 41 years old Front of house manager in Shoreditch.
Those of Crystal, 19 years old student from Malaysia, she represents a sparkling rose;
The eyes of Jock, 70 years old fruiterer at Borough market,
Those of Marc, 42 years a journalist and those of Michael a heating specialist.
The eyes of real people, looking at you and inviting you to taste the real London!
To be continued….
2019-06-04 by
