Tabarrini Winery

Premium wine — from the grape to the bottle... via the label.

Azienda Agricola Giampaolo Tabarrini is based in Montefalco, Italy. This case study is supplied by OKI and featured here as an example of what the OKI Pro Series label printer makes possible for food and beverage producers.

The challenge

For four generations, the Tabarrini family has lovingly maintained its vineyards in Montefalco, in the province of Perugia, producing high-quality wine. With eight top-quality bottled wines — including the exceptional Sagrantino — the family business is globally renowned despite comprising just ten staff plus an external team.

Producing 60,000–70,000 bottles per year, 65% of which are exported to 30 countries, Tabarrini regularly needs to ship small quantities of each wine variety to international buyers at short notice. Each shipment requires a customised rear label carrying importer and distributor information, product origin, local regulations, and storage and tasting advice — all written in the customer's language and printed to a high standard.

Their existing monochrome thermal-transfer printer couldn't meet the resolution, colour, or media requirements needed to match the premium front labels. The overall presentation of the bottle didn't reflect the quality of its contents — and for a winery of Tabarrini's standing, that wasn't acceptable.

The solution

External print services were ruled out early — costs for small runs were prohibitively high, and lead times were too long to support rapid international shipments. Tabarrini needed an in-house solution that could produce full-colour labels on specialty media with short lead times and at a reasonable cost.

After evaluating toner and inkjet options from multiple suppliers, the choice was clear. The OKI Pro1040 won out for its superior print quality, high definition, and above all, its media handling flexibility. It allowed Tabarrini to produce colour rear labels on the same luxurious natural media as the front label — finally achieving consistency across the whole bottle.

The printer was installed by authorised OKI partner Finlogic and was up and running within days.

The benefits

Once the order had been placed, authorised OKI partner Finlogic installed the machine and it was up and running in just a few days. The OKI Pro1040 is compact, practical, and intuitive — simply insert the pre-cut label media roll and print.

The colour rear labels Tabarrini now produces finally look finished and are on a par with the front labels printed by a commercial supplier in a single print run each year. Tabarrini has since moved away from standard smooth glossy paper, with Avery Fasson Rustique Creme now the media of choice — a better match for the front label, and a much more luxurious, natural feel.

"The OKI Pro1040 has allowed us to print on a much more luxurious and natural label media that also has a unique feel."

— Alessandro Meniconi, Oenologist, Azienda Agricola Giampaolo Tabarrini

Once international customers approve a draft label in digital format, orders are ready to ship within 48 hours. Domestic customers, including those who visit the cellar, gave immediate positive feedback on the appearance of the new bottles and labels from the very first vintage.

The future

Tabarrini is exploring using the OKI Pro1040 more extensively — printing front labels for selected wines, adding automated bottle numbering to further highlight the exclusivity of each bottle, and expanding into labels for other produce including olive oil, jams, and an in-house shop.

In addition to winning prestigious awards including Gambero Rosso, Bibenda, and Slow Wine, Tabarrini ranks among the top 100 Italian wines in the Wine Spectator guide. The attention to detail that defines every aspect of production — including the label — is a significant part of what has made them a benchmark in their field.

"OKI's Pro1040 Label Printer won us over with its superior print quality, higher definition, and above all superb media handling flexibility."