The label is of the utmost importance in the wine market, perhaps even more than the product itself. Whether drinking a Cabernet Sauvignon or Rosé, an eye-catching label can be the key differentiator in when it comes to making an in-store decision.

Avery Dennison, a substrates and adhesives supplier based in Mentor, OH, USA, has responded to market demand, developing more than 150 constructions specifically engineering for wine and spirits. The company has gone directly to wineries and converters to troubleshoot current customer problems and ideate new ideas.

“The Avery Dennison Wine and Spirits portfolio offers inspiration through classic, premium materials enabling brands to stand out on shelf,” says Vanita Marzette, senior product manager - wine and spirits. “Wine materials cross both wine and spirits, as well as craft beer, because these areas are all following the trend towards premiumization. We are also seeing more unique/textured facestocks that work across segments. The wine materials offer the added benefit of being able to stand up to ice buckets and condensation.”

To meet demand, Avery Dennison is launching three new collections for its wine portfolio. The Sensorial collection will feature new Ruby Velvet and Black Velvet facestocks. According to Marzette, Avery Dennison’s Sensorial collection adds the senses of touch, sound and even smell to the label. The Sensorial Collection offers label surfaces that feature a soft touch, textured or patterned papers. Some materials offer subtle sounds as fingers move across the surface. Meanwhile, hand-selected trees are used to fashion wooden labels that deliver a delicate, natural scent.

The new Black collection will include Laid Epic Black and Night Skye facestocks. “Black really is the new black, helping a brand to deliver a message of premium, quality content,” says Marzette. “The Black collection is a broad portfolio that reflects dependable quality to deliver outstanding shelf appeal. Materials include structured surfaces, thick to thin facestocks and a choice of different shades. Converters will appreciate the fact that they no longer have to print twice to create a rich, even black label with no white edges and stable hot foiling.”

Finally, the Luminous line, featuring Snowbound White, includes labels that glitter, sparkle and shine to stand out on the shelf.

In addition, Avery Dennison is adding to its sustainability portfolio with Grape Touch, which is made of 15% grape waste sourced from wine production – and Estate Label No. 14, a 100% post-consumer-waste (PCW) paper material that maintains color and strength, even when wet.

“These products help tell a brand’s sustainability story while delivering performance and shelf appeal that result in sales,” adds Marzette. “Sustainability resonates with many consumers, and that story goes beyond production.”

The wine label goes beyond the facestock, too. Avery Dennison has developed multiple adhesives that are optimized for wine labels–and its customer service team works diligently to pair the right materials and adhesives with a customer’s desired application.

“We offer a range of adhesives that are formulated to work well in ice bucket, heavy condensation environments,” says Marzette. “Our technical resources put our adhesives through a range of testing before they launch, and all of the results can be found in our wine and spirits collateral and data sheets.

“We list all of our service offerings and support programs in our wine and spirits collateral to make it easy for customers to find,” Marzette adds. “Additionally, we have customers service, application consultants and technical leads available to help customers find the right materials for them. We also have our engineered solutions team available to help source and find a material if we don’t have what a customer is looking for.”

Plus, the Avery Dennison Concept lab is comprised of designers that work closely with other designers, converters, brands and agencies in the wine and spirits space to help bring their vision to life.

In the future, Avery Dennison expects to see continued premiumization and a trend toward more unique facestocks that create pop on the shelf. Marzette adds that brands can create more engagement with their customers by opting for intelligent and interactive labels. Requests will continue for inkjet-optimized materials, too.

And, as is seen in the Luminous collection, a different range of colors will be utilized to further appeal to millennials.