Monthly Archives: September 2009

Archangel Wines

Archangel 1

archangel-02

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The unique brand story of Archangel is one steeped in love, hope and fate. Starting in war-torn Poland and continuing to this day- a generation on in New Zealand – it’s about the interlacing of relationships and destiny. An antique European lace reflects this interwoven tale which embossed, over-glossed and pearlised print finishes hightlight the densely textured quality of this incredible journey.

Designed by Tardis Design and Advertising, based in Wellington, New Zealand.

Source :: Packagings of the World

V&S Wine Maru

V & S Wine Maru

“Maru means circle in Japanese. And the Alsace wine that V&S Wine has produced for sushi lovers is as well balanced as a circles shape. The product names was a part of the assignment. This design gained Silver a nomination in the European competition EPICA.”

Designed by Silver | Source :: By Lovely Package

Bell Bird Bay Wines

Bell Bird Bay Wines

New wine packaging by New Zealand based Tardis Design & Advertising:

“Rather than dumb things down for this cheap and chic supermarket label, Tardis Design were determined to honour budget wine buyers. Acknowledging that although they may not choose expensive wine everyday, Tardis appreciated that these buyers still want to feel good about themselves and their choices. The brand’s resounding success has been linked to its uplifting shelf presence – and it helps that it’s a great drop!”

By Andrew Gibbs | Source :: www.thedieline.com

Tamas Estates Wines

Tamas Estates Wines

This really nice set of wine labels for Tamás Estates was designed by Beth Leonardo while working at MOD. Beth left MOD in 2008 to start her own design firm, Double Six Design where she continues her work in branding and package design. Here’s what Beth had to say about the design:

“When Wente Vineyards acquired a neighboring Livermore Valley winery, Tamás Estates, they began an intensive wine label and branding overhaul. Wente had a vision for Tamás Estates well beyond its position as an on-premise, by-the-glass wine at large restaurant chains like Outback Steakhouse.

Their goal was to create a youthful wine brand that combined a strong focus on their use of old-world Italian varietals and a distinctly contemporary Californian flair. The solution was a ticket inspired label that represents the long trip the Italian vines traveled to arrive in California. As it turns out, this ticket also transports the drinker to Italy without even leaving the comfort of their own home!

The new Tamás Estates brand has surpassed even Wente’s vision. The creation of this impactful, iconic label design has not only resulted in distribution in all major retailers across the country, but also allowed an increase in price point across the line.”

By Rachel Dunagan | Source :: www.thedieline.com

Guide to BYO-Friendly Restaurants

Guide to BYO-Friendly Restaurants

When it comes to eating out, budget-squeezed consumers are increasingly seeking out wallet-friendly alternatives to the traditional, full-service restaurant meal, as we’ve already noted in our stories about Charlie’s Burgers and Kogi Korean BBQ, to name just two. Picking up on that theme comes GoBYO, a site that aims to guide restaurant-goers to venues that will let them bring their own wine.

GoBYO maintains a database of more than 17,000 restaurants that allow patrons to bring their own wines in 10 metropolitan regions of the United States. Now covering Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Southeast Florida and Washington/Baltimore, the site includes “wine-friendly ratings,” corkage fees, phone numbers, cuisines, features, price ranges, daily schedules and maps for each restaurant, as well as links to restaurant websites and reviews. (GoBYO contacts every listed restaurant frequently to confirm current data—most have been re-contacted within the past 90 days, it says.)

Visitors to the site can search for a BYO-friendly restaurant by name, distance or type of cuisine as well as more than 40 other restaurant features—availability of live music or a children’s menu, for example. Results can be sorted or filtered, and links for each restaurant present Google maps and reviews on Yelp and beyond. GoBYO’s FAQ page includes a section on BYO etiquette, and for restaurants that participate in OpenTable.com, consumers can even click to reserve a table. An iPhone app is also available, as is a special carrying case that holds up to three bottles of wine.

Created by the makers of DiningInfo.com—which tracks restaurants with waiter service—ad-supported GoBYO is currently free for both restaurants and users. One to partner with or emulate in a wine-loving—but markup-shy—city near you…?

Source :: www.springwise.com

Beeswing Limited Wines

Beeswing Limited Wines

Bombini is the latest in a series of private label wines commissioned by Beeswing Limited, a family owned and operated Alberta-based wine and champagne importer. This wine is from the Mendocino region of northern California. To celebrate the wines growing region, the wines were named after bug species found in Mendocino County. Bombini White – Named after a tribe of bumblebees found in Mendocino County on California’s north coast.

The aesthetic of the labels is one of warmth and nostalgia, with illustration and typography cues taken from vintage fruit labeling. This design solution creates a shelf presence that it is relaxed and unpretentious amongst more ‘traditional’ looking labels. Designed by Marie Hohner of Vision Creative Inc. in Alberta, Canada.

By Yael Miller | Source :: www.thedieline.com

Frank Sinatra Wine Launches

Frank Sinatra Wine Launches

Can the Sinatra name sell wine? The Sinatra Family Estates has announced its first wine offering, Come Fly With Me, a limited-production 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.The winery partnered with the Frank Sinatra Estate and his three children (Tina, Nancy and Frank Jr.) to produce the wine.

The wine is being produced from a five-acre vineyard site in Napa Valley, and only 500 cases will be bottled and are selling at a steep price of $570 for six bottles. The website says the wine has notes of cherry with hints of leather and spice and says it has a 92 rating but no indication of where that rating came from. Each vintage will be named after a Sinatra classic and the wine label features a logo of a record.

By Deidre Woollard | www.luxist.com

Fine Wine on Super-Sale?

Fine Wine on Super-Sale

It seems with the decline in the economy came a rise in wine sales but only for bottles less than $35. The finer wines priced between $50 and $125 have struggled. Desperate to clear space for the new vintages that will be harvested and bottled soon, retailers are slashing prices on the good stuff. Which makes this an ideal time to stock-up on or sample the higher-end of the wine spectrum.

For example, the 2003 Chateau de Valandraud from Bordeaux currently sells in NYC at Union Square Wines for $80 whereas three years ago it was selling for $250 per bottle. Many retailers are offering these discounts both in-store and online. Don’t hesitate — the sales may only last until the end of the month, before holiday shopping begins, and it’s best to have an inside track through email lists. You can even get deals now and save them for holiday gifts!

By Laura Malesich | Source :: www.luxist.com