I have been to Washington twice in the past year and was surprised both times by the sophistication of the wine industry there. Like many Californians, I assume we live at the center of the wine universe, both in quality of wines and label design. I’m sure the French are snickering as I write this. One thing is for sure: Washington ain’t no tin lizzy when it comes to wines.

I landed in Walla Walla for the 2010 Wine Blogger’s Conference expecting to find a cozy little ‘burb with a few dozen wineries making the likes of 1970’s Boone’s Farm and Tyrolia. The misconception was quickly dispelled at the first event, a tasting of delectable Washington wines. I was equally impressed by the very appealing and well designed labels, and several created a case of design envy. The wineries I toured were every bit as elegant as our Napa Valley digs, but with a warm and welcoming vibe. Their beautifully designed wood and rock tasting rooms were like swanky ski lodges with sweeping vineyard views. (links to Reininger and Northstar wineries)

Friendly downtown Walla Walla is a little larger and a tad less snooty than St. Helena. Everywhere we went locals stopped to ask how we were enjoying the conference. (We were easy to spot, because we carried our wine glasses with us.) But there are also some characters in the little valley. There is rumor that Cayuse Vineyard’s tasting room is rarely if ever open, using the “Sold Out, Come Back Next Year” sign as an effective marketing strategy. And there’s a mean side to larger than life Charles Smith (K-Vintners), who has a penchant for scheduling same day events, which compete with local winery association efforts.

Walla Walla characters aside, there was a palpable excitement at the Bloggers Conference. Social media has trumped the press release. Minute by minute wine news goes directly to the media and wine consumers who are most interested. Today’s wine bloggers are pioneers blazing a new way to talk about the juice. Most of us do blogging as a second profession, very few turning enough of a profit to live on. But that’s sure to change in the future. Bloggers were a jazzed, friendly, open and ebullient group. Okay, three days of tasting the best of several hundred wineries does tend to make a crowd giddy.

Like me, fellow bloggers were surprised and delighted to discover the delights of Washington wines. The W folks are a bunch of cup-is-half-full guys who brag about the unique growing conditions in their regions. What some would consider hardships, they consider attributes. Lack of water is viewed as a positive because it allows for control in irrigating the grapes. Extremely rocky soil reminds Christophe Baron (Cayuse Winery) of the “galets roules” [rolled stone] in southern France.

Higher latitudes yield harsh winters, but add two extra hours of daylight when it really counts.

Washington wines had a day in the sun with Walla Walla in the leading role. Be they vineyards, wines, branding or tasting rooms, Washington wines are showing favorably in every way. Better than California? Hard to say…after all, I do live in the golden state. One thing is for sure…look out California, we’ve got company.

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Paula Sugarman is owner and creative director of Sugarman Design Group, a California graphic design studio specializing in brand identity, wine label design and food package design.

- www.sugarmandesigngroup.com

Here’s my advice on exporting wine into China: don’t do it. The tariffs are high, customer preferences unpredictable, and there’s a reasonable chance the exporter will get swindled, or so I’ve heard. But if you still think selling to the fastest growing economy is a risk worth taking, the following are some tips to help ease the process.

Party like it’s 1999

I noticed only one common thread when talking about Chinese wine markets: they’re unsophisticated. Many cheap local blends are reportedly bad tasting and despite great strides, the foreign wines are still just breaking into China. So with the market still in its infancy, keep it simple, stupid. Some labels have seen promise simply by incorporating the word “kiss.” It worked for “Penguin’s Kiss,” a label that won first runner-up for “The Most Appealing Wine Label for Mainland Market” competition at last month’s Vinexpo in Hong Kong. Jana Harvey, who I spoke to a few weeks ago, is working on selling Scott Harvey Wines’ “One Last Kiss” in China. She was told the red on the label would be a big hit with the locals; I think it’s the whimsy lipstick smudge that will win them over.

It’s better when you’re French

While Napa Valley still screams exotic to many Chinese importers, France still beats California in the Asia-Pacific. An estimated 80 percent of consumed imported wine in China is French, said Crystal Lee, who markets wine in Hong Kong and China. Exports from France increased four times in China between 2004 and 2008, she said, with numbers continuing to grow. And think again if France is the only competition on your radar. Australia and Chile make solid runners up, with the U.S. trailing behind, capturing less than 15 percent of Chinese wine drinkers.

Know your limits

The number of rules for exporters can be dizzying in China. Aside from tariffs upward from 45 percent, there are limitations for how many bottles can be imported, and even restrictions for what can be printed on the label. The type of wine, ingredients, amount of alcohol, originating country, bottling date; all are bound by law to be on the label. The exporter’s company and name are in fact not required on the bottle, but it has to display the Chinese agent used to import the wine. In other words, use the wrong agent, and your concept could get stolen.

There are obviously a lot of obstacles to entering the Chinese market, but that hasn’t stopped many from taking the plunge. Two years ago 30 exporters supplied Shanghai with wine and now CNN says there are five times as many. Just be careful: entering China’s wine market could mean huge payoffs from the country’s growing economy, but your business may also end up at the bottom of the barrel.

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Saul Sugarman, a guest writer for winelabelsthatwork.com, is a freelance reporter and multimedia producer. Among many contributions, his work has appeared in Time Out, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg News. He lived in Mainland China and Hong Kong between 2007 and 2010.

- http://hk.linkedin.com/in/ssaul

by Saul Sugarman

The Millennium is here. Okay, maybe not – it was so ten years ago. But my generation, the millennials are a powerful demographic. Lady Gaga dominates popular music; Mark Zuckerberg changes how we interact; Paris Hilton, well who knows what she does? In any case, wine drinking is becoming another touchstone we share as part of coming of age in generation y. Getting that message to us, though, is a challenge for wine makers.

We don’t like television commercials, we’re not fans of online banners, and we can’t be bothered with most blatant promotions. So how do you reach us? We want to know you, intimately, or so the experts say. A recent Sonoma State University study said over half of millennials preferred hearing about good wine from friends or within their own networks. But what does that really mean?

For Jana Harvey, who runs marketing for Scott Harvey Wines, it’s all about new technology. If you can tweet about it or write something in a Facebook group, Jana is all over it. “Stories are what sell and it’s hard to write the whole story on the back label,” she said.

I met Jana at her home and base of operations in St. Helena, California, where I learned that along with tasting rooms, wine clubs, and event planning, wine marketing can now be as simple as getting out of bed and sending email blasts from your desk. “We have to send something informative and interesting. We always try and do something with a recipe and what’s happening with the vineyards this time of year,” Jana said. “We still have to get our customers to taste the wine, but if we’re not there ourselves, this is one way we can entice them to drink the story.”

And with more to say online, less is said on the bottle. Take recent creation of Scott Harvey Wines, the InZinerator, aimed directly at a younger crowd. One of its labels – a triangle-shaped purple and yellow graphic of the letter Z – invokes an image of Superman, which is what Jana and Scott wanted. Peter Parker would naturally pick up “Wine for the Super Hero” (printed on the back label) for Mary Jane after another daunting rescue. Without much else written on the bottle, customers have little choice but to read more on its website. A quick Google search reveals the bottle also has a Twitter account, Facebook page, even a YouTube video titled, “The case of the stolen InZinerator!”

With the burgeoning success of superhero franchises of late, a product this unique will undoubtedly spawn a following, but it isn’t for everyone. North Carolina banned it because the state felt the wine targeted an underage audience, which wasn’t Scott and Jana’s intention. Several younger friends of mine – and myself included – have also stated a preference for the more traditional label. But Jana probably sees a focused customer base as more of an advantage than a setback.

“None of our wines are going to appeal to everyone.” said Jana. “We really are niche wines.”

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Saul Sugarman, a guest writer for winelabelsthatwork.com, is a freelance reporter and multimedia producer. Among many contributions, his work has appeared in Time Out, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg News.

- http://hk.linkedin.com/in/ssaul

Every winery wants branding that’s distinctive. Wine labels are responsible for creating that most important first impression with the consumer, and it typically happens one of two ways: with an unusually attractive, unique design, or with commanding — maybe even startling — graphics that stand out in today’s crowded beverage aisle. Let’s take a closer look at different techniques.

Tell the truth

Starting with a real story lends a rich foundation that can’t be derived any other way. It’s this connection that makes wine magical and creates the most interesting and memorable stories. Blasted Church Vineyards is an explosive example. I stumbled across this brand while in Canada last year, I had not yet seen them in the US. I thought the name was an irreverent poke at religion, but it turns out there really is a blasted church, which makes it even more appealing. This imaginative branding, created by Brandever, a Vancouver design firm, has brought untold recognition and good press to the Okanagan Valley winery.

In 2002 the new owners of Prpich Winery were having an identity crisis.  Brandever recommended changing the name to Blasted Church after a nearby landmark. The series of unique labels tells the true story of the little mining era church that had been dismantled with the help of four dynamite sticks, and then moved to Okanagan Falls in the 1930’s.

“Today, Blasted Church has grown over tenfold in sales, has become one of the most recognized, and admired wineries in Canada, and is proudly served by the best restaurants and wine merchants across the country. Amen.”

Starting this year, Blasted Church unveiled a revamped brand design playing off the old labels but adding even more quirkiness to the amusing concepts. Brandever sent these labels for your viewing, making you among the first to see them.

Tell a Lie

Of course pigs don’t fly, and frogs aren’t bionic, but I suspect French winemaker, Christophe Baron might simply be making a play on words. These wines from Cayuse Vineyards haven’t been seen much in the marketplace since they are so highly sought after. The images are a surprise for such high priced vintages, but the fanciful names do make for interesting stories.

Then there’s Big House Red, a quintessential example of stretching the truth for a clever story. This popular brand has been having fun with the unlikely subject of prison life for many years. Check out their website at www.bighousewine.com. From solitary confinement, to the mess hall, to the exercise yard, the slightly shocking banter never stops.

Use a Hammer
Falling under definition two for distinctive branding, these labels are visually forceful and demand your attention in the store. I call it the hammer effect. Designers accomplish this by providing contrast with the competition, often by size, color or shape. In addition to getting noticed, the image must also inspire the buyer to put the wine in their cart. The labels below seem to do the job.

New Age White – The stark vertical and large type size make this label shout. The colors and font make us think of Vodka or some kind of hard liquor.  Turn the bottle around when you get a chance. There’s a surprise on the back.

Pillar Box Red - Talk about a hammer… I picked up this Australian wine at our local Costco. The solid red labels are right out of the macho toolbox and the shipper case carries even more of a wallop. I took the shot below at the risk of being ushered out of the store (it wouldn’t be the first time). Although the red coloring is the only hint, the Pillar Box line is named for the ubiquitous red Pillar Boxes (mailboxes) that first appeared in the Australia’s Padthaway region in the 1850s. Other varietals such as Postmistress and Morse Code carry on the postal theme.

Cala Blanca Verdejo - Four of these bottles lined up together create a colorful and effective billboard.

While there are many ways to create distinctive branding, the mantra of truth and authenticity continues to emerge as the most effective strategy. The best inspiration comes from passions and characteristics unique to your winery. That special viewpoint gives marketers a way to differentiate the brand and consumers a way to connect to it. I suspect we’ll see a resurgence of this approach in wine label design.

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Paula Sugarman is owner and creative director of Sugarman Design Group, a California graphic design studio specializing in brand identity, wine label design and food package design.

- www.sugarmandesigngroup.com

A special thanks to the folks at Brandever and Blasted Church Vineyards:
Laurie Millotte, Brandever/Bernie Hadley-Beauregard, Brandever, art directors/designers; Chris Sickels, Red Nose Studio, illustrator; Evelyn Campbell, Blasted Church Vineyards, client.

Last night Lowell and I were treated to a delectable and entertaining dining experience by our friends Fran and Harley. They flew in from Madrid for an unexpected visit and invited us to The Kitchen, a quasi-incognito restaurant right here in Sacramento, California. It was such fun I want to share it with you. So for just a moment I’m going to diverge from the world of wine labels to the savory joy of culinary delights.

Randall Selland and his wife Nancy Zimmer started the Kitchen in 1991. He wanted to share his love of cooking with people in much the same way he would in his own home. He calls this unique dining concept a demonstration dinner. It’s a marriage of culinary and performance arts.

There’s only one seating per night, and it’s on a reservation only basis. The building completely lacks signage or visible windows, the only hint of sophistication being the gargantuan glass door handles at the entrance. We were met there, our reservations confirmed, and ushered into a darkened room with dramatic lighting. The focal point is a full-on gourmet kitchen, a veritable stage, with a counter that wraps around three sides, seating about 25. Tall tables set in white tablecloth style provide more seating and create a kitchen amphitheater.

Further into the room is the prep kitchen that is open to the public. We were invited to roam and talk with the bevy of chefs working on the evening’s meal. They were friendly and eager to answer questions. We took a side trip to the extensive wine cellar. There were many interesting labels, so we snapped off some quick shots. We did the best we could with the low, intimate lighting which was not conducive to photography.

Aubert, Sonoma Coast Chardonnay - Sometimes all a label needs is an elegant logotype.

Continuum Estate - The depth and richness of this label made it a clear standout on the shelf. Gorgeous!

Broken Stones Red Blend - I love the rustic simplicity of this label from Saxum Vineyards in Paso Robles

Detert Cab Franc - This unusual depiction of the vines is active, elegant and gnarly all at once.

Bionic Frog Syrah - A difficult to find wine from Washington's Walla Walla Valley

Chef de Cuisine, Noah Zonca gave a dazzling performance as he introduced the dishes that would be served, the thoughts behind the recipes, how they would be prepared and where these finest of fresh ingredients came from. He introduced us to a huge Australian hamachi and deftly carved it into filets and sushi. The rest of his crew worked with him to plate and serve dishes for all of us in the room. The menu was superlative and we savored every bite.

- March 2010 Dinner Menu -

Maine Lobster Bisque Thai Style with a Coconut ‘Crème Brulee’
Fresh Turmeric and Chives
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A Warm Salad of House Made Bacon Confit Blood Orange, Frisée,
Arugula and Croutons
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Intermission with Sushi ~ Sashimi ~ Crudo
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Australian Hamachi and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Crispy Blue Prawns,
Lemon ‘Caviar’ and a Chervil Hollandaise
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Beef Tenderloin with a Fresh Horseradish Crust Small Vegetables,
‘Clouds’ of Blue Cheese and Butter Poached Potatoes
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Bittersweet Chocolate-Caramel Tart
Candied Pecan ‘Dos Leches’ Ice Cream

I got so excited about the performance aspect, I forgot to tell you about the food. The Maine Lobster Bisque may have been my favorite course. Chef Noah explained that to keep the flavors concentrated, they thickened it with very soft rice, kind of mashed up instead of cream. Instead of saffron, they used turmeric for coloring. And there was this incredible…no, INCREDIBLE fresh ginger in it like I’ve never tasted before.

My next favorite part was the intermission. All good performances have a break in the middle. In this case it meant that  we got up and did a little walking … straight over to a table arrayed with sushi, sashimi and tacos tartare. The wasabi was freshly grated on a sharkskin board and there was more of that tantalizing ginger. You know how sometimes you just can’t get the pieces separated with your chopsticks and end up hawking most of the mound? Embarassing, but convenient. There was a plate of lobster tempura, OMG, and uber fresh sashimi; salmon, hamachi and tuna. Turns out the intermission was a real workout and I snuck back for a bit more.

The wine was flowing, most often, there were 3 or 4 wine glasses at each place setting. Harley is a wine expert. (Ask me about the time he beat Fran on a bet that he could tell the difference between a $300 cab and those of lower price in a blind tasting…but that’s another story.) Both he and Fran did a good job of pacing themselves. Many times, they left wine in the glass as they went on to a new vintage. I, on the other hand, am a good Jewish girl and hate to waste any of the juice. By the time intermission was over, I started to lose track of exactly what we were drinking. But when the Beef Tenderloin arrived with that lovely crust of horseradish, so did a bottle of Duckhorn Merlot. It smoothly complemented the perfectly grilled meat which was snuggled up to a fluffy puff of blue cheese. The potatoes were tiny half inch balls in perfect proportion to the cutest eensy roasted mushrooms, beets and root veggies. How one poaches potatoes or even thinks up these ideas is a mystery to me.

I’m usually not a big fan of sweets, but I do love caramel. And the Chocolate-Caramel tart had the most intense caramel flavor I have ever tasted. My resolution to push away my plate after just one bite quickly dissolved. But I did manage to skip the ice cream.

Fran and Harley enjoy the opportunity to dine often in top restaurants of the world. Of all the best eateries on the planet, The Kitchen has come to be one of their three favorite dining experiences. This is sage prose coming from such cosmopolites.

Not bad, Sacramento!
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Paula Sugarman is owner and creative director of Sugarman Design Group, a California graphic design studio specializing in brand identity, wine label design and food package design.

- www.sugarmandesigngroup.com

What is the best way to create a distinctive brand message for your winery?
One is to tell the truth. Sounds too simple, doesn’t it? Part of the romance of wine is its connection with the real people who make it and the places they choose to do it. Particularly today, it provides grounding in a world that is otherwise moving too quickly. The same phenomenon is driving the current grow local/buy local produce movement. In today’s article you will see some truth-full labels which may inspire you to tell your own story in the form of a label.

Stuart Spencer, owner and winemaker of St. Amant Winery, chose to make many of his labels a tribute to another time. Like the inky red wines in his bottles, the stories his labels tell are rich with family and vineyard history, creating a strong visual connection for eight distinctly different labels. Stuart carved out some time to chat about the thought behind his wines and branding. His clarity was both pragmatic and romantic.

St. Amant Winery was started by Stuart’s father, Tim Spencer, in the early 1980’s. St. Amant was his wife Barbara’s maiden name, he thought that name had a better ring to it than Spencer. Tim and Barbara planted grapes in Amador County in 1972 and opened their own winery in 1990. They moved it to Lodi in 1996 where Tim became known as a pioneer in Lodi farming. Tim passed away in 2006 and Stuart is carrying on the family tradition.

Stuart’s first goal with the wine label design was to develop an easy way to identify the wines internally. The labels needed to be distinctive from each other so they could tell the wines apart.  “No more honest mistakes” he said. Necessity is the mother of invention, so a great idea for branding was born.

Since each of their wines has a distinct reason for being, Stuart chose subject matter for his labels that is also distinct, relating to the wines inside the bottle, and holding personal meaning for him. These qualities also make them memorable and resonate with consumers and fans of his winery. Most of the images are photographs he shot himself and were enhanced by his label designers at 6 West Design in Lodi, California. They created a two piece front label, the top part is dedicated to imagery, the bottom is a separate band which prominently identifies the varietal and other information. The images all have a romantically lit, hand tinted quality that puts them somewhere between a photo and an illustration. Most of them tell a story that is rich with some historical significance. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Road Less Traveled Tempranillo
It was the story of this label that inspired me to learn more about St. Amant. The old work boots belonged to Stuart’s father, Tim Spencer, and remain a loving testimony to his life. I can’t think of a better way to be remembered.

Marian’s Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel
Every old ranch has some kind of farm equipment from the good old days, but it’s not often appreciated in this way. This photo is the tail end of a 1920’s sulphur duster which is on the St. Amant vineyard property. On the left is the final label image which was enhanced by the designer. The sepia tones add richness and historical reference to the original photo which is on the right.

Mohr-Fry Old Vine Zinfandel
This image gives me a curiously eerie feeling. It’s really just a photo of the old zinfandel vines. Stuart says a lot of people wonder what it is.

Tools Of The Trade Barbera
The corkscrews in this image are from a pre-prohibition era winery in Lake County which is still owned by the St. Amant family.

There are many ways to create distinctive branding. Like the wines they represent, the St. Amant wine label designs have special significance because of their connection with real people and place.  They are unique to St. Amant, something all wineries should strive for when establishing their brand identity. I look forward to the next generation of St. Amant labels and the stories they will tell.

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Paula Sugarman is owner and creative director of Sugarman Design Group, a California graphic design studio specializing in brand identity, wine label design and food package design.

- www.sugarmandesigngroup.com

“Good Design Is Good Business.”
Although Thomas Watson, president of IBM, made this statement in the 1950’s, it still applies today. He was talking about computers, but it makes sense for the wine industry too. In this fast paced world, memorable, effective design is more important than ever. Good design communicates the key qualities of a product in a flash. For wine, it is a hint of what’s inside the bottle.

So how does one go about getting the most from a wine label designer? Yikes! Seems I have more to say than I thought.
Here are a few pointers:

1 – Choose A Good Designer
Choose a designer who is professionally trained. This will result in the most effective, memorable and professional message for your branding. Choose one that has experience with wine labels, this will yield the best print quality and insure the label looks great in the market, in the ice bucket and on the dinner table.

2 – Consolidate Your Decision Makers
The best results begin with a consolidated team of decision makers. These are folks who have a vested interest in the winery, are intimately involved in the creation of the company or the wines they produce, and are active in formative decisions about the company and it’s brand messaging.

Less is more
As a general rule, the fewer folks on your decision making team the better. The old adage holds true, too many cooks spoil the broth. However, if your company is large enough to have a key staff member dedicated to marketing, their in-depth knowledge will make them an integral part of the team.

Involvement In Every Step
All members of the decision making team should attend every meeting so they are part of the entire design process. This gives all players the opportunity to share their insights and have a say in the final design. Although attendance in person is preferred, it isn’t always possible. In this case teleconference meetings with online presentations can be arranged.

3 – Clearly Identify Goals
It’s important for the decision making team to be unified on the goals and priorities of the project before meeting with the designers. Developing a design brief which clearly communicates your objectives will save time and generate the most satisfying results. This may sound intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be difficult or formal. Here’s a short outline specifically for the wine industry.

Design Brief Outline

1. - Project Parameters
2. - Scope of Work
3. - About The Company
4. - About The Wine
5. - Sales & Distribution
6. - Long Term Goals

Click here for a more comprehensive list of Design Brief Questions.

4 – Need Help Clarifying? Ask Your Designer
If you can’t gain consensus on the goals of a project, ask your designer for a recommendation. There are times when a professional outside of the organization can offer a more objective view. 

5 – Getting To The Gold
Designers are trained to uncover information that may not be foremost in your mind. We look for the special little gems that differentiate your wines from others. They can provide talking points for your sales team and inspire consumer interest. We ask a lot of questions that can seem tedious and inconsequential. It can require patience and a lot of deep breathing. But that’s what it’s like mining for gold. So be expansive even at the risk of talking too much. You don’t know which tidbit of info will provide the impetus for a grand theme.

6 – Be Prepared With Lots Of Examples
We ask our clients to bring examples of designs they love and designs they hate. Our objective is not to copy, but to note similarities in your preferences. Anything goes from wine labels to samples from other industries: logos, advertising, books and historical reference. These will give us an idea of your tastes and an indication of designs that will never fly. If we know you hate that torn paper look, we can save time by avoiding those kinds of concepts. It’s a little like building a house. If the architect knows you want a contemporary home with lots of glass and clean lines, he can take a pass on concepts for a Victorian dream house.

One of our clients, Red Oak Vineyard, hired us to create a label for their award winning cherry port. The name was Captain Nick’s to commemorate an uncle who was a tugboat captain on Lake Michigan. They brought the collection below to our project initiation meeting.

Captain Nick was a tugboat skipper in Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin

7 – Be Open To New Ideas & Directions
Your designer should be privy to all ideas and expectations for this new label. At the same time, you are paying them to come up with something better than you ever can yourself. If you do have a sketch, your designer should definitely see this. Explain what you like about it, what the vision is. Then set ‘em loose and see what they come up with. Take advantage of their extensive training and experience by giving them a clean canvas. Think of your ideas as part of the paints on their palette.

However, if your mind is already set on a specific design or composition and you’re not interested in pursuing better options, you may not need a designer. A graphic arts specialist can do the technical work. You will not get the same level of creativity, but that’s not what you are looking for. This honest assessment will save a lot of time and money.

8 – Work Out The Schedule Up Front
If you know there’s a project coming down the pipeline, give the designer a call and let them know. That way you’ll be in their schedule when you’re ready to get started. The project can be assessed to see how much time should be allotted for design, TTB approval and printing. Getting to the perfect idea can take time. It may take a few rounds of refinements to accomplish your goals. There are also certain times of the year that printers have long lead times. It’s always good to check.

9 – Critique, Not Criticism
A smart designer will present an array of ideas for your review. Your feedback will be paramount in creating a label that hits the mark for you and your customer. Designers are trained to be thick skinned when it comes to a critique. But there is a difference between feedback and criticism: “Torn paper looks out of date” is feedback. It tells us why the design doesn’t work for you. “I don’t like it” is also valid feedback, but more info about why will be more helpful.

10 – Remember Your Audience
Whether a large winery or an exciting startup, it’s important to stay focused on your target market. Presentations may contain concepts that are not your style, but are perfect for the target consumer. If they like it, you will like the sales dollars they bring in. Alternatively, if you are a new winery, destined to stay small for a while, the label will be the first impression of your company. It’s important that you are personally happy with the label design since you will be living with it for a long time.

11 – Look At It In Context & Live With It
Once a design direction or two have been chosen, be sure to look at mockups on actual bottles. The design may not work as well as it does in a drawing. Whether retail, tasting room or restaurant table, look at the mockups in the environment they will be purchased. This is an often overlooked step. If you have the luxury of time, keep them on your desk for a while to live with. You’ll know it’s right if you still like it in a month. However, be prepared. This will drive your designer crazy. Our designs are like our children. To have one spending the night without supervision makes us worry.

12 – A Word About Your Mom, Cousin Ernie & Focus Groups
It’s good to get feedback from friends and family if they are your target audience. But don’t forget they are not privy to the goals and info of your design decision team. If Mom hates the label, but it is targeted at the millennial generation, her preferences may not be valid. Alternatively, Cousin Ernie, the rap artist, may not be attracted to an estate-bottled design with an etching of a chateau. Both are good resources to see if your message is being clearly communicated. Does the label tell them that the wine is high quality? Is the type readable? Does the chateau look like a log cabin?

Consumer focus groups often have a similar dynamic. They are looking at the product outside of the environment where it will be sold. They are also usually uncomfortable with designs they haven’t already seen in the marketplace. This leaves little room for ingenuity. Take the example of Herman-Miller’s Aeron chair, the best-selling chair in the history of office furniture. Focus groups said they hated this groundbreaking chair. It was too different for them to understand. But it was an immediate hit when put in the marketplace and has been emulated many times over.

Graphic designers went into this business because they are passionate about creating beauty. But our practical natures drove us to pursue design instead of fine art. It is the combination of these qualities that will yield the best results. Give us abundant information, come with an open mind and you will receive beautiful, effective results.

“In addition to a well-developed system for doing business, brand identity probably is a franchisor’s most important stock in trade.”

– USA Today

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Paula Sugarman is owner and creative director of Sugarman Design Group, a California graphic design studio specializing in brand identity, wine label design and food package design.

- www.sugarmandesigngroup.com

I had a bit of a giggle when I first came across Chas’ earlier House Wine and Table Wine brands (Rockin’ Wines). I enjoyed their stark in-your-face approach. However, I fail to connect with his latest batch of labels. They are unattractive and just plain unengaging. First off, unless I’m sailing in pirate territory, I’m not a big fan of skulls and crossbones. While I like grunge type and cryptic sketches, the collection fails to visually engage me. Maybe the high ratings from Robert Parker and Wine Enthusiast make visual interest unnecessary.

Bad Design, Good Marketing

Clearly I’m in the minority. The 2006 vintages pictured above, range in price from $12 to $120 per bottle and sold out. Like the labels or not, they fulfill all the objectives of successful brand messaging. Although they are very different from the House & Table Wine brands, wine afficionados immediately recognize them as Chas’ next generation. They get an A for strong branding, an A+ for shelf presence, and an award of merit for prominence in fine dining establishments. I would recognize them across a well sized restaurant. To quote Charles himself, he has used every trick up his sleeve to get your attention…and used them well.

“I return with the line-up of Heart, Skull and Old Bones. Pure and intense with a concentration and nerve that is beguiling, these are perhaps the best wines I have ever made. Big words indeed. I stand behind every one. The 2007 Royal City is no exception. I used every trick up my sleeve. This wine is an absolute treasure. With great pride, from my hands to your cellar, I offer you these wines.”

– Charles Smith

So there you have it. Charles Smith does things his own kick-ass way in both wine making and wine marketing. But his concept follows a fundamental rule of design: It doesn’t have to look pretty to be effective. True to his word: “It’s just booze – drink it!”

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Paula Sugarman is owner and creative director of Sugarman Design Group, a California graphic design studio specializing in brand identity, wine label design and food package design.

- www.sugarmandesigngroup.com

It was Steak House Red that called to me first. Bold, brash and simple. Then Fish House White and Red Table Wine beckoned. If a wine could talk, they yelled at me from across the store. They weren’t pretty; they were just plain fun in a sort of sarcastic way. Who are these guys anyway?

The Magnificent Wine Company produced all with grapes from Washington’s Columbia Valley. The brand was created in 2001 by a bold character named Charles Smith. His larger than life personality is the driving force behind these brashly practical labels. He is also owner and winemaker of another brand, Charles Smith Wines, for which he has been named 2009 Winemaker of the Year. All of his labels wear this crude, no-nonsense style. His website tells it better than I ever could:

“Owner-winemaker Charles Smith with his big hair, kick ass attitude and bold packaging arrived in the Walla Walla Valley following eleven years in Scandinavia managing rock bands…he has been involved with wine personally and professionally his entire life.” (Charles Smith Wines):

To quote Charles: “It’s just booze – drink it!”

His concept is to squeeze the purest flavors possible from the grapes. This mandate drives the brand identity, requiring as direct a message as possible. No special effects in either the wine or the graphics. No extraneous doodads that have nothing to do with the grapes.

Somehow, with no formal training, Charles Smith is a master at winemaking and a genius at marketing. The theme steadfastly extends across all marketing material down to the Surgeon General’s warning, which is also roughly hand lettered. They represent perfect examples of how the brand message is an integral part of every aspect of a company.

Smith’s designer is friend, Rikke Korff, a native of Denmark. The Danes reign supreme in minimalist design. She was lead designer for Levi-Strauss for ten years and is credited for bringing them from the brink of disaster in around 2001. (Rikke). She now runs her own company, Korff Kounsil.

“My style of design has always been and is always rooted in the pure perspective of functionality, timelessness & simplicity. I blend that well with the guts & raw directness of rock n’ roll to create future icons and cult brands.”

- Rikke Korff

The Magnificent Wines are a bold contrast to everything in the bev aisle. In design there is a fine line between minimalist and generic. These wine labels seem to walk it well, communicating their $10, wine-for-every-day value without quite looking cheap. Their in-your-face honesty is geared toward the young crowd, but have universal appeal to anyone with a sense of humor (irony?). The buzz around these wines promises great stuff inside the bottle too. That’s something to shout about.

Next post: Charles Smith’s Modernist wines.

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Paula Sugarman is owner and creative director of Sugarman Design Group, a California graphic design studio specializing in brand identity, wine label design and food package design.

- www.sugarmandesigngroup.com

Here’s yet another graphic depiction of a grapevine on a wine bottle. Not an original idea, but I learned in design school that some of the greatest ideas are oft-expressed concepts. The trick is in the execution, which must be done with a new twist or greater flair than ever before. Thus is the case with Root:1, a lovely bottle that crossed my path while in Acapulco.

Of all the wines flowing through our vacation Mecca that week, this one caught my eye. I’m always a sucker for a silk-screened wine bottle. The process has more limitations than printing on paper, so it kind of separates the “art men” from the “art boys”. Pardon my chauvinism, but the images that come to mind do make me giggle.

In the case of Root:1, the grapevine is artfully depicted in minimalist detail. Every curve and line turning from thick to thin is essential. The vines and roots are surrounded by English words in classically designed typography. They tell the little known story of Chilean viticulture. I found it interesting:

“Chile is a rarity in the wine world. Unique geographic & climatic forces have allowed it to remain one of the very few grape growing regions in the world where the original European rootstocks survive, unaffected by phylloxera – the disease that forced grape growers worldwide to graft vines onto generic rootstocks. Chile’s isolation, protected by the mighty Andes to the East and the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean to the West ensures that grape vines can remain on the original rootstocks in the purest form…”

Root:1 is from the Chile’s Colchagua Valley. So it’s interesting that English words play a support role in the design of the graphics. The back label is also in English. Is this the case for all wines imported from Chile? I contacted Rebecca Rader from the Click Wine Group to get some answers. She told me:

“Root:1 is the result of a partnership between Vina Ventisquero and Click Wine Group (Seattle Washington), and was created for the US market.”

This explains the English text front and back. Rebecca noted that not all Chilean labels are in English. It’s really a mix. Some have English on the front and Spanish on the back.

“Most Chilean wines have Spanish-sounding names such as Casa Lapostolle, Vermonte, Palo Alto and Concha Y Toro, but the name Root:1 was chosen because it is very easy to pronounce and has a distinctively memorable story on the label.”

Was the Chilean wine truly superior to those made from grafted rootstock? Hmm…I didn’t actually read the label until long after I enjoyed the wines, the margaritas, the tequilas and the sangria. Let’s just say research was not high on the agenda. But it’s a compelling story, isn’t it? And the wine went wonderfully with this pico de gallo and handmade taquitos.

Root:1 Wines
Suggested retail for all varietals:  $12.99
Cases per year: 90,000
Launch Date:  January 2006
Design:  Turner Duckworth, San Francisco

Paula Sugarman is owner and creative director of Sugarman Design Group, a California graphic design studio specializing in brand identity, wine label design and food package design.

- www.sugarmandesigngroup.com

A special thank you to Rebecca Rader of Click Wine Group