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Online Alcohol Packaging: How to Prepare Your Wine and Spirits Labels for Ecommerce Success

Over the years, more people have turned to an increasingly popular destination for wine and spirits: the internet.

Online sales of wine and spirits have steadily increased over the years, making the digital market a prime place for vintners and distillers to sell their products. That trend took off even further when wine ecommerce and other online alcohol sales jumped 234 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you use a third-party marketing platform or sell wine or spirits directly from your website, it’s important to make sure your custom labels are just as effective on smartphones and monitors as they are in stores. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to help your wines and spirits succeed online.

An ecommerce spirits label for Skagway.

4 Tips for Online Wine and Spirits Labels

The average consumer already has an incredibly short attention span – that attention span only grows shorter online. When you have roughly eight seconds to make an impression, a great product label can be your best friend.

It’s important to remember that certain aspects of your label may not translate well online. As such, you’ll want to keep ecommerce in mind when you put together a label design for your wine or spirits. Here are five ways that you can help set up your wine and spirits labels for online success.

Color them impressed

A bland bottle typically doesn’t sell well in online stores. A pop of color is one key element that catches ecommerce users’ eyes. A flash of red or a burst of yellow can stop a consumer from aimlessly scrolling past your products so that they will check out what you have to offer.

In terms of what colors to use, it really depends on what type of message you want to send. Colors can influence consumer’s emotions by making them associate with certain feelings. For example, a green label can inspire feelings of relaxation and happiness. Meanwhile, red signifies strength or power. Try to find a color that helps you tell your product’s story – just make sure it’s something that really stands out in an ecommerce store.

It’s also important to note that while vibrant colors can help you stick out in a crowded ecommerce store, too many colors can have the opposite effect. Labels with multiple interlocking colors can appear muddy in a small image. In addition, certain color combinations can help your label pop out to consumers and make it easier to read the text. A color wheel can help you identify opposite colors that still work with each other. Test out how your potential label would look in a product image to make sure it’s just as stunning online as it will be in person.

Clearly identify your wines and spirits

Once you have someone’s attention, it’s critical that users quickly identify your products. Any seemingly missing detail can lead an ecommerce customer to click away to a different product.

Make sure users can immediately recognize your brand name and product designation. While these details may seem prominent in your design, consider how easy it would be to read them in a small product image on a phone screen or monitor. Amplifying these details will help users recognize who you are and what your product is, be it a malbec, a straight rye whiskey, or something else.

Make a big impression

A lot of small, ornate details may look great in person, but it may get lost in a small product image nestled amidst dozens of other bottles. If you want your wine or spirit to truly stick out in an ecommerce setting, it’s time to amp up your design.

There are a few ways that you can go about enhancing your design. As mentioned earlier, large pops of color are one way to make an immediate impression. There are also special printing capabilities that can add an extra dimension to your design. Utilizing hot foil stamping is one way to make your wine and spirits labels look more sophisticated, elegant, or flashy for anyone who scrolls by your products.

While small design details might not show up on small product images, that doesn’t mean you should abandon them altogether. These elements can still make an impression on customers once they receive their bottles. A rougher paper wine stock or an embossed pattern may not show up on screens, but it can add an extra dimension to wow consumers once they get a hold of your bottles.

Follow barcode best practices

While your design is a major factor for ecommerce success, it’s critical not to forget about another key purpose of your wine and spirits labels. Online retailers typically require product labels to include Universal Product Codes (UPC) for scanning and identification purposes. As such, you’ll want to ensure that you follow barcode best practices for your wine and spirits labels.

If you’re not careful, you may accidentally set up your barcodes for failure. There are a few steps you can take to make sure that your barcodes are ready for business.

Maintain a quiet zone. Make sure that the area around your label’s barcode is clear of any texts, graphics, or other printed elements.
Use a simple color scheme. Try to avoid warm colors that won’t work well with red lasers. The safest choice is to stick with black text on a white box.
Utilize proper barcode sizing. Keep your barcode somewhere between the minimum and maximum recommended barcode sizes.
- Minimum – 1.175” wide by .816” high
- Maximum – 2.938” wide by 2.04” high
Send barcodes in the right formats. Once your label design is ready, you’ll need to send a few of your barcodes to your printing company in a few different forms.
- An image file of the barcode you’ve received from the provider
- An Excel document with a list of UPC numbers
- A PDF or EPS of the barcodes

A group of colorful wine ecommerce labels.

Find the Right Printing Partner for Your Wine and Spirits Labels

Once you have your labels ready for online success, it’s time to find a label printing company. At Blue Label, we have the experts and technology to help you get the most out of your packaging.

Our team strives to not only enhance your designs, but also make sure that everything is right before we print your full order. We can work with you to check your art files and identify the best, most cost-effective solutions for your wine and spirits. Contact us today to invest in stunning wine and spirits labels.

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TTB Final Rule Breakdown: The New TTB Label Requirements for Alcohol Labels

Over time, alcohol regulations are bound to change. That’s why it’s critical to keep up to date with new changes to alcohol labeling laws, such as the latest final rule from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).

After more than a year of deliberation, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published its changes to alcohol labeling requirements and advertising regulations in April of 2020. The TTB weighed several ideas from the 2018 Proposal, accepting several recommendations after reviewing comments from industry members and the public.

TTB Final Rule: What Changed?

In general, the new TTB label requirements and alcohol regulations aim to modernize labeling and advertising regulations. These changes are designed to streamline processes and provide extra flexibility for alcoholic products. The resulting final rule documents several regulatory changes and even discusses proposals that weren’t adopted.

In short, it’s a long read. The changes range from notable updates to minor tweaks that may not affect the majority of alcohol labels. To help, we broke down some of the changes for alcohol label requirements that can have a direct impact on the way you label alcoholic products.

A six-pack of beer with holographic labels.

Mandatory label information placement for distilled spirits

Before the final rule went into effect, distilled spirits were required to list mandatory information on a “brand label,” also known as the principal display panel. This term applied to the label that is “most likely to be displayed, presented, shown, or examined under normal retail display conditions” per TTB guidelines. This mandatory information includes:

Brand name
Class and type of distilled spirit
Alcohol content
Net contents (for containers that do not meet a standard of fill)

In the new final rule, the TTB gave distillers more freedom in terms of mandatory information placement. You can now include mandatory information anywhere on a distilled spirit container. The only catch is that all the mandatory information must be placed in the same field of vision, which can differ depending on bottle shape:

A single side of a container for containers with flat sides
40 percent of the circumference for cylindrical containers

Standard of identity for vodka

Congratulations, vodka makers. The TTB no longer requires vodka to be “without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.” As such, you may now feel comfortable classifying your products as vodka even if your product features some different base ingredients, flavors, or flavor profiles that previously landed you in trouble with the TTB.

Recognition of mezcal and addition of agave spirits class

In the past, the TTB only provided a standard for tequila. The final rule institutes a brand-new class called “agave spirits.” This new class contains two different types of spirits: the aforementioned “Tequila” and the addition of “mezcal.” By definition, the fermented mash for agave spirits should meet the following criteria:

At least 51 percent of the mash is derived from plant species in the genus Agave.
Up to 49 percent of the mash is derived from sugar.
The spirit is distilled at less than 95 percent alcohol by volume and bottled at or above 40 percent alcohol by volume.

The exciting part of this rule is that the TTB now lists mezcal as an official type of alcohol. Accordingly, agave spirits are an official class that includes mezcal and tequila. These changes now allow distilleries to label their products appropriately. The TTB also notes that labels previously approved as “spirits distilled from agave” can designate their products as “agave spirits” if they choose.

Country of origin labeling

The TTB took steps to defer to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for rules on country of origin labeling. In the past, the TTB required a country of origin statement on distilled spirits labels, but not for imported wine or malt beverages. The final rule followed CBP regulations that all imported alcoholic beverages should display their country of origin. As such, make sure to add those statements for any imported wines or malt beverages in the future.

A closeup of a spirits label complying with changes from the latest TTB final rule.

New definition and approval process for personalized labels

With the final rule, there is now an approval process for any importers or bottlers who wish to customize existing labels in order to personalize them. The final rule defines personalized labels as “an alcohol beverage label that meets the minimum mandatory label requirements and is customized for customers.” Essentially, that’s any alcoholic product that’s specific to a consumer purchasing that product.

This new allowance provides breweries, wineries, and distilleries with an official process to produce personalized products for weddings, birthdays, or other commemorative events. Interested parties can submit a personalized label template during COLA approval. This template should note any elements eligible for customization. This can include:

Personalized messages
Pictures or artwork
Salutations
Names
Congratulatory dates
Event dates

As long as the application meets other TTB regulations, the organization will issue you a COLA and a special qualification for personalization. This qualification allows you to add or change items for personalized versions of that label without applying for a new COLA. You can also opt to obtain a COLA for each individual personalization if you prefer – just make sure to avoid common COLA issues.

Clarification on alcoholic beverages not subject to the FAA Act

The TTB made efforts to list certain alcoholic beverages that are not subject to TTB labeling regulation. These efforts include clarifying certain beverages that don’t qualify as wine or malt beverages under the Federal Alcohol Administration (FAA) Act. These beverages include:

Wine that is under 7 percent alcohol by volume
- Wine under this category now subject the FDA labeling regulations
Beer made without any malted barley
- Beer under this category now subject to either FDA or IRC regulations depending on alcohol content

The TTB also stressed that there are no distilled spirits that are subject to FDA labeling regulations instead of TTB rules. However, the TTB amended the definition of “distilled spirits” in a separate portion of the final rule. This change continues longstanding TTB policy that any products with less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume aren’t regulated as “distilled spirits” under the FAA Act.

A collection of wine bottles with labels that meet TTB requirements.

Added tolerance for distilled spirits alcohol statements

The TTB gave distilleries a bit more wiggle room in terms of alcohol content statements. The final rule increased to tolerance up to plus or minus 0.3 percentage points for alcohol contents on distilled spirits labels.

Removal of age statement prohibition for distilled spirits

While the TTB initially proposed that only time spent in the initial oak barrel should count toward the “age” of a distilled spirit, the organization changed course after receiving industry feedback. The TTB now agrees that all the time spent in all oak containers should count towards a label’s age statement.

In addition, the final rule expanded the classes and types of distilled spirits that can make age statements of labels. The TTB acknowledged that other alcoholic products may benefit from such a statement. All distilled spirits may include prohibition of age statements, except for neutral spirits that aren’t deemed grain spirits.

Removal of prohibition of strength terms for malt beverages

In the past, the TTB prohibited malt beverages from making claims of drink strength. That meant any of the following terms were off-limits for labeling purposes unless expressly allowed by state law:

Strong
Full strength
Extra strength
High test
High proof
Pre-war strength
Full oldtime alcoholic strength
Usage of numerals, letters, characters, or figures that can be construed as alcohol statements

The final rule effectively ends the prohibition of these terms. Language like “strong” and “full strength” are now allowable as indications of alcohol strength on malt beverage labels. However, the TTB can still block labels that make any false or misleading claims in the future.

Removal of citrus wine class

While the TTB initially created the citrus wine class to streamline regulations, the opposite was true. The standards of identity for both citrus wine the overall fruit wine class are largely the same. The TTB accordingly found the separation of the classes unnecessary and removed the citrus wine class in the final rule. This change means that if you were using citrus wine as a statement of identity, it’s time to switch to fruit wine for your labels.

Allowance for vintage dates on wine imported in bulk

In the past, The TTB only allowed imported wine to bear a vintage date if it’s imported in containers of five liters or less. The final rule offers added labeling flexibility for these situations. As long as the bottler provides appropriate documentation to substantiate a vintage date, it does not matter if the bulk container used to import the wine does not bear a date.

New Rules, Same Dedication to Stunning Alcohol Labels

As alcohol label laws inevitably change, so too must the labels themselves. Bottle labels and can labels play a critical part in attracting new and repeat customers. As such, it’s essential to find the right label printing company to ensure that your beer, wine, and spirits labels are perfect for your products.

At Blue Label, we have the digital printing technology and expertise one hand to help you get the most out of your alcohol labels. We work with you to enhance your design and address potential issues ahead of time to maximize your investment. In the end, we can deliver stunning, eye-catching labels that are perfect for your products and your budget. Contact us today to have Blue Label provide the right labels for your products.

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The Different Wine Label Stocks You Can Use to Showcase Your Bottles

When it comes to investing in wine labels, it’s good to have options. There are a variety of label materials to choose from, but it’s up to you, your designer, and your label printing company to decide which one makes the most sense for your bottles. When it comes to wine labels, the three most popular types of materials you can use are:

Estate
Ever-opaque
Specialty

Each category offers various advantages depending on your desired look, feel, and price point. Here’s a quick breakdown of the different types of wine stocks so you can figure out what’s right for your packaging needs.

Estate Wine Labels

When you think of a classic paper wine label, you’ll likely envision something made with an estate material. Estate materials are a popular choice for the wine industry, and for good reason – they have a classic look and are generally a more cost-effective option.

Another advantage of paper labels is that they are incredibly versatile. While paper typically exudes a very natural appearance, there are various types of paper materials that can either enhance that look or provide a new type of aesthetic. For example, linen-style or uncoated eggshell bottle label papers both have different textures in the paper fibers that can help you match the look you want for your wine labels.

Of course, there is a downside to using an estate material. Unlike film, wine label paper absorbs water, which can cause those labels to disintegrate over time. While there are some paper stocks that have a higher wet strength, even those options aren’t completely waterproof. As such, estate may not be the best option if your wine labels will encounter water.

A paper wine label that has been embossed and stamped with hot foil.

Ever-Opaque Wine Labels

If you really love the look of estate but are concerned about water damage, you should consider investing in an ever-opaque material.

Ever opaque wine labels have a layer of BOPP film woven between paper to help shield your labels from moisture. This material option allows you to still give your bottles an estate feel without the downsides of soggy paper wine labels. This can make ever opaque materials a go-to option for white wines that are typically chilled before use or any other bottles that may encounter moisture throughout its journey from your facility to your consumers’ tables.

As can be expected, the downside of ever-opaque stocks is that the presence of a BOPP film can drive up costs. However, that increase may be well worth the investment if it protects your labels from future damage.

Specialty Wine Labels

While both estate and ever-opaque wine labels have a more traditional look and feel, specialty label stocks can help you take your bottles to a whole new level. These can be made of paper or film and vary greatly in terms of overall aesthetic. Some specialty options include:

Felt/velvet materials
Cobblestone patterns
Shrink sleeves
Holographic or glitter films
Gloss, matte, satin, and soft-touch varnishes or laminates

As you can see, there are plenty of possibilities to break out of the classic wine label mold with specialty labels. The various materials available will each have their own distinct advantages, but when used properly, they can make sure that your bottles stand out when placed next to your competition.

A black vellum wine label make with a duplex hot foil and white ink.

Work with a Label Printing Company that Makes Your Wine Labels Shine

No matter which wine material you like best, it’s important that you partner with a printing company that can turn your design into stunning, eye-catching labels. At Blue Label Packaging Company, we have the expertise and state-of-the-art printing equipment necessary to print stunning labels at competitive prices. We work with you to identify the right label material for your needs, and we can provide special label printing and finishing capabilities to add an extra dimension to your label design.

Are you in need of top-quality wine labels? Contact Blue Label today to talk to our experts about your next label printing project.

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Why Don’t Beer, Wine, and Spirits Labels Have to Disclose Ingredients or Serving Facts on Labels?

It didn’t take long for someone to make waves in the beer labeling world in 2019. Just 11 days into the year, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced that Bud Light would feature serving-facts labels on its boxes starting in February.

While the move may not seem noteworthy for people unfamiliar with the rules and regulations of beer labels, the announcement is notable for one big reason: beer doesn’t need to divulge that information on its packaging. In fact, alcohol in general is exempt from disclosing ingredients and nutritional facts that are commonplace on labels for packaged food products.

So why is it that beer, wine, and spirits labels are exempt from listing nutritional information when those products have just as many–if not more–calories and carbohydrates as juice or other typical beverages? It turns out there’s one big reason why alcohol labels don’t require nutrition or ingredients labels: tradition.
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New Tricks for an Old Material: The Ongoing Paper Label Trend for Wine Bottles

Even an old business can learn new tricks. Paper wine labels have been a staple in the industry since the Persian empire. While these labels were necessary for detailing the many varieties of wine available, modern wine labels have another major purpose: to attract buyers.

Paper labels have maintained a close connection to wine bottles for centuries, both literally and figuratively. While different label materials have their advantages, paper maintains a classic look and feel that’s tied to the long history of winemaking. Of course, as wine label packaging changes, so too must the humble paper label. Here are some ways that wineries are wowing customers through paper labels.
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Label Considerations for Bottling vs. Canning Craft Beer

Beer can’t make the important journey from your brewing facility to your consumers’ mouths without a container. Whether you decide to bottle or can your brews, you’re going to need a good beer label to showcase your product and stay in compliance with alcohol regulations. Of course, the style of the container you choose can impact a few of your labeling decisions.
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Crowler Packaging: Guidelines and Rules to Know

Crowlers are great for several reasons. They’re extremely portable. They’re able to keep light out and help beer stay fresh for up to a month. They’re more convenient than lugging around a glass growler. In all, crowlers are a wonderful way to sell beverages in convenient 32 oz. containers—if they’re in accordance with the law, that is.

Like their glassy growler cousins, crowler packaging can run into some legal issues if you’re not careful. Consider the following legal guidelines for your custom crowler labels.
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How Wine Label Packaging is Changing

The wine industry is an old business steeped in tradition, but that doesn’t mean that wine label printing needs to be stuck in the days of Johannes Gutenberg. New trends and technology are helping wineries change the way people engage with their brands and stand out from the competition. Here are a few big trends that are affecting the evolution of wine label packaging.
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What You Need to Consider When Investing in Keg Collars

A good keg collar can play several roles for your brewery. Not only is it a great way to share information, it also serves as a key compliance tool and a way to help sell more of your products. Of course, a poorly-made keg collar isn’t going to do your business any good. It’s important that you check off all the following criteria when you’re ready to order custom keg collars.
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Bottle Label Printing Considerations for Distilleries

No spirits bottle deserves a boring label. Distilleries live and die on the success of their products, and labels give you a chance to tell your story and give consumers a sense about the quality and personality of your products within a few seconds, whether they’re on the store shelf or behind the bar.

Of course, great designs don’t automatically translate into a great spirits labels for distilleries. There are many parts of the bottle label printing process that can factor into the end result, whether it’s a special printing capability or a challenge with the bottle itself. Here are a few factors you should consider when your distillery needs a new bottle label.
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