Do you judge a wine bottle by its label? The origins of some Australian designs might surprise

How much does a good wine label influence non-expert buyers? I’d buy anything with a duck on it.

—D.D., Bundeena, NSW

Wine labels are like any other kind of label: they’re designed to sell the product. Big companies such as Accolade, Treasury and Pernod Ricard spend a fearful amount of cash on packaging. There are focus groups, test marketing, psychologists, crystal-ball gazers, artists and designers.

Yellow Tail is one of Australia’s biggest-selling export wines; is the marsupial on its label its secret? If so, why does it work so well? Search me.

In the 1980s and ’90s, some of our most successful labels appeared to be copied from other successful labels. That’s one way to do it.

The original Jacob’s Creek label is widely thought to have taken inspiration from Bordeaux’s Chateau Haut Bailly; Mildara had a series of labels reminiscent of Georges Duboeuf, a successful Beaujolais.

Even boutique wineries got in on the act: Moss Wood’s label bore a striking resemblance to another Bordeaux, Chateau Pichon-Lalande. Sorrenberg of Beechworth has a label that looks like a Raveneau Chablis.

Today’s gun labels have a design that fits a story. 19 Crimes is a huge success, especially in the US. A series of labels depict early Australian criminals, each with a gripping story you can listen to by scanning a QR code. The Americans have one of their own, named Prisoner, a big seller despite its $85 price.

There’s a certain outlaw fantasy that seems to work with these wines. Rapper Snoop Dogg was hired to help promote 19 Crimes, which fitted the image and gave sales a boost.

Some mum-and-dad wineries have amateurish-looking labels that look as though the kids have designed them. There’s no psychology in most of them; they’re just designs that are pleasing to the owner.

The creator of Mateus Rosé wanted a distinctive bottle shape and a picture of a stately house for the label that would confer prestige. It worked.

Alcohol and cars don’t mix, but that didn’t stop Pernod Ricard hiring Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo to put his name on some high-octane reds. Kylie Minogue has a label; so do Ricky Ponting and three former Wallabies back-liners.

If Taylor Swift hasn’t been signed up by a wine company yet, it’s surely just a matter of time. C’mon, Tay-Tay, we need you to save our beleaguered wine industry!

Got a drinks question for Huon Hooke? thefullbottle@goodweekend.com.au