February 10, 2012

Cheers! L&A’s wine label design experiment

Most of us at L&A enjoy drinking wine. As designers, we admit to frequently choosing our wines the superficial way—based on looks. Some gorgeous packaging can go a long way in convincing us to pick a bottle off the shelf. Designing a wine label is every designer’s dream assignment—so we thought, why not design our own? The idea: six spectacularly wacky creative briefs for six fictional wines… six designers… and one very celebratory party to reveal (and sample) the finished products. We even sent the designs to a real wine merchant to see which wines he would actually purchase.

Seems like there couldn’t be a better time for this fun exercise, given the wine-related events going on in DC, and Valentine’s Day right around the corner. Read the briefs and take a look at our foray into the world of wine label design below.

OX (Zinfandel)
Small scale logging business and vineyard owner, Woody Defendor, pursues his childhood dream of creating a wine for the hard working logger. This is the burly lumberjack’s wine, crafted for cigar smoking, barrel-chested, tough men with alcohol tolerances. The dark red OX Zinfandel has a musky aroma, superior jammy undertones, and a profoundly robust taste. The winery is located in the heart of the Appalachian mountains, in Finecastle, Virginia.

Dacca (Chardonnay)
Dacca is a chardonnay from Bangladesh, inspired by the bright colors, local festivals, and bustling activity in the capital city of Dhaka. With assistance from Australian winemakers, a few local Hindu entrepreneurs from Dhaka have successfully produced the country’s first ever wine, primarily for export to neighboring countries India and China. The owners believe that their upstart wine can be successful in the world market, especially with its unbeatable affordability and unique, light taste.

Pillan (Carménère)
A group of Woodstock-era American expats invest in a financially-unstable, old world winery in the Colchagua Valley of Chile. They are in search of a peaceful, communal life, and want to live out their golden years feeling connected to the earth. Pillan has a deep red color and the aroma of spices and berries. The expats consider Pillan to be “nature’s wine,” and are proud that it is handcrafted and completely natural.

Tekno (Riesling)
Two wealthy brothers from Rhine, Germany, with a passion for late night clubbing and bone-rattling techno music, decide to purchase a winery and develop a Riesling. Every step of the production process is performed by stainless steel machinery that exemplifies the perfection and efficiency of German engineering. The winery’s futuristic, Braun-like facility plays techno music thru $2 million Transmission Audio speakers during the wine making process—a unique aural process that the brothers believe is key to creating Tekno’s out-of-this world character.

The Rhinora (Sauvignon Blanc)
Old world, fifth-generation winemaker, Cape Augusta, from the Constantia region of South Africa, discovers that rhino manure has some unique properties that lend a rich and distinctive character to the wine’s undertones. The Rhinora has a crisp, rustic flavor, yet an elegant smoothness. Some say new wine drinkers may not like the poignant aroma and recommend those drinkers to decant the wine first to allow it to breathe.

Liquid Diamond (Champagne)
Brofessional, one of the United States’ most promising and up-and-coming hip-hop artists, has invested millions into the wine-making business. Soon, he will be launching his Prestige Cuvée champagne “Liquid Diamond.” This pricey champagne will be the drink of choice when out partying in the clubs. Liquid Diamond is powerfully sparkling, smooth and bitter-sweet, and effervesces a scent reminiscent of Clive Christian perfume.