Wine Labels
Short answer
A wine label is normally a set — a front label and a back label. It is printed on textured stock or vinyl, often with gold or silver foiling and spot UV varnish. Because of condensation in a fridge, waterproof material is the more reliable choice.
The wine label is the one place where a Georgian winery tells its story directly to the buyer — and on the shelf it is the label that decides whether the bottle gets picked up. Technically it is a demanding product: the label wraps a curved surface, meets condensation in a fridge, is handled with wet hands, and often calls for premium finishing. This page covers which materials survive those conditions, how label size is calculated for a bottle, and which finishes work best.
Key facts
- Set
- Front label + back label
- Material
- Textured stock or vinyl
- Finishing
- Foiling, spot UV varnish
- Condensation
- Vinyl — reliable; paper — risky
- Shape
- Rectangular, oval, custom
- Curved surface
- Label width follows bottle diameter
- Cutting
- Plotter, to any contour
- Quote
- Timing by agreement
Textured stock or vinyl
Choosing wine label material is a compromise between aesthetics and practicality. Textured stock — linen, laid or cotton finishes — gives the traditional, premium feel buyers expect from wine. Its weakness is moisture: a bottle taken from a fridge collects condensation, and a paper label can delaminate locally or stain. Vinyl removes that problem entirely, but lacks the depth of texture paper offers. The compromise: textured stock with a protective varnish, or vinyl with a simulated texture.
- Textured stock — traditional, premium
- Vinyl — waterproof, survives condensation
- Wine kept refrigerated — vinyl is safer
- Paper + protective varnish — the middle path
Size and the curved surface
Label size is constrained by bottle diameter. A standard wine bottle has a circumference of roughly 24 cm, but a label never occupies the whole of it — a front label is usually 8-12 cm wide, with the back label similar or slightly narrower. One important technical detail: the wider the label, the more sharply it must bend around the bottle's curve, and a very wide label wrinkles at the edges. Very wide labels therefore need a more flexible material.
Finishing: foiling and spot UV
The wine label is the product where premium finishing pays off most — shine on a shelf captures attention directly. Gold foiling suits traditional, classical positioning; silver reads as more contemporary. Spot UV varnish creates a glossy accent on a matte label — on the varietal name or a graphic element, for example. Both are separate technological passes that extend the lead time, so an order timed to the harvest season needs planning in advance.
- Gold foil — classical, traditional
- Silver foil — contemporary
- Spot UV — accent on a matte field
- Timing is agreed after the project review. Send the sticker dimensions, material, surface, finishing and quantity, required date and collection or delivery location.
Wine label configurations
| Option | Material | Finishing | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | Textured stock | Gold foiling | Traditional positioning |
| Contemporary | Matte stock | Spot UV varnish | Minimalist design |
| Premium | Textured stock | Foiling + spot UV | Double technological pass |
| Practical | Vinyl | Lamination | Survives condensation |
| Clear | Transparent film | White underbase | Wine colour shows through |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the label delaminate in a fridge?
Should I order front and back labels together?
What information must the back label carry?
Are custom label shapes possible?
What is the minimum run for a small winery?
Do you apply the labels to the bottles?
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