Gue Rila Tactics in Wine and Design

I have spent a lot of time recently learning about wine, taking courses, attending fairs, visiting wineries from here to Greece, learning to spit properly, and in general, when not spitting, drinking a lot. Part of my fascination has been to study this peculiar world and industry through the lens of a designer, turning up parallels to design, and intriguing differences.

One finds that good wine producers, like talented product designers, are dedicated professionals with exacting standards. They are often testing new techniques, experimenting with new materials and processes, and searching for the same elusive perfection sought by good modern designers. But at its heart, wine making is an old world process more associated with traditional values than with contemporary sensibilities. So when I see examples of modern thinking, they grab my attention.

Recently, when I attended a tasting of Slovenian wines in San Francisco, my eye immediately went to a particular bottle’s label that stood out amid the legion of choices: Gue Rila. Was Gue Rila an intentional pun on guerilla? Who knows? The wine was a rosé, a style that I enjoy but one that gets little respect compared with classic red and white wines (just as flip flops are not taken as seriously as stilettos in the shoe world). The label was edgy, modern, simple, a little industrial, and not something you normally associate with a pleasantly light summer wine. Like most whites, rosé’s come in clear glass, and this wine had a bolder red color than most roses, a difference that made me curious about the taste. But it was the label that drew me to this wine before all others. It made you think differently about the contents of this bottle.

I tasted the wine and found it to have a distinct character, with nice notes of peaches and strawberries but with a tart, peppery finish that made me want to sip it again quickly. This was not a romantic rose from Provence, but an edgy, rich young wine with a feisty attitude. The character of the label matched the product, making me wonder a wine label can reflect accurately the taste and character of a bottle’s contents? Did the wine producers and the graphic designer work together on this one? Who makes the design decision on most wine labels?

Many wine labels suffer from traditional constraints: either formality or enforced frivolity, plus geographic, and legislative restrictions. For example, there are over 1,000 French Bordeaux that look pretty much the same on the package despite the fact the region’s wines range from $3.00 to $1,000.00 in any given year. Many new world wines employ cute animal motifs and catchy graphics to differentiate themselves, but these seem more like marketing ploys than serious attempts to convey the essential nature of the product in the bottle. Could it be that roses in general are not taken so seriously that allows them to be freer with label design? Maybe it takes a pink wine to free up the spirit. Perhaps it’s the happy color that saves roses from the serious, academic scrutiny endured by other wines. Connected with the summer and all things light and sensual, rose is the most seductive and sexy of all wines.

I have seen some very clever modern label solutions, such as this Portugese Vino Verde label, where a strip could be pulled off like a Post It and stuck on the fridge to remind you of the wine for a repurchase. This is a bright solution to the problem many of us have remembering the name of a wine once we’ve tossed the bottle away or left the restaurant. A cleverly-designed label can also serve as a mnemonic sticker. An unusual striped capsule attracted me to a California wine a while back and inspired an article about stripes.

As with most things visual, the Italians excel. They play around with graphics on the cork as well as the label. The Spanish also seem to be effective in differentiating themselves. But stand out labels are rare in the US. There are excellent modern precedents such as Ridge’s labels that haven’t changed since the 60’s and still distinguish themselves in labels as well as wine, but too few. Click here for examples of rose’s and other modern labels.

They say that 85,000 wines come to the US market every year. This seems like a good opportunity for graphic design to make a difference. At least, it should encourage graphic designers to drink more wine in order to understand their clients’ needs.

Best,

I'm collecting other examples of smart modern approaches to labels and would appreciate any examples you can email my way. We also encourage you to make comments that can be shared with the public by using the Post Comments section below.

Comments

[Carol]

Just saying "Good Luck with your new blog!" Love DWR, the modern (and excellent) wines from the Willamette Valley, and your way cool first post about the favorite hotel experiences.

Carol

[Design for Mankind]

ROB! Welcome to the blogosphere!!! Here's a special hello from your fellow bloggers:

http://designformankind.blogspot.com/2007/10/welcome-studio-forbes.html

So glad to have you amongst us!