Last week Mike and I went out for lunch, nothing fancy, just an hour to catch up before he heads overseas for a few weeks. We were talking about nothing in particular when he said, almost as an aside, that he would probably be driving up to Barrie soon to drop off a private label order himself.
I asked why he was delivering it in person. He said it was a big order, and that the family who placed it was using the wine for a celebration of life. The customer had sent in their own artwork for the label. It had the face of the person they had lost, and around it were the little things that made that person who they were, including the hockey team they cheered for. Mike said it was one of the most beautiful labels we have ever put on a bottle, and that he had never thought of a custom label that way before. Neither had I.
We have been doing custom label wine for a long time. Weddings, anniversaries, corporate gifts, a bottle with the grandkids on it for Christmas. This one stopped us both. So here is a post about it, with that family’s privacy kept whole, because it changed how we think about what a label can be.
A wine label can be a portrait
A celebration of life is different from a funeral. It is the gathering where people tell the stories, laugh at the old jokes, and raise a glass to someone. Having the person on the bottle, right there on the table, turns the wine into part of the storytelling. Someone picks up the bottle to pour, sees the team logo or the fishing boat or the dog, and says, “Remember when.” That is the whole point of the day.
It also gives people something to take home. A full bottle for the people who could not make it. An empty one that ends up on a shelf with the photos. We have had customers tell us they kept a wedding bottle for years. We suspect a bottle like this one gets kept forever.
How our custom label wine works
If you are planning a celebration of life, a memorial, or any gathering for someone you have lost, here is exactly how it works at Traynor, so you do not have to guess at a hard time.
The wine. You can choose a custom label red (our Gamay Noir, light, fruit-forward, soft tannins, easy for a crowd), a custom label white (our Pinot Gris), or a custom label sparkling (our Vidal pet-nat, for a proper toast). All three are VQA Ontario, wild fermented and vegan, like everything we make.
The price. $39.95 a bottle, with volume pricing that matters for a gathering: 20 percent off at six bottles, 30 percent off at twelve, and 50 percent off at sixty, which brings a case of sixty to about $20 a bottle.
The label. You design it yourself with the customize tool on the product page. Upload a photo or artwork, add text, pick colours, and you see a live preview that doubles as your proof. The legally required information sits on the right side of the label and cannot be moved, so build your design around it. If a family member or a friend is handy with design, they can make the artwork at home and upload it. If you would rather talk it through, email retail@traynorvineyard.com and we will help.
Timing. Custom orders usually ship within 7 to 10 business days after the design is finalized. For a date that cannot move, order at least three weeks ahead. For Christmas, order by December 10. If you need to change or cancel, email sales@traynorvineyard.com within 24 hours of ordering, because once production starts, changes may not be possible.
Delivery. Shipping is free in Ontario on orders over $120 and in Quebec on orders over $150, with an adult signature at the door. Free pickup at the winery in Hillier is always an option, and for a large order we will sometimes bring it to you ourselves, which is how Mike ended up planning a drive to Barrie.
Ideas for a memorial label
Only you know the person. But if you are staring at a blank label, these are the things that work: a favourite photo, ideally one where they are laughing; their name and the years; a line they always said; the team, the hobby, the place; and a short toast on the back of the design, like “Pour one for Dad.” The family Mike told me about put the person’s face at the centre and the rest of their life around it. That is the template.
And the wine should be one they would have actually drunk. If they liked a cold glass of white on the porch, choose the Pinot Gris. If they would have made a joke about the bubbles, the pet-nat is right.
A place to gather, too
Some families want to hold the gathering somewhere that does not feel like a hall. If that is you, we host private events at the vineyard, inside in the heated Cellar Tasting Room or outside on one of our patios, with our street food kitchen doing the food. Kids and dogs are welcome, which matters at a celebration of life, because the grandkids and the dog are usually part of the story. Details are on our reservations and private events page, or email retail@traynorvineyard.com and tell us what you have in mind.
Thank you
To the family who ordered that wine: thank you for trusting a small family winery with something that personal. We will not share your name or your label, but we wanted you to know it changed how we see our own product. We hope the day was full of good stories.
If you are planning something similar and have questions, write to us at retail@traynorvineyard.com or call 1-877-403-4224. For other gift ideas from the winery, our Christmas gifts from a family winery post has more on custom labels for the holidays.
Good to know before you visit
Where: Traynor Family Vineyard, 1774 Danforth Road, Hillier, Prince Edward County, Ontario K0K 2J0. Five minutes from North Beach, 10 from Wellington, 15 from Bloomfield, 25 from Sandbanks, 30 from Belleville, about 2.5 hours from Toronto. Free on-site parking.
Hours and booking: Late fall hours: Friday and Saturday 11 am to 6 pm, Sunday and Monday 11 am to 5 pm, closed Tuesday to Thursday. Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and closed in January and February. Current hours are always shown at the top of traynorvineyard.com. Walk-ins welcome for groups of five or fewer; reservations recommended for six or more and required for ten or more. Call 1-877-403-4224 or email retail@traynorvineyard.com.
Food: Street food made fresh daily: gourmet all-beef hot dogs (kimchi dog, pocket dog), adobo pork and pulled chicken tacos, kofta sandwich, red lentil dal, roasted beet salad, street corn nachos, mushroom toast, whipped feta, garden herb popcorn, house-baked cookies, plus a kids’ plain hot dog. Four vegan and four vegetarian dishes on the fall menu, and every wine is vegan.
Drinks: $10 wine flights (three pours), $11 wine by the glass, $10 wine slushy, vermouth cocktails, $7 non-alcoholic peach slushy for kids and drivers, pop. Bookable experiences include the Cellarmasters Barrel Tasting ($49.95) and Stemware Sensation ($39.95).
Family-friendly: Kids are welcome inside and out. Designated play area visible from the Vineyard Patio, kids’ menu, juice slushies, strollers welcome, all patios and the Cellar Tasting Room wheelchair accessible. Kids combo (slushy, popcorn, hot dog, cookie) at the counter. Ice cream trailer and free Friday Family Movie Nights run in spring and summer.
Dog-friendly: Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome inside and out, with pet beds provided.
What’s on by season: Summer: Friday Family Movie Nights, DJ sets on the Vineyard Patio, Happy Hour Après Beach Sunday to Thursday 4 to 6 pm. Fall: the WineLab Holiday Series (PSL pumpkin spice wine, Spiced Apple, Mulled Wine, Mulled White) launches; Family Movie Nights return in spring and summer 2027. Winter: mulled wines and Caribou, Cellar Tasting Room heated.
The wine: Small-batch natural wine, wild fermented and vegan, family owned since 2008. Estate vines in Hillier farmed without synthetic pesticides since 2018, plus fruit from partner growers in Prince Edward County and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Pet-nat, piquette, skin-contact whites, vermouth, and fortified wines. Ten wines are listed at the LCBO.
