Wine and Design: new exhibition explores wine labels

A new exhibition, Message on a Bottle, is celebrating the long and storied history of the South Australian wine bottle label. The exhibition is a collaboration between the University of South Australia and The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, and will act as a celebration of wine labels and their history going back 70 years. The exhibition will examine the implications of a wine label’s design and its economic connections, including wine manufacturing and tourism.

The exhibition features 150 wine labels from 15 wine label design studios, including prolific wine brands such as Gemtree, S.C. Pannell and Tapanappa. Held in The Hawke Centre’s Kerry Packer Civic Gallery, it will explore the relationship between label designers, grape growers, wine producers and sales marketers, showing the public a mix of education, commerce and research.

“The design of memorable and successful wine labels has seen South Australian designers and design studios gain international prominence and recognition over the past 70 years,” said David Blaiklock, exhibit co-convenor and program director of UniSA’s Bachelor of Illustration and Animation.

“Wine label design now has significant influence on purchasing decisions and a big impact on the economic, social and cultural capital of South Australia.

“Of course, wine labels signal wine styles, regions, quality and brands, but beyond these essentials, wine label designs have the power to capture the cultural and spiritual values of where wine is grown.”

Message on a Bottle will run throughout September. More information about the exhibition can be found here.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/volff