"After four years of the old label, we felt we needed an upgrade just to stay current." Van Leer Metallized Products (Franklin, MA) supplies the 60# HoloPRISM® metallized paper, which is die-cut and offset-printed in three colors by Gordon Graphics (Novato, CA). Colors differentiate the five varietal wines. Gordon embosses the labels and gives them an aqueous-coating before sending them to the winery for glue application. Why haven't holographic labels been used on wine before? Cost and difficulty in printing, says Wells. To help offset costs, Domaine St. George eliminated the neckband label. A printed area on the otherwise clear capsule takes its place. Also, the back label was left nonmetallized. And the brand's two table wines, Proprietor's Red and Proprietor's White, use nonmetallized labels. As for overcoming printing difficulties, which occur because the reflectivity of the metallized film interferes with the press's built-in sensors, Wells says it was largely a matter of trial and error. "It took a lot of experimenting and adjusting between Gordon Graphics and Van Leer to work it out," he says. "It was quite a challenge."
