We're delighted to announce that Terra Sarda Wines has become the first wine seller in the country to put braille labels on its bottles.
One white, one red, and a rosé – representing some of Sardinia’s best indigenous grape varieties – have been chosen to carry the transparent tactile labels, which still allow sighted consumers to see the original winemakers’ branding underneath. Other wines will join the Accessible Collection over the next 12 months.
The project came about as a result of a Radio 4 programme, called ‘In Touch’.
“We have a family member who is progressively losing their sight and accessible labelling was something that we’d talked about, but we didn’t have a clue where to start, so it became a ‘we’ll-do-it-when-we-can’ job," explains Terra Sarda Wines' Co-founder, Sue. "Then, quite by chance, I heard the founder of All Things Dotty, Brandon Hulcoop, being interviewed on Radio 4’s In Touch programme for people with sight loss and I thought we’d contact him to find out if it was even possible.
“I sent Brandon an email when the programme finished and within 10 minutes he’d phoned us, asking how he could help!”
The mission of All Things Dotty is ‘to make anything and everything accessible, one dot at a time’. But he had never been faced with a challenge quite like this one.
“In principle, it sounded straightforward, but it took a while to figure out the best labelling material to use for the bottles,” says Brandon. “And, because braille takes up significantly more space than an alphabetic system, Sue had to find the shortest way to include both a description of the wine and the necessary legal information.
"The other problem we faced is that not every bottle is the same shape – something I hadn’t really appreciated before! It was a wonderful project, and I really hope that more companies take up this challenge. Access to information is a right, not a nice-to-have, and I was so pleased when Sue contacted me.”
The intention is to roll out the labels across the entire Terra Sarda Wines range, which currently comprises 23 wines from 15 winemakers.
Large print and braille tasting notes from All Things Dotty are also now being introduced for all wines at Terra Sarda Wines’ tasting events.
“It’s been super working with Brandon, who has been so patient with us,” said Sue. “I think we can still improve on the labels and are keen to get feedback from people with sight loss on what else they might like included in the information.
“Interestingly, both Brandon and we have founded that fully sighted people are just as excited by it – they love the feel of the labels.”
The first wines in Terra Sarda Wines’ Accessible Wines range are:
Icoré 2024, a full-bodied dry and fruity red wine from the co-operatively owned Cantina Dorgali in the Supramonte mountains in east-central Sardinia, made from the island’s famous Cannonau grape
Albalena 2024, a buttery white Vermentino di Sardegna, grown and made in the north west by family-run Tenuta l’Ariosa
Launeddas Rosé 2021, a pink-orange, medium rosé made from the red Cagnulari grape by the Sassu family at Cantina Il Grappolo d’Oro near Usini in the east of the island
They will soon be joined by:
Alys 2023, a delightful still white wine from young wine makers at the Fratelli Traverso Cantina near Cagliari, made with Nuragus di Cagliari and Malvasia di Cagliari grapes, creating a fresh dry wine that delivers a wonderful honey aftertaste
Incontru 2024, a still white from the Aini family's winery in the Gallura region, famous for its elegant, mineral-driven Vermentino wines that have been grown on these hills for three generations
Porto Flavia 2023, an unusual herbaceous Cannonau made by Mariu Aru at his vineyard near Iglesias where he uses natural winemaking techniques to produce wines with soul
There is no additional charge for bottles carrying braille labels, but customers are asked to add the request for accessible labelling at checkout.
Sue added: “The irony is that Brandon doesn’t even drink wine, but his mum does. So she received our first braille-labelled bottle of Icoré to be drunk on his behalf!”
