Wine bottle labels can be an important part of the home wine making pastime, but they are really only as important as you want to make them. So long as the wine you are making is not being sold commercially, there are no special requirements. There have been countless home wine makers over the years who have simply torn some paper out of a notebook and written the type of wine on it, before sticking it to the bottle with adhesive tape. If you do want to go further than this, however, the design of the label can be an interesting art form all by itself.
In some cases, the content of a wine bottle label will be legally defined. This happens in situations where wine is being sold commercially to the end user. Here, the label will be used to contain important information which can help the potential buyer make a choice. The country and region of origin is the first and most obvious part of this, along with the amount of alcohol by volume. Names of bottlers and importers can also be included, although they are less likely to affect the buyer’s final choice. Different areas of the world also have different statutory requirements as to what must be included on wine bottles, for example the USA demands that there is a warning that alcohol consumption should be avoided during pregnancy. Even if you are not required to list these items on your label, it can give you some ideas for possible content.
These considerations need not affect the home wine maker, but the label can still be an important part of showing off the end product to friends and associates. There are basically two distinct areas of challenge involved in producing a good wine bottle label, and these are the design, and the actual printing itself. The design work can be entirely up to you. If you are a talented artist, you can just start with a blank piece of paper and produce the exact design you want. This can then be transferred to a wine label using an easy printing method.
If you are not so good with art, you can still achieve a highly satisfying result by using one of the design templates which are routinely available with good software packages. Just by making a few simple choices and adjustments, you can create your own unique label using the tools which are included.
It is even possible to find purely online label creators, where you design the label on-screen and then submit an order. You don’t even need to buy or download any software. All you need to do is select the components you want to make up the label, and then choose the designs and the colors. You will be able to see instantly what the finished product will look like on the screen in front of you. You don’t need a printer or any extra equipment, and you don’t even need to be able to visit a printer. Simply submit your order and the labels will be shipped direct to your door. It can’t get any easier than that!
If you make home wine, expand your horizons and have a go at designing some of your own wine bottle labels.
