UPM unveils premium label materials for global wine and spirits packaging

UPM Adhesive Materials has introduced a collection of premium performance label materials for wine and spirits packaging. The collection is part of a sample folder, available in European, North American, South American, and Asia-Pacific markets. 

UPM’s label material sample folder supports printers that aspire to convey premium options to their customers. The solution aims to help brands differentiate their products through packaging designs and materials.

Lisbeth Saarinen, senior manager, Global Marketing at UPM Adhesive Materials, says: “Printers working with wine and spirits brands face high expectations for both visual impact and technical reliability. Our premium label materials are designed to meet these demands, ensuring smooth converting and consistent performance throughout the product lifecycle.” 

International collaboration

UPM collaborated with design agencies to create the labels for regionally significant alcoholic beverages. The designers were given freedom to express their cultural identity and interpretation of the premium experience. 

The resulting designs showcase a global perspective: Robilant from Italy created a concept for champagne. Excel Design Shenzhen from China developed a design for baijiu. Denomination from Australia focused on white wine. Dando Projects from the USA presented a bourbon concept. Tridimage, in collaboration with Boldrini & Ficcardi, JVD, Infinito, and LIP from Argentina, designed a label for tequila.

To execute these designs, UPM joined forces with surface finish company, Kurz, and global producer of high-precision stamping tools, H+M, for hot stamping transfer materials and tooling, and Grafical for expert printing. 

Additional collaboration with producers of glass packaging and closures, Verallia and Vinolok, highlights the value chain partnerships behind each label concept.

Improving connectivity

The folder presents five label materials, each paired with a printed sample that shows how UPM’s materials perform with the designs and embellishments. 

The portfolio also includes unprinted sheets with removable labels that provide technical specifications and enable printers to test the adhesive performance and on-bottle application of the materials. 

Hernán Braberman, creative director at Tridimage, says: “Premium today is about more than aesthetics — it’s about storytelling, cultural richness, and emotional connection.” 

“We collaborated with four other Latin American design agencies to create the tequila label Diversa: a shared concept that celebrates diversity through design. UPM’s premium label materials allowed us to use intricate embellishments and fine details with confidence.”