Wine labels as works of art. Contribution of famous artists

Wine is a symphony of aroma and taste, and a wine label embodies the spirit of winemaking, the values ​​of winemakers, and synchronizes taste pleasure into visual and emotional pleasure.

The label on a bottle of wine performs not only an informative function, but is also an important tool for capturing the consumer's attention. Take, for example, a survey by the global wine platform Vivino: its results indicate that four out of five respondents choose wine as a rule based on the appearance of the label or the bottle.

Wine labels can greatly diversify the wine selection process, making it not only informative, but also exciting, fun and even educational. For example, some labels are already works of art, and buyers can keep them as collectibles. This adds an element of exclusivity and aesthetic value that enhances the appeal of the wine. A play on words, vivid images or original names can cheer up and lift the mood. This adds value and pleasure to the purchase of each bottle.

The collaboration between wineries and famous artists to create wine labels is a long-standing tradition that combines the worlds of fine art and viticulture. This synergy not only increases the aesthetic appeal of wine bottles, but also creates a layer of cultural and artistic value.

The art of wine labels has a tradition as old as wine itself, dating back to ancient Egypt. In 1352 BC c. the wine amphorae in Tutankhamun's tomb had papyrus labels that indicated the year of harvest, the region, and even the name of the producer.

This practice has evolved significantly over the millennia. The advent of lithography in the 1780s in Germany further changed wine labeling, paving the way for the paper labels we know today.

Modern design of wine bottles and labels has become an independent direction in art. Leading winemakers compete in the uniqueness of their labels, involving artists of various styles and genres to collaborate. However, the roots of this tradition go back to the mid-19th century, when the famous Bordeaux winery Chateau Mouton-Rothschild pioneered the use of artistic labels. This estate not only pioneered the production of high-quality wine, but also turned bottle design into a true art.

Mouton Rothschild brought together the greatest artists of their era, giving them the opportunity to express their creativity on the labels for their wines. These artists had complete freedom, which inspires people all over the world.

The first artistic collaboration of the Rothschild dynasty began in 1924. 22-year-old Baron Philip Rothschild invited the French poster artist, cubist Jean Carlu to collaborate, and he created the first vintage label for Chateau Mouton Rothschild. This label indicated for the first time that the wine was bottled at Château Mouton-Rothschild.

The winery revived the tradition of involving famous artists to create labels 21 years later, in 1945, on the occasion of victory in the Second World War. The sketch was developed by Philippe Jullian. It depicted the letter V, which means Victorie - "Victory". Since then, Château Mouton Rothschild has continued this tradition every year.

Among other famous authors who showed their vision of the interaction of estate wine and fine art are Georges Braque (Georges Braque, 1955), Henry Moore (Henry Moore, 1964), Dorothea Tanning (1965), Joan Miró (Joan Miró, 1969), Wassily Kandinsky (1971), Pablo Picasso (1973), Andy Warhol (1975), Francis Bacon (1990), Anish Kapoor (2009), and even Prince Charles.

I especially want to highlight the label decorated with a reproduction of Pablo Picasso's work, created in 1973. At the same time, the estate received the title of "Grand Cru", and humanity lost an outstanding artist, as Picasso passed away. Wine with this label has become a kind of memorial, which has an extraordinary value for collectors.

Ukrainian artists and Château Mouton Rothschild

The world legend of pop art, the American artist of Lemko origin, Andy Warhol, placed two color portraits of Baron Philip Rothschild on the wine label, thus creating a unique and recognizable image.

Another famous Ukrainian, conceptual artist, graphic artist, painter Ilya Kabakov, in his version of the Mouton Rothschild 2002 label, showed both his skill in graphic art and his commitment to multidimensional space in his impressive use of perspective. Behind the "glass" of the bottle, the artist reveals to us another world, where myriads of wings carry us to the land of dreams and bliss, in a transparent allegory of the magic of excellent wine.

A message from the masters of wine and art

Mouton Rothschild pioneered the use of artists to create wine labels, but since the early 20th century the trend has gained popularity as a successful pairing of Burgundy snails with Chardonnay.

British artist Tracey Emin painted the wine labels for the Tonnix range for the Quinta de la Rosa wine estate in Portugal.

German artist Rebecca Horn created a kinetic sculpture of copper wire and mirrors around a nine-liter bottle of Ornellaia 2008 Super Tuscan. The source of inspiration for the artist was the winemaking process. In her work, she wanted to show how matter turns into energy.

The label for the Italian wine Chianti Classico di Nittardi is decorated with the work of Yoko Ono. The Japanese-American avant-garde artist paid homage to both the Renaissance artist Michelangelo, who once owned a winery, and John Lennon with the inscription "Imagine You".

 Ruinart also has a series of labels created by artists. At first glance, the strange children's drawings and sharp inscriptions of the British artist David Shrigley do not resemble the oldest champagne house in the world. But no!

As part of his artistic reinterpretation, David Shrigley designed the decoration for the Blanc de Blancs jeroboam, the emblem of Ruinart's taste. This box set is limited to 30 copies and priced at €3,500 per unit. He created a kind of bottle box that can be used as a bucket for cooling champagne. The black-and-white box features "rebellious" expressions that reveal another side of champagne production, know-how and relationships with nature. Among the messages: "The air makes the wine", "The soil makes the wine", "You can judge the bottle by the label", "Keep your dirty hands off our grapes".

Champagne producer Taittinger created its prestigious Collections de Maitres series in 1973. Each year, an outstanding artist is invited to create the design of the bottle and packaging. In 1978, Victor Vasarely, a French master of optical art of Hungarian origin, was chosen for this collection; in 1981 - the French innovator of new realism Arman (Arman); in 1985 - American pop art icon Roy Lichtenstein. Among the later artists were such famous personalities as Hans Hartung, Toshimitsu Imai, Corneille and Zao Wou-ki.

Big Wines Big Art and Ivan Marchuk

The artistic design of our Big Wines Big Art wines deserves special attention. Each bottle of our wine portfolio is decorated with the works of the brilliant artist Ivan Marchuk, who is also called the Ukrainian Van Gogh.

The work "Awakening" became the visual decoration of the BIG WINES BIG ART limited edition Ivan Marchuk collection. This work impresses with its symbolism, warmth and strong-willed confident look of a Ukrainian girl. It best conveys the spirit of our first wine, strong and extraordinary, made from Odessa Black grapes - the hallmark of domestic winemaking on the international stage.

The painting "Awakening" is an ode to revival and renewal, in particular of the Ukrainian nation. At the same time, the maestro's work symbolizes natural cycles and harmony between nature and human creativity. This is consistent with the philosophy of our winery, when nature and art combine to create a unique product.
The work of the luminary of Ukrainian painting Ivan Marchuk on the label emphasizes the uniqueness of each bottle and its artistic value, adding to the wine not only taste, but also cultural value.

Vintage 2020 became the first part of the "Awakening" triptych and depicts the central part of the work. The 2021 vintage will feature the left part of the painting, and the 2022 vintage will feature the last right part of the "Awakening" work.

This series of wines will be dedicated to everything that originates from Ukraine - Ukrainian wine, painting, talent and will be able to tell about the geniuses of our country to the whole world.

The combination of creative works and outstanding wine, created thanks to ideal natural and human conditions, gives each bottle a unique character and taste. This turns each bottle into a collector's item, the value of which increases over the years.