A Better Finishing Touch for a Truly Personal Wine Experience
Rickety Bridge already offered guests the opportunity to taste, blend, bottle and cork their own wine. Epson ColorWorks provided the missing final step: a professional, personalised full-colour label created and printed while the guest is still at the estate.
Client Overview
Nestled in the Franschhoek Valley of the Western Cape, Rickety Bridge Wine Estate carries more than three centuries of history. The estate's origins date to 1694, with its independent winemaking legacy officially recognised from 1797.
Today, under the ownership of the UK-based Crosbie Family, Rickety Bridge continues to build on that heritage with a diverse portfolio of award-winning wines including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Semillon.
Wine tourism is central to the estate's offering. Alongside wine tasting, cellar tours, dining, weddings and corporate events, Rickety Bridge offers a distinctive Wine Blending Experience where guests create, bottle and take home their own personalised blend.
A Unique Experience Deserved a Better Finishing Touch
The Wine Blending Experience was already memorable and highly personal. The challenge was that the final presentation of the bottle did not match the premium quality of everything that came before it.
A handwritten label reduced the premium finish
Guests previously received a blank label and a Koki pen to write their name on their finished bottle. The basic label diminished the presentation of an otherwise premium experience.
Every bottle needed to be genuinely personal
The experience is built around individuality, meaning each guest or group needed the freedom to create a label unique to their own blended wine.
Quantities could vary from one bottle to a full group
Printing requirements could range from a single label for an intimate booking to approximately 50 labels for a larger group, making conventional pre-printing impractical.
Label creation needed to happen during the experience
Rickety Bridge wanted the design and printing process to become part of the guest journey itself instead of being treated as a separate back-office activity.
Epson ColorWorks CW-C6000Ae
Rickety Bridge evaluated both the Epson ColorWorks CW-C4000 and CW-C6000 before selecting the CW-C6000Ae.
Its durability, print quality and scalability made it the most suitable option for a busy hospitality environment where label requirements can change from one booking to the next.
The biggest transformation came from integrating the printer into the experience itself. Using an AI-assisted design process, guests can now create their own personalised label during the blending session and have it printed immediately before they leave.
The Label Became Part of the Experience — and Part of the Marketing
The improvement was immediate. Guests now enjoy designing their own label as part of the blending session, and the completed bottle better reflects the creativity and craftsmanship that went into making their personalised wine.
Rickety Bridge also experienced an unexpected benefit. Guests began photographing their finished bottles and sharing them on social media. These posts introduced the Wine Blending Experience to new audiences and resulted in new people making bookings after seeing the personalised bottles.
Premium finished presentation
Professional personalised labels now complement the quality of the wine and the overall Rickety Bridge experience.
Instant personalisation
Guests can create their design and receive a professionally labelled bottle during the same blending session.
Flexible print quantities
The estate can produce exactly the quantity required, from one label to approximately 50 for a large booking.
Organic social media visibility
Guests naturally share photographs of their personalised bottles, extending the reach of the experience.
New customer bookings
Social sharing has introduced new visitors to the experience and helped generate additional bookings.
Rickety Bridge Wine Estate
Rickety Bridge Wine Estate is an award-winning wine estate in the Franschhoek Valley, Western Cape, offering wine tasting, cellar tours, its Wine Blending Experience, bistro dining and premier wedding and corporate venue facilities.
What Could On-Demand Colour Label Printing Change for Your Business?
Epson ColorWorks gives businesses the freedom to produce professional full-colour labels when they are needed — whether that means a single personalised label or a complete production run.