Innovation in Wine Labels
When you've finally found a wine you really like, how often do you remember its name when you're out wine shopping again? Oxford Landing's South Australian Shiraz wine label sports a useful innovation that can help - a tear-off tab to retain all the useful bits of info to remind you about your great wine experience. It's a simple idea I haven't yet seen anywhere and I hope it gains widespread popularity in the wine industry. I'm curious if anyone has seen this elsewhere, including other types of products. (Note: the photo shows a view of the back label, so it can be pretty discrete.)
(thanks to Rob Walker and Ben Terrett for this great find)



I discovered a similar tab on the back of a Toasted Head label ( http://www.toastedhead.com/ )-- fortunately, the tab was complete with that memorable fire-breathing bear.
Posted by: bert | March 22, 2008 at 08:34 PM
There are similar labels on the back of Hardys wines (also from Australia) (www.hardys.com.au)
Posted by: steve | March 23, 2008 at 01:51 AM
Being from Australia I have seen this quite a lot on many different Australian wines, not sure who came up with the idea first. It's only now that I'm in the UK I realise I haven't seen it in a long time! I do love this idea..
Posted by: Carly | March 23, 2008 at 04:32 AM
Very cool little innovation for a seemingly straight forward category.
Posted by: Kristan | March 23, 2008 at 05:23 AM
a fantastic idea!!!
Posted by: rob | March 23, 2008 at 05:46 AM
That's such a great idea. I would love to see more wines do the same thing.
BTW, love the blog! It's a must read for me!
Posted by: Kate | March 23, 2008 at 07:58 AM
This seems like a good idea, but primarily for the increasingly forgetful demographic that I am a member of. I think young people are pretty good at remembering product names and anything else they care about. I just wish that people came with this sort of tear off tag so that I might better remember their names.
Posted by: Randy Ludacer | March 23, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Echoing the sentiments above: brilliant idea!
Posted by: Mark Johnson | March 23, 2008 at 11:57 PM
This is one of those ideas that makes you smack your head and say "why didn't anyone think of this sooner?!"
Posted by: Beth Nori | March 24, 2008 at 05:06 AM
Great idea & they also have a nice little set-up with the 150ml bottles given out as part of Qantas inflight meals. Tear the perforated label off & take it into a nominated liquor store for a buy-one, get one free offer. Excellent & easy way to encourage 1st purchase if you liked the wine on the plane.
Posted by: Robbie Upcroft | March 24, 2008 at 05:13 AM
A bit of googling and I've found that Collotype Labels Australia owns the patent on this idea and also the trademark which they call Wine Find, having been registered in 2001. They print a huge volume of wine labels for many different companies so it seems likely why a lot of Australian winery's are using service from them.
Here's a few more I found...
http://www.wineanorak.com/pictures/label_cienna.jpg
http://www.wineanorak.com/pictures/label_yeavalleymerlot.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/5514/3534/1600/tearaway-label-web.jpg
Posted by: Carly | March 24, 2008 at 09:17 AM
This reminds me of an icecream package that I got at my local Korean grocery store. An individually-wrapped cone, the label is perf'd at intervals, so as you eat the cone, you rip off sections. This avoids you eating paper and ripping that dreaded spiral of messy package!
Posted by: sjfbarnett | March 25, 2008 at 06:39 AM
Add the corresponding AVIN (http://www.avin.cc/) or a QR Code for a URL or text about the wine and you've gone and fitted much more information that could fit that tiny label. :)
Posted by: André Luís | March 28, 2008 at 10:59 AM
Very clever. Not sure how many people would make use of it but a cool gimmick for sure.
Posted by: Galen King | March 30, 2008 at 01:11 AM
A new way of thinking! Very nice. Too bad all wines don't use a system like this. It's a great way to increase sales though if you are the only one offering this type of label.
Posted by: Reactor Factory | April 01, 2008 at 06:46 AM
This is a MUST HAVE if ever I saw! Thanks for sharing. Now why didn't the Kiwi's think of this first? Hmmmmm
Posted by: William | April 09, 2008 at 01:06 PM
I think alot of the wines that come from the Barossa Valley in Adelaide, Australia have this snazzy feature on there labels. They have been on there for over 5 years. I used to collect them while i was studying at uni(i worked at a restuarant, i'm not an alcoholic). But i think other wines company have this feature.
Posted by: Alison | April 22, 2008 at 11:42 PM
That's not new! Rosenblum Cellars in California has been doing that since at least the '05 vintage of their Heritage Clones Petite Sirah ('06 is the current one in the stores)
Posted by: Loweeel | April 30, 2008 at 08:08 PM
LangeTwins Wines have incorporated these pull tabs into their labels as well. Check them out: www.langetwins.com
Posted by: PullTabs | April 30, 2008 at 08:51 PM
Too often, this wine label tab should be mailable in order to ask for a refund!
Posted by: A.Alaalas | April 30, 2008 at 10:10 PM