Less volume, more value: Argentine wine redefines its label

The wine industry is going through a global adjustment scenario, with lower production and an increasingly competitive market. This reading was one of the axes of the presentation made by Avery Dennison during the meeting “Rethinking the label: innovation, design and purpose”, where it was analyzed how this context forces wineries and brands to rethink their strategy and look for new ways to differentiate themselves beyond volume.

In Argentina, this scenario is also reflected in the domestic market. Consumption fell to 5.48 million hectoliters, with a drop of -2.5% year-on-year, according to data from the National Institute of Viticulture (INV) shared during the day. Faced with this panorama, the focus begins to shift towards value generation, experience and brand positioning.

From this context, Avery Dennison specialists presented a reading of the wine market and shared trends in packaging, design and technology, showing how the label is consolidated as a strategic tool to compete in a scenario of lower volume and greater demand.

A more selective consumer

During the presentation, it was highlighted that today’s consumer chooses more carefully and prioritizes proposals that combine quality, identity and narrative. In foreign trade, this dynamic is reflected in the better relative performance of fractionated wine compared to bulk wine. According to INV data presented at the meeting, between January and September 2025, exports of bottled wine registered a drop of -5.2%, while bulk wine fell -9.6% in the same period.

In this scenario, the well-presented bottle continues to be a competitive asset. From Avery Dennison’s point of view, the label plays a central role in the construction of value, since it is the first point of contact between the product and the consumer, and concentrates visual, tactile and informative attributes that influence the perception of the wine.

Sustainability as a competitive axis

Sustainability was another of the axes addressed during the day. The presentation noted that while there are structural challenges for the industry – such as recycling infrastructure and availability of materials – export markets are driving growing demand for solutions with lower environmental impact.

In this framework, Avery Dennison presented alternative materials with FSC® certification, papers with recycled content and adhesives with bio-based components, developed to maintain their technical performance in demanding conditions of humidity, cold and frapper immersion, common in the wine industry.

Technology and traceability for a demanding market

Another central point of the presentation was the advancement of technology applied to packaging. Counterfeiting, refilling and loss of traceability were identified as growing challenges for the sector. Faced with this scenario, smart labels, based on technologies such as NFC, RFID and Smart QR, appear as tools to authenticate products, individualize each bottle and connect the packaging with digital information.

During the event’s practical workshop, participants had the opportunity to learn how to write and program an NFC tag, incorporating it into the label they had designed and thus transforming their creation into a smart label, capable of interacting with the consumer.

Design, creativity and artificial intelligence

Design also occupies a central place in the transformation of wine packaging. During the meeting, it was analyzed how visual languages ​​evolve and coexist with the classicism of wine, while typography, materials and textures gain prominence as elements of differentiation.

Likewise, the use of artificial intelligence was addressed as a support tool in the initial stages of creative exploration, aimed at expanding possibilities and streamlining processes, without replacing the role of the designer or human sensitivity.

The value is in the experience

From the perspective presented by Avery Dennison, the wine market is recalibrating towards a model where value becomes more important than volume. The product no longer ends when it is bottled, but extends to the consumer experience, on the shelf and in digital environments.

Along this journey, the label consolidates itself as a strategic interface that integrates design, sustainability and technology. The meeting “Rethinking the label” left a clear conclusion: in an increasingly competitive scenario, the future of Argentine wine is also defined in each decision linked to packaging, where a central part of differentiation and brand construction is played.