Wine labels A Brief Millennia-Long History

Wine labels represent much more than a simple strip of paper affixed to a bottle: in fact, they were born out of an ancient need and transformed over time from simple identification tools to true artistic creations, capable of evoking emotion and telling stories.

The intertwining of wine, terroir and art is centuries old and ongoing, as seen in the remarkable Barolo and Moscato Chapels, or in the wineries that have made this fusion of art and territory their signature—some of which are featured in this article. – and has always been the subject of study and fascination.

This centuries-old connection between wine, terroir, and art lives on today — as seen in the remarkable Barolo and Moscato Chapels, or in the wineries that have made this fusion of creativity and place their signature style, some of which are featured in this article.

We all know that there is a story behind every bottle that deserves to be told, but what do we really know about the front of the bottle? Let’s go find out!

Origins

The earliest known label was not made of paper or ink, but was engraved in clay-a lasting mark, etched in time like a brand. Six millennia ago, the Babylonians began tracing amphorae with cylindrical seals to distinguish the best wines, intended for religious and noble elites while in Egypt, wine was accompanied by descriptive markings.

In Tutankhamun’s tomb, 26 out of 36 amphorae were found that bore engraved symbols and inscriptions, as if to protect their contents through the centuries.

Greeks and Romans also used to place engravings on terracotta amphorae to identify provenance, vintage, and even the name of the Consul in charge at the time of bottling.

Materials used for these primitive “labels” included parchment, cloth, leather and pozzolana (a type of volcanic ash used in ancient construction and labeling).

The birth of the modern label

In the Middle Ages, with the spread of the wooden barrel, inscriptions switched to chalk or brick, but it was not until the appearance of the glass bottle that the label took on a new role: to become the face, voice and signature of the wine.

The true modernization, however, only began in the 1700s.

Dom Pierre Pérignon, Benedictine monk and inventor of the Champenoise method, is considered the pioneer of the modern label. To distinguish vintages and vines, he began tying small handwritten pieces of parchment with a string around the necks of bottles.

The revolution came with the invention of lithography, which opened the door to mass reproduction; then, in the mid-nineteenth century, chromolithography brought color: gilded coats of arms, friezes, medals and lions made the bottles shine, transforming their facades into true visual ambassadors of taste.

In parallel, another trend took hold: that of essentiality.

The more valuable the wine, the more minimalist and refined its design became, elegant in its nakedness, as in the case of the famous Romanée-Conti: black on white, no frills, just the truth.

The twentieth century and the artist label

In the last century, the wine label began to serve as a bridge between art and commerce: in 1924, Baron Philippe de Rothschild — a visionary winemaker and patron — commissioned the first “signed” label from artist Jean Carlu for his Mouton Rothschild.

This marked the beginning of a long tradition. Dali, Picasso, Miró, Warhol all lent their talent to turn each bottle into a collector’s piece.

In Italy, too, art made its entrance into the winery: starting in 1985, with “Vino della Pace,” Cantina Produttori di Cormòns entrusted its labels to great Italian masters of the 20th century such as Enrico Baj, Arnaldo Pomodoro and Giacomo Manzù.

In the last decades of the twentieth century, the label therefore underwent a significant transformation, becoming not only a means of identification but also an instrument of cultural communication.

Today: an ever-evolving identity

Today, the aesthetics of wines are extremely varied, as is the information they contain: they range from precise technical information to stark minimalism, including tasting notes, serving suggestions, sweetness scales or anecdotes.

The modern wine label is no longer just a story concentrated in a few inches: it must comply with regulations, inspire trust, stand out on the shelf, and resonate emotionally.

Technological innovation continues to influence this sector: scannable QR codes, augmented reality experiences and “smart” technologies such as RFID tagging, NFC and blockchain to combat wine fraud.

Despite technological evolution, its original function remains unchanged: to make a bottle of wine recognizable and to communicate to the consumer the identity and quality of the product he or she is about to taste.

A difficult, almost poetic task: to make the invisible visible.