Wine labels and consumer culture in the United States
Résumé
The US has been the world’s largest wine market since 2010 and is the number one country for
wine consumption. This general growth in production and consumption reflects a change in the
US consumer base, with the rising importance of millennials. To attract all profiles of consumers
and be visible, winemakers have to find the right label. It is my contention that the current
trends in label designs in the US are oscillating between culture and nature. On the one hand,
various trends in label designs are using American popular cultures, reflecting the culture of
consumers, commodifying it and often erasing all traces of “classic” wine culture. On the other
hand, there is a global development towards the promotion of a more “natural” and “authentic”
product. This “back to nature” visual trend values the intrinsic qualities of the wine.