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The best designs of 2025 from the Wine Packaging Masters

28 August 2025 By Patrick Schmitt

Following the Wine Packaging Masters last month, we have picked out the best-looking bottles of 2025, and have named our favourite design from the competition.

Taking in a new multi-vintage Champagne cuvée from Pommery and a striking just-launched wine brand from former Cloudy Bay winemaker David Hohnen, this year’s top-scoring designs are a diverse bunch, united by the fact they are all outstanding pieces of packaging.

On top of these, we have a celebrity rosé in an elegant new bottle and a wine sampling kit costing £100 that opens like a book.

As for our top design of 2025, called the Grand Master, scroll down to find out why it was a Chilean blend with a natural wine positioning that scored the highest in this year’s Global Packaging Masters.

Pommery Apanage 1874

Producer: Pommery
Region: Champagne
Country: France
Vintage: NV
Grape varieties: 40% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier
ABV: 12.5%
Approx. retail price: £75
Medal: Gold

A design for a relatively new line in the Champagne Pommery range – sitting between the entry-point Brut Non-Vintage and top-end Prestige Cuvée – the judges were impressed by striking and elegant appearance of the Apanage 1874. Of particular appeal was the pared-back look, the authentic and historic cues, and the upmarket-yet-disruptive overall design for what is a difficult middle-ground sector of the Champagne category: multi-vintage expressions between £60-100. Praised was also heaped on the use of the traditional Champagne collar medallion as the main label, as well as the gold-coloured film under the capsule – which ensures there’s a finish on the bottle’s neck after the capsule has been removed.

Hohnen X Producta Sauvignon Blanc

Producer: Producta Vignobles
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Vintage: 2024
Grape varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
ABV: 11%
Approx. retail price: £10
Medal: Gold

The judges loved this witty and memorable piece of packaging for a tough nut to crack: selling Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux. Standing out for the juxtaposition of black-and-white medieval architecture and brightly-coloured cartoon like imagery, it was thought to be funny and curious at the same time, as well as seemingly being an example of Bordeaux not taking itself too seriously. Also, with former Cloudy Bay winemaker David Hohnen named on the label, this brand was deemed to have credentials for wine geeks as well as those look for something fun on the table. Finally, it was believed to be successfully communicating the origin while remaining creative and appealing to a less traditional wine drinker.

Hohnen X Bodegas La Eralta Rioja CVC

Producer: Bodegas la Eralta
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Vintage: 20
Grape varieties: 100% Tempranillo
ABV: 13.5%
Approx. retail price: £11
Medal: Gold

Similar to the Bordeaux Sauvignon, the judges loved this design for a Rioja under the Hohnen name. Described as quirky and even anarchic by the judges, it was also praised for bridging the gap between intimidating traditional labels and overly casual designs, while it was lauded for using romantic Spanish architecture to communicate the wine’s origin with clarity. The back label was deemed excellent too, and the overall package was felt to be confident, original, as well as brave and eye-catching – and for a relatively affordable wine too.

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Amethystos Rouge

Producer: Estates Costa Lazaridi
Region: Drama
Country: Greece
Vintage: 2023
Grape varieties: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Agiorgitiko
ABV: 14%
Approx. retail price: £25
Medal: Gold

This lovely piece of packaging drew much excited commentary from the judges for the quality of the execution, with the beautiful silk screen printing and embossing, as well as an elegant matt finish on the capsule. They liked the fact that just the main brand graphic was in white, and admired the whole package on technical grounds for being an achievement. Bold and distinctive, it was deemed very carefully thought through, as well as brave and luxurious, along with disruptive, especially in the Greek wine category.

In what seems to be a ground-breaking move, high-end Chilean wine producer Vik has put the component parts of its fine wine blend in test tubes for retailing. Not only that, but the formats come in a beautifully-crafted gift box that the judges praised for being tactile and instinctive. Noting that such a piece of promotional packaging would have been very expensive to make, they were full of admiration for the measures taken to make this sampling pack open like a book, while looking so good. Indeed, it was declared both original and engaging, while deemed a brilliant way of telling the wine’s story.

Kylie Minogue Vin de Provence

Producer: Castel Frères
Region: Provence
Country: France
Vintage: 2024
Grape varieties: 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 20% Syrah
ABV: 12.5%
Approx. retail price: £12.50
Medal: Gold

Much praised was heaped on this refreshingly-affordable Provençal rosé carrying pop star Kylie Minogue’s name. Indeed, despite costing just a little more than £10, it looked like a luxury wine that could be sold for at least twice that price. Elegant and striking, the judges were delighted to see a rosé without an over-designed bottle, and also commended the producer for ditching the capsule, but placing Kylie’s signature on the cork, which was visible through the clear glass. Another clever touch eliciting admiration from the judges was the decision to site the back label information on the side of the bottle, so it doesn’t show through the wine when looking at the package front-on. Finally, the judges loved the shape of the bottle, the quality of the printing, and feminine feel of the design, which was further lauded for not being too girly.

Stonevik

Producer: VIK
Region: Cachapoal
Country: Chile
Vintage: 2024
Grape varieties: 74% Cabernet Franc, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Carmenere
ABV: 14%
Approx. retail price: £180
Medal: Grand Master

This year’s ultimate piece of wine packaging was Stonevik, a top-end Bordeaux blend from the Vik Winery in Chile. Garnering universal praise from the judges, the package was loved for its beautiful box with blind-embossed external surface, and the appealing use of matt foil on the capsule and fine paper stock for the label. Both striking and tactile, the design was deemed extremely high-end, as well as memorable, making one want to reach for the package. While the bottle was clearly extremely heavy, it was felt justifiable for such a luxury wine made in tiny quantities. Meanwhile, the image of stacked stones, carefully balanced, were in keeping with the wine’s natural positioning, and thought to be a clever way of communicating such credentials.

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