The Semiotic

Construction
of a Wine
Label
By: Lindsey Stroud & Zep
Holthoff
Introduction
Text can be defined as connotations of substantial content and seriousness of
communicative purpose but the majority of texts which circulate in late modern
times.
Semiotic resources
Verbal
Visual
Tactile
Olfactory
Must accomplish all functions
Legal (governing laws)
Economic (cost of packaging in relation to goods)
Practical (size and shape)
Cultural (social patterns of consumption)
The Multimodal nature of the label
Semiotic Modalities
A code of numbers; 100%, 750ml
The bar code;
Graphic design features such as rules;
Words, which are organized in space;

Typefaces to Distinguish Speech Genres

Labels, shipping codes, etc.
The complexity of audience address
Bar codes
satisfying legal obligations, while appealing to consumer.
minimum size and standard placement
The contradictory nature of the
consumer-subject
Market research may show that in
supermarkets wine is bought
mainly by women but drank largely
by men.
Higher priced wine is bought mainly for
meals to which guest are invited.
What is the significance of serving
wine at the dinner table?
Rituals of opening and serving
wine
Fun fact about Britain
supermarket
Heteroglossia in the Text
Bakhtin defines heterglossia as anothers speech in another's language, serving to
express authorial intentions but in a refracted way.

Present in Warnings
May Exist in Speech Acts Directed Toward Consumer (e.g. Language and
Power)
The legal restrictions
Contradicting language genres
Alcohol Content
Shipping Labels/Codes
Surgeon General Warnings
Food paired with a wine
Storage of the wine
Activity Break!!!
The Importance of visual design
Prominent labeling
Increase Visibility
Draw attention from Authoritative Speech Acts
Use of Typeface
Create contrast between speech genres
More inviting appearance
Field of view ( either all on the front or all on the back)
TEI (Text Encoding Initiative)
Typographic design
The first founts of type produced to print
English in the fifteenth century contained
over 400 different character shapes or sorts.
For many many centuries a limited number of
printed text types such as books and
handbills
Sans serifs first appeared in the industrial
age.
Wine label typography
Different typefaces mark speech genre.
Helvetica
Neutral, free of individual characteristics (Graddol 202).
Parallels No-nonsense warnings of 20th Century.
Serif Fonts
Convey human characteristics
Often used to appeal to consumer
Bicameral- mixing upper and lower case lettering)
Conclusion