The Art in Wine Labels

by Jayne Behman

What long ago was a hobby or began simply for its tax shelter benefits for the wealthy, being a Central Coast winemaker has developed into a prestigious and very serious business.  Today, our wines receive worldwide recognition. In its 29th year, the Paso Robles Wine Festival saw thousands of wine connoisseurs over this festival's annual May celebration.

The Winemaker's label is a key component to marketing its wine. This sticker becomes the wine's Icon. It is the winery's primary business card, creating it's first impression, and conveying its life time identity. This visual art compels a position reaction within a span of less than three seconds.

Set amongst hundreds of wine bottles on the shelves, the label can influence the decision to purchase it, or not. Some wine consumers base their purchase entirely on the label's appeal. There is a psychological link to what is ON the bottle represents what is IN the bottle. It's simple marketing. In this industry there is a Battle of the Bottle.

Judy Aron, owner and winemaker of AronHill Vineyards, created her label based on these marketing principals. Its wine tasting room at 3745 Highway 46 in Templeton has recently been completed.

Judy wanted a label presence that was meaningful to her. The Illustration had to  include horses because horses are a huge part of her life. Designing a wine label that would incorporate this animal's regal image, offer movement as opposed to a static stance, be elegant to represent the winery's boutique and exclusive image, plus she wanted the figure to be somewhat abstract but dateless; desires that combined to not be the designer's dream task.  Her final brand marker has a unique design that amalgamates her theme. It is immediately recognizable and uses clean simple colors.

Good design isn't simply "dreamt up" but discovered and developed from facts and artifacts specific to each project. A good example is Cayucos Cellars, 131 No. Ocean Avenue, Cayucos. Stuart, its owner, emphasizes how proud he is of the drawing made by a family member that he uses for his wine's label. 

Another perfect example of meaningful labels is not related to wine at all.  The Robbins family olive oil and balsamic vinegar labels are replicated paintings by artist and farm owner, Patti Robbins.  Many central coast artists are commissioned to create paintings incorporating our vistas to be reproduced for local produced wine and food. These paintings become the property of the patron. In many cases the image is reproduced thousands of times.

Prior to 1924, Mouton Rothschild sold each vintage only in barrels. For his 1924 vintage, Baron Philippe de Rothschild decided to bottle his entire vintage.  This was a first and in celebration of this historic moment, he commissioned Jean Carlu to design the first label.  Since then, Mouton has specialty made wine labels by famous masters the likes of George Braque (1955), Salvador Dali (1958), Henry Moore (1964), Pablo Picasso (1973), Robert Motherwell (1974), Andy Warhol (1975), Francis Bacon (1990), and more. In 1981, Rothschild had the idea of letting the public see this extraordinary art collection, so an exhibition called "L'Art et l'Etiquette" (The Art and the Label).  This collection was exhibited by a number of museums and galleries around the world.

Wine labels have a sense of place and time and tradition. They can be artful, matter of fact, humorous, or boring.

The obvious way of collecting wine labels is by soaking labels off bottles.  This is considered second hand and because of modern day glues, some of the most colorful and pictorial labels refuse to be separated from the bottles. This way, your collection builds at the rate you can drink wine.  Other options include collecting empty bottles from your local wine tasting merchant such as Morro Bay Wine Seller (1601 Embarcadero-#5, Morro Bay). There are several wine tasting bars in Morro Bay, Cambria, and Cayucos. Since we live in a wine-producing county, we can visit vineyards direct and request a label.

The Internet is an excellent source to find wine importers and producers. Ask them to send you a label. Plus, there are several sites relating to wine label collectors where one might swap or share what is in your collection. (Remember to send a self-addressed stamped envelope.)

Any collector prefers unused labels, acquired from the winery. The question remains, do wine labels have value?

"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, and in water there is bacteria." (Ben Franklin)

June is a super month to participate in the arts. For school aged children, it's the only time that they may have the opportunity to participate in the arts; visual and performance. Check at all the local Art Centers, Colleges, and Museums for their class schedules.  Adults need to take the time to renew their spirit.  There is no better way than to discover one's better nature through the arts.  Again, Art Centers, Colleges, and Museums offer classes in the arts for all ages.

On a personal note . . . my Art-Rag Bags are coming down at Top Dog. I have a bidding war going on for where to bring them next.  Plus, my mosaic bench commissioned by Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara is coming along!  Come visit my studio anytime the door is open.