Let’s be honest. How many times have you chosen a bottle of wine, purely based on the design of its label? Ok, so we’re not suggesting you lack sophistication, it’s just that how can any of us ignore the creativity that goes into the packaging design?
Now a new book by wine specialist Bas Korpel and illustrator Jur Baart hopes to turn the world of wine upside down. With Burp: The Other Wine Book, the starting point isn’t the differences between wine regions, grape varieties, top producers or exceptional terroir; instead, it focuses on the design and the stories behind the labels.
“The world of wine is infinite,” says Bas. “Behind every label, there is a story. And we strongly believe that wine tastes better when you know the story behind it.”
While making the book Bas and Jur discovered stories about “battling armies, a logistical nightmare and an inventive importer”. Thanks to their project, they also got their hands on the artwork for The Godfather, a label turned into a sobriety test. “We exposed an artist’s disputable choices he made during World War II,” explains Bas. “The good thing is that our readers can now discover all these trivia themselves.”
Jur adds: “By looking at wine from the starting point of the label, you suddenly get completely different stories when opening a nice bottle. You no longer have to be a ‘wine nerd’ to have an entertaining story at the table.”
Burp is suitable for both the “wine freak” and the “novice enthusiast” because it describes not only the wine but also the world of design, storytelling and branding. Containing 260 pages and featuring 40 different wines, Burp is what its creators call a “punk wine book”, as it’s full of outspoken stories along with surprising illustrations and accompanying photography.
Priced at €35, Burp: The Other Wine Book by Bas Korpel and Jur Baart is published by Fitzroy Publishing. You can grab a copy at theotherwinebook.com.
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