You can often hear the comment, ‘It’s what’s inside that counts’. That’s absolutely true, but in this world where image is what seems to keep it going round and fast, the pressure exists to design more modern and arty labels which even the more classical wineries from more traditional regions are having to adopt.
Of course, there are still rules to abide by when labelling, but surrounding those labelling laws, changes witnessed in the last decade have been quite dramatic and all to achieve one aim, to be noticed by us, the consumers.
The main change has really been to simplify the label, although at the same time add more information about the wine. Another change has been to go radically different to the norm which at times even includes the shape of the bottle. More traditional wineries haven’t completely let go of that classical image, but instead have made their labels more up-to-date by reducing their size and going for a more modern font or, releasing a new wine with a completely different label to reflect it’s more modern side.
What do we prefer? Can a wine label influence our decision to buy it? Can a label change put us off a wine we’ve always enjoyed? Are we label snobs?
I decided to put myself to the ‘label test’ by spending some time at Anglo Wines to stare at its huge range of wine. True, many wines I know both inside and out so I put myself into the shoes of an unknown and the wines which caught my eye from a distance were those with ‘different’ and/or bright labels. Nevertheless, once up close and personal, other factors came into the game like the quality of the label, the weight and shape of the bottle, the colour of the bottle and of course the information stated about the wine. The fact is that these wines were noticed, however, when does one choose a wine from a distance?! When closer to the range (at a normal distance to touch the bottle and really look at it) I tended to stop at the modern (not necessarily bright), yet smart and elegant wines. Did they make me want to buy them? Well I love tasting new wines so yes, depending on the price!
I took the test further by selecting a couple of well-known wines which had had a recent label change. One label I loved, the other I was not so keen on and I automatically started thinking that its delicious contents had also been changed. There was only one way of finding out. Once tasted, to my relief both wines were as I remember them – there was certainly no change in style to either, although I enjoyed the wine with the stunning label much more and felt that the label of the other didn’t do the wine justice. Perhaps it’ll grow on me, such as with another wine whose label I was never sure about. This particular wine was introduced to me over a year ago and although I found its label strange, I adored the wine so much and still do, that I now love the label too!
Judging from the above, does this mean the label sold me the wine? Perhaps, but it doesn’t end there, I’m also willing to take the plunge and taste it before giving my overall verdict. It’s all about complimenting each other although it’s easier to be won over by a well-liked wine with an ugly label than by a disliked wine with a funky label. We’d probably even go for a wine with no label at all simply because it stands out from the rest, but label or no label, it all comes down to personal taste and I believe that if a wine is still on a shop shelf it’s because somebody likes it enough to buy it!
As for wine label snobbery, that’s solved – simply decant!!
Visit ANGLO WINES and identify your favourite wine labels.
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