When it comes to wine, you usually can judge the book by its cover. This is the last in our series on wine packaging. The most visible aspect is the one that speaks volumes about the winery and its product. Wine is packaged to attract your attention, but when looked at closely, labels provide not only visual images, but can give important clues to the quality of the product in the bottle. Wine labels are the most well-thought out part of wine marketing and packaging, but for consumers, perhaps the most confusing.
Labels are just another strictly regulated part of winemaking.
Not only did the ancient Egyptians use hieroglyphics to detail their methods of winemaking and drinking, they also painted them on wine containers. These first labels were meant for identification in the afterlife. The Romans used tied-on labels on their jars sealed with gypsum, pitch or plaster. For the first time, people needed to know when the wine was made and what its origin was. Seventeenth century labels were parchment paper with hand-lettered ink, tied around the bottle.