Wine Label Creation
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Ok, so you have found a Wine recipe or concocted your own. You have made your wine with love, pride and care. You have bottled your wine with a bottle that caught your eye and now what?
Well if you plan on drinking it yourself and not showing it off to all of your friends and family then there's nothing left but enjoy! However if you are like me and several others that enjoy this hobby then you want everyone you know to experience your creation at least once. You have put so much pride and love in every bottle but they just don't show it by looking at them. You need a label!
There are several ways to go about this and as long as you’re not selling your wine there really isn't a wrong way. I would like to walk you through the steps that I personally take when creating a wine label. First you are going to need some sort of photo editing software. I use Microsoft picture it 9 However there are some free photo editing software out there Find one you like and stick with it.
Now that that's out of the way you are going to need a guideline, like elegant, or fun, or even basic. Next you are going to need an Idea. Think outside of the box for this one. For example if you made a Strawberry White Zinfandel your first thought would be to show a picture of strawberries on your label. Not that there's anything wrong with that but let’s face it, it's playing it pretty safe! Instead try to let your mind wander; sometimes you may want to dwell on it for a day or two. Think Strawberry's = summertime, or Strawberries = red or even childhood memories of strawberries. Do you see how this train of thought has completely removed the boundaries of what you thought you should picture on the label?
Before it goes on paper you want to think of a general layout for your label. Some people like a center oval with some text below, some like it a bit more boxy with squared out text and clean lines, I personally like a centered photo that flows from top to bottom with ease.
Now let’s go to the software. Most will ask you for a canvas size. Measure your bottles; see
what fits and what you would like. I general use a 4”x5” canvas. Find a background image like a solid color or a textured backdrop like parchment; just make sure that this background fits within your guideline that you determined earlier. Next find you a royalty free photo that fits within the realm of your design and place it on the canvas in an area the fits within your layout. I know this all sound a bit confusing but play around with it a while and soon you will find something that just screams “This is it”.
Now you are going to want to add text. There are a few general recommendations that I would make for this and they include the following from Professional
Friends of Wine
BRAND - This says very little. Some brands are reliable, a good thing, but consistency in wine can be homogenous, dull, uninteresting.
CLASS - This provides some flavor grouping, but casts a very large net: separates still from sparkling, table from dessert; grape from other fermented sources.
DISTINCTIVE DESIGNATION OPTIONS - In addition to Class, a distinctive or fanciful proprietary identifying name is permitted in accordance with common trade practice. Under many conditions, an appellation of origin that discloses the true place of origin of the grapes is mandatory: if using a varietal or type with varietal significance (e.g., Fumé Blanc or Meritage); if using a generic term (e.g., Burgundy, Chablis, or Port); if the name is qualified with the word "brand"; or if the wine is labeled with the year the grapes were harvested (vintage dated).
ALCOHOL - Generally, alcohol level is the best indicator on any label as to the wine's relative sweetness or dryness. Usually, wines under 11% alcohol tend to sweetness, while those from 11% to 13.5% tend to dryness. Those above 13.5% can go either way, since residual sugar is often used to balance the slightly hot taste of alcohol.
WHO & WHERE BOTTLED - Where the wine is bottled has very little to do with how it tastes. The average consumer pays entirely too much attention to winery location and not nearly enough to vineyard location or appellation.
QUANTITY of CONTENTS - When it comes to flavor satisfaction, size matters little however it is a nice touch to add “750ml” to you label for example.
See the attached photo ("Prosperity Red" label courtesy of Peter May's "Unusual Wine Labels")
Lastly, I like to add a border to my label, something that sets the rest of the image apart. This also helps when cutting them out of the paper. Now you’re ready to print. I recommend a laser jet printer if at all possible.
If you are looking for a “glossy” finish you might try clear Kralon. Spray it on the labels before applying them to the bottle.
Apply your label with a glue stick. This provides plenty of adhesion yet will come off the bottle later for ease of reusing the bottle for your next wine.
Finish dressing your bottle with a PVC shrink cap or a wax dip and show them off to everyone.
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