'Zipper' bottle transforms wines' buttoned-up image

Playing off Italy's reputation for cutting-edge fashion design, as well as the country's boot-shaped appearance, labels for the new Bootleg Wine Collection from Seattle-based Click Wine Group use faux leather and zipper graphics to make high-quality Italian wines less intimidating for U.S. consumers. According to Click, the stylish new brand, created in partnership with Italian wine importer Small Vineyards, marks the first time that five estates from five different regions of Italy have come together under a single wine brand.

"Today, Italy's great wines are synonymous with romance, picturesque villas and rolling vineyards, displayed on dated and confusing labels," says Click. "Missing is Italy's current reputation for cutting-edge fashion, extraordinary design, racy cars and amazing architecture. We feel Bootleg represents Italian wines with a refreshing new look—a new Italy."

Launched last fall during New York's Fashion Week, the collection includes varieties such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chianti from estates in Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Tuscany, Italy, respectively.

Runway-ready, the wines are packaged in sleek bottles outfitted with full-body, shrink-sleeve labels from Decorative Sleeves (www.decorativesleeves.co.uk) that create the impression of leather, with a zipper running down their length. The Bootleg brand and wine type are listed on a panel in the style of a clothing label. The wines are also labeled "Made in Italy," which Click says is a mark of cachet in the design world.

According to Decorative Sleeves, to ensure a consistent shrink finish, it uses a high-shrink, 50-micron polyethylene terephthalate label stock. Special "delicate" inks are used in the gravure-printing process to produce the high-impact, leather-encased look and a 3-D effect for the zip and label areas. "The print specification also gives a tactile aspect to the sleeves, and accurate predistortion ensures that the zip remains perfectly vertical," the company adds. Vetro Reno S.p.A. applies the sleeves in Italy.

The wine collection is available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $14.99 per bottle for the Bootleg Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chianti and Southern Red. Bootleg Grand Tuscan sells for $19.99.