| Notable Wine Labels on Rick's WineSite | Since this website is largely about wine and art and photography, its only fitting to recognize
Notable Wine Labels | Criteria for Wine Label of the Month: | Attractive - Imaginative, stylish, colorful, appealing to the eye
Branding - Recognizable branding for the producer
Content - Informative about the product, producer
Distinctive - Imaginative
Easy to read
Fun
Or NOT, but indeed distinctive! | |
| | Venge Vineyards | | Series - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Scout's Honor Blend |
Unique distinctive oil painting artwork of vines, vineyard scenes, vineyard and winery buildings.
Strong branding affinity and totally functional with all requisite label information. |
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Fowles Wine | | 'Ladies Who Shoot
Their Lunch' Victoria Shiraz 2012 |
| Once again, you have to love those Aussie's
and their sense of humour. According to
their website, The Fowles Family are "A mixture of English and Irish, the Fowles
family ancestors arrived in Australia (by choice!) in the early
1800�s to pursue all the opportunities and excitement the new
continent had to offer. Successive generations and branches of
the family have featured business men and women (including the
founder of what is now the Bendigo Bank during the gold rush),
lawyers, doctors, miners, soldiers, journalists, farmers and
auctioneers. After 34 years David Fowles parted with his
interest in Fowles Auction Group to focus on the family�s
property, financial and rural interests including viticulture
and winemaking. Matt Fowles, one of four boys in the Fowles
family, stepped up from a successful legal career with
international law firm Baker & McKenzie to lead Fowles Wine. ..
When Matt isn�t taking Fowles Wine to the world he can be found
playing with wine or hunting for his table.' ...Matt is
the man behind the innovative Ladies who Shoot their Lunch wine
� the world's first wine to be blended to complement wild game
meat." |
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 | Roots Vineyard | | Klee Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011 | |
In homage to one of producer Chris Berg's favorite artists, Roots'
second label, Klee (named after Paul Klee), makes up the largest portion
of their case production with 2,000 cases made annually. The artwork is
their own adaptation of a Klee painting. An art lover would recognize
the artist Klee style artwork, the label is a clever rendition of a
brilliant melange of color with a take-off of the Chesire Cat and a wine
bottle. |
| |  | Fess Parker Vineyards
The Big Easy Red Wine Blend | Foul - Another original artwork label featuring �Bourbon Street Dazzle� By Diane Millsap. While colorful, stylish and picturesque artwork, the label provides no data about the wine.
Its a Santa Barbara County Red Wine Blend of Grenache, Syrah and Petit Syrah from four different designated vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley. Never mind the vintage. | | | | | | |  | Matsu
El Picaro and El Recio Tempranillo, Toro Spain | | Two more original artwork labels featuring eye-catching pictures of two vintage characters. Interesting and quaint but again, the labels provides no data about the wine. Foul. | | | | |  |   | Spring Valley Vineyard
Uriah & Frederick Red Wine Blends
and Katherine Corkrum Cab Franc
All in the family -
ancestral photos. Three examples showing you can achieve the eye-catching photo's or artwork while still providing requisite wine data. These are unique as they are photos of the producer's ancestors who originally settled the property.
Whimsical and distinctive but lack consistent branding. | | | | |  | Melka Wines
CJ Red Wine
Winemaker's self portrait. Eery stange photo with minimalist wine label info.
See the Dominus winemaker portrait series below. | | | | | | |  |  |  |
| | Unique distinctive artwork in three wrap-around panels on an oversize heavy bottle. |
| | | |  | | Producer: | Diamond Creek | Wine: | Vineyard Designated
Cabernet Sauvignon | | Region/Appellation: | Napa Valley Diamond Mountain | | Vintage | 2004 |
| Legendary Diamond Creek is a case study in terroir - each of its four vineyards with its own micro-climate, soil type and geography that are revealed in their single vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon wines and labels - named for their four distinctly different origination vineyards. | | The vineyards and labels of Diamond Creek are Gravelly Meadow, Red Rock Terrace , Volcanic Hill , and Lake. See these vineyards and their special thirtieth anniversary artist labels on my unwindwine wineblog. |
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| Producer: | Wine Guerilla | Wine: | Zinfandel | | Region/Appellation: | Sonoma County - Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley | | Vintage | 2008-09 |
| �Wine Guerrilla,� began as a broker of small-production artisinal wines, provides reasonably priced zinfandel wines from Sonoma county�s best-known growers. Wine Guerilla sports unique distinctive fun, stylish and creative artwork featured labels. See Wine Guerilla label library. |
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| | Producer: |
Sarl H & Co. | Wine: |
Fittings Grenache | | Region/Appellation: | |
Languedoc Roussillon,
Vin de Pays des C�tes Catalanes | | Vintage | 2011 |
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Bizarre branding labeling design. I don't get it .... |
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| | Producer: | Flora Springs | Wine: | Trilogy | | Region/Appellation: | Napa Valley, Rutherford | | Vintage | 1990-2007 |
| Since 1984 Flora Springs has produced this Napa Valley Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot. The imaginative label prominently features grape vine leaves of the three grapes. Robert Parker calls the wine
"... a Napa Valley version of St-Emilion blended with a Margaux." | | |  | | Producer: | Misfit Wine Co. | Wine: | Brujeria Red Wine Shiraz | | Region/Appellation: | Southeast Australia | | Vintage | 2007 |
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Another label notable for its unattractiveness. they had to work hard to come up with something so vulgar looking. Brujeria was inspired by classic Ribera del Duero reds, but is based off of the Aussie signature grape, Shiraz along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, and Tempranillo. | | |  | | Producer: | Southern Belle | Wine: | Shiraz | | Region/Appellation: | Barossa Valley | | Vintage | 2005 |
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Certainly distinctive but another notable label for the wrong reason. A confusing label to say the least - it almost looks like its printed in some Asian language. | | |  | | Producer: | Nova Wines | Wine: | Marilyn Merlot
Norma Jean Merlot | | Region/Appellation: | Napa Valley | | Vintage | 2003 shown |
| This vertical selection has become a collector edition featuring authentic library photographs of Marilyn Monroe adorning the labels. The wine is good and value priced ($22) making this a fun collectable, serving suggestion, or gift bottle. For those even more budget constrained there is a second "Norma Jean" label priced at around $10.
See Marilyn Merlot Library Page on Rick's WineSite. |  | | Producer: | Mollydooker | Wine: | "Enchanted Path"
Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon | | Region/Appellation: | Mclaren Vale Australia | | Vintage | 2004-2007 | | |
| Mollydooker - Australia for "Left Handed" from Sarah & Sparky Marquis. Their family of wines feature whimsical cartoon charachiture labels. |  |  |  | | Producer: | Mollydooker | Wine: | | "Carnival of Love" Shiraz | | Region/Appellation: | Mclaren Vale Australia | | Vintage | 2004-2007 | | |
|  |  | | | | |  | | Producer: | Fantesca Estate & Winery | Wine: | Cabernet Sauvignon | | Region/Appellation: | Spring Mountain, Napa Valley | | Vintage | 2002-2007 | | The notable point of these labels is that there isn't one! The classically elegant etched and painted bottle is matched by a refined polished elegant wine suitable for the most distinguished gathering! |
|  | The same can be said for their Carneros Chardonnay (left) as well. From our friends Susan and Duane Hoff. | | |  | | No producer in the world captures the imagination or attention of wine collectors more than Mouton Rothschild with their annual artist series of labels. Each year a renowned artist is commissioned to do the artwork for that vintage. Labels have been produced by the world's most famous contemporary artists, Chagall (1970), Dali (1958), Picasso (1973), Miro (1969), Andy Warhol (1975), as well as other luminaries such as Prince Charles (2004) and Hollywood director John Huston (1982) (shown at left). See the complete Mouton Rothschild Wine Label Library on Rick's Winesite. | | |  | | Producer: | Dominus Estate | Wine: | Proprietary Red Blend | | Region/Appellation: | Yountville Napa Valley | | Vintage | 1983-1990 |
| Christian Moueix fell in love with Napa Valley and its wines while studying at U.C. Davis. After many years of searching the ideal vineyard location, in 1982 he entered into a joint venture with John Daniel's family. This was the birth of Dominus, and its first vintage was harvested in 1983. Since then, Christian Moueix has worked to restore the unique character of the original vineyard. He became full owner in 1995. Charicature drawings of Christian Mouiex adorned the labels from 1983-1990. See the Dominus wine label library on DominusEstate.com or Rick's Winesite Label Library - Dominus. | | | | |  | | Producer: | Plungerhead | Wine: | Old Vines Zinfandel | | Region/Appellation: | Dry Creek Valley | | Vintage | 2004 |
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You can't say winemakers don't have a sense of humor! You just hope their taste in grape juice exceeds their taste in marketing, style and design. | | |  | | Producer: | Owen Roe | Wine: | Sinister Hand | | Region/Appellation: | Columbia Valley | | Vintage | 2006 |
| Another one that provokes, "what were they thinking?" Well the story is, the label is a family crest � a depiction of a severed left hand from the story of a rowing competition among the O�Neills and O�Reillys (Owen Roe was an O�Neill). Whoever touched land first after rowing across the lake was rewarded with the land he touched. Lagging behind, one of the kinsfolk grabbed his sword, cleaved his hand and pitched it ashore to touch land first. He won the land and eventually ruled over it as king. Not exactly the bottle to set on the table of an elegant dinner party! Rhone style blend of 63% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 7% Mourvedre. | | | | |  | | Producer: | Orin Swift | Wine: | Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon | | Region/Appellation: | Napa Valley | | Vintage | 2012 |
| Another instance of what were they thinking?
Easy to confuse Orin Swift (Napa) and Owen Roe (Columbia) )above) - same dark perspective or approach ... Many of the Orin Swift label have an eery sense about them .. http://www.orinswift.com/ |  | | | | | | |  | | Producer: | Kenwood | Wine: | Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon | | Region/Appellation: | Napa Valley | | Vintage | 1999 |
| Many producers now sport 'artist's series'. Another brightly colorful use of stylish artwork - the modern graphic, tastefully set into the label design. I don't want to lend too much credence to the use of artwork detracting from the wine but these are very attractive. | | |  | | Producer: | Chateau Leoville Barton | Wine: | | | Region/Appellation: | Bordeaux - St Julien | | Vintage | ongoing |
| Classic Bordeaux label depicting the Chateau indicating the wine is Estate bottled. | | |  | | Producer: | Chateau Leoville Las Cases | Wine: | | | Region/Appellation: | Bordeaux - St Julien | | Vintage | 1981 |
| Classic Bordeaux label depicting the vineyard - gate to Leoville Las Cases in St Julien - adjacent to Chateau Latour in Pauillac. One of my favorite labels, this one is from five liter Imperial of Erin's birthyear served at her and Johnny's wedding. | | |  | | Producer: | Elan | Wine: | Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon | | Region/Appellation: | Atlas Peak Napa Valley | | Vintage | 1990's |
| Stylish use of artwork - the image is of a piece of glasswork, tastefully set into the label design. | | |  | | Producer: | Duckhorn | Wine: | Howell Mountain
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc | | Region/Appellation: | Howell Mountain, Napa Valley | | Vintage | 1990 |
| Simple but distinctive... gives the blend of the wine and the producer information, clearly and succinctly. Duckhorn has a second label |
| | |  | | Producer: | Jinks Creek | Wine: | Heathcote Shiraz | | Region/Appellation: | Australia | | Vintage | 2002 |
| Notable for the wrong reasons. This one is striking but for contrary reasons. Probably one of the most 'haunting' labels imaginable. Even taking into account the series of artistic feminine images, this one is over the top in negative attractiveness and appeal. I think I know what they were attempting but this one may have the opposite effect. What do you think? | | |
| | |  | | Producer: | Sequoia Grove | Wine: | Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve | | Region/Appellation: | Rutherford, Napa Valley | | Vintage | 1998 |
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| Producer: | Flora Springs | Wine: | Wild Boar
Cabernet Sauvignon | | Region/Appellation: | Napa Valley | | Vintage | 1998 |
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| Having trouble pronouncing those French, German, Italian wine or varietal names?
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