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2022 PACKWINE Design Awards The Winners
2022 Packwine Design Awards
With more than 100 outstanding entries to choose from, our judges – Nerida Kelton MAIP, Paul Baggio and Nina Chalmers - have selected six category winners for the 2022 PACKWINE Design Awards. In addition, more than 800 public votes have been tallied to reveal the winning entry for this year’s People’s Choice Award. The Grapegrower & Winemaker spoke to award winners to learn a little more about each triumphant design.
The WINNERS
See ALL the entries at packwine.com.au/ awards
Golden Amrita Golden Amrita Estate Reserve
Bertolaso Best Luxury Design
Any packaging format retailing for $50 or more with a 750ml equivalent. These are designed to compete and succeed on high-end restaurant wine lists and in fine wine shops against imported luxury wines. Judging is based on visual appeal, design functionality, appropriateness for the price segment and quality of packaging materials used.
Bertolaso Best Luxury Package Design Left to right: Rowan Rowan-Laubsch, Anthony De leo
WINNER Golden Amrita Estate Reserve Shiraz
Luxury embodies different ideas in different markets and this was part of the design philosophy for Golden Amrita Estate and Voice Design. The Barossa producer targests their wine in Asia and, as such, looked to find inspiration through iconography of luxury in those cultures. “Golden Amrita is a luxury proposition aligned to export markets that indulge in the likes of the finest aged Pu’er Tea in the world,” Voice Design co-founder and creative director Scott Carslake said.
Pu’er or pu-erh is a variety of fermented tea traditionally produced in Yunnan Province, China. It is made by fermenting dried and rolled tea leaves so they undergo a microbial fermentation until the desired flavours are achieved.
“Like wine, Pu’er Tea is harvested, aged, vintage specific and often expensive. The challenge was to lift the common wine package into a space of luxury that was undeniable so it was seen as much more than just wine,” Carslake continued. “The design’s heavy metal label with sculpted emboss achieves a highly effective, tactile label that reflects light.” The team at Voice Design looked to draw inspiration from the cultures the wine is targeted and embrace the elements that make the design stand out.
Carslake went on to suggest that a big part of wine’s success is intelligent and thoughtful design. He said his team embraced the challenges in engaging with consumers overseas through their design and that they were happy with the results. “There are tens of thousands of designers around the world dedicated to creating new ways of engaging wine consumers via different design strategies,” he said. “When the product achieves real success, an integral component of that success is the packaging design. Celebrating quality design sets new benchmarks at the very top level, motivates innovation and keeps the industry honest.” Judges’ comments
"An outstanding concept, delivering a contemporary and premium design, based on classic motifs."
PACKWINE AWARD SPONSOR
Bertolaso are the leaders in designing, producing, and installing automatic systems to bottle still or sparkling wine, spirits, beer and other drinks. In business since 1880 near Verona (Italy), through our “turnkey” systems we provide innovation and reliability to large and small producers around the world. What sets us apart from many of our competitors is our design skills and productspecific expertise. We don’t only produce standard machines, we also craft custombuilt products: innovative solutions created to meet our clients’ needs.
This is the challenge we take on every day, thanks to the talent and capability of our Research & Development and Engineering Teams. We know full well that every producer is different to others: every bottle, every cap, every type of wine or drink require a creative effort to develop technologies to make the bottling process faster, safer, and more efficient. For this reason, our systems are modular: they are flexible enough to accommodate new functionalities, dictated by the requirements emerging in the sector. For more information, go to: www.bertolaso. com.au
Design Bridge Singapore client director Kathryn O’Connell and senior brand strategist Rachel Barton
WINNER Wynns Reframed Cabernet Rose Best Classic Format Package Design
Judges’ comments
“A successful new interpretation of a well-known design, pitched cleverly to a changing key demographic.”
It’s never easy to bring a classic design into the contemporary era. Richard Beck’s iconic illustration of the Wynn’s Estate winery is as much a part of the business’ identity as the region of Coonawarra itself. Design Bridge Singapore decided to highlight the famous picture that adorns every bottle of Wynns and reframe it in a way that gives it a modern feel. “We chose to embrace the illustration but reframe its context. Working with artists, we created four unique pieces that have been screen-printed directly on to each classic bottle. Capturing the same sense of craft and tactility that has gone into each of the wines,” a spokesperson for Design Bridge said. Design Bridge client director Kathryn O’Connell said that the team was pleased to be recognised for its work and recognised the place that label design has in the canon of wine. “So often a wine recognised for its innovation and craft, that it is nice for the packaging to receive recognition too. Especially on such an iconic and respected brand like Wynns,” she said. “It was always the intent to use innovative print techniques and intriguing colour combinations to echo the alternative wine processes that went into the making of the liquid. “[We are] excited that Wynns, a traditional brand that plays within the bounds of what the expected is, can do something bold, different, and really push the boundaries of design. “With the bar being constantly raised for Australian wine packaging design, receiving this accolade is truly an honour. The competition is tough and there is ever more amazing design out there. To win this award with an iconic brand like Wynns gives us great pride.” O’Connell said that great design come from partnership. “Unlike most categories, the wine bottle becomes the silent salesman for many brands and is the critical touchpoint that lives on dinner tables and in cellars around the country,” she continued.
“It is a brand’s single most important asset and at times the only touchpoint your consumer will come into contact with. “Here we use the power of packaging design to Reframe not only wine varietals but the Wynns brand and its story.”
Best Package Redesign
Change is an all-important force that must be embraced for wine businesses to continue to survive in a wine industry begging for a new coat of paint. Designers must consider, however, that for many wine is not just a drink but also represents tradition. Black Squid Design jumped at the chance to bring the Grigori Family Reserve Collection into the contemporary sphere whilst not ignoring the important traditions is represents. The new label pays homage to that which came before it but finds a sleek new identity that embodies a bit more luxury. “The brief was to highlight the generational family history and give the range a more premium, traditional/ contemporary feel,” Black Squid Design founder Derek Butler said.
“We redesigned the logo, removed the crest and rotated the logo vertically to give a more contemporary look. “The family story (and wine variety notes) were brought to the front label and used as a typographic feature. “The black and gold colour palette was been maintained however a textured stock was selected and a sculptured embossed gold foil logo printed for a more premium feel.” Butler said the win was reassuring for him and his team that the work they were doing was important for an industry facing a change in personality. “We are popping the Champagne,” Butler said.
“To be recognised for our design innovation reinforces our client’s confidence to continue to trust our creative process. “We educate the target market to reflect brand and the product behind the label. In a world of wine label clutter, without quality design in wine packaging… the product is just wine, without a voice.”
The team at Black Squid Design
WINNER Grigori Family Reserve Collection
Judges’ comments
“A distinctive redesign, which sympathetically utilises past design cues into a more premium guise”
WINNER Greenskin Wine
From bubbling under to bursting from the surface, Greenskin Wines are a new face in the industry and have made their impact clear with their innovative pouch design. Born from a desire to have a more convenient way to consumer wine both on land and aboard a boat, Greenskin Wines recognised there was space in the market for premium wine in something besides glass. “We focused on three vital components when we decided to bring Greenskin Wine to the market,” Greenskin Wine co-founder Kim McKee said.
“First was the wine quality. We were mindful of the damage that could be done by filling a new packaging format with sub-standard wine and were careful not to take that risk.
“The second was the usability and practicality of the package. It had to be strong, lightweight, compact, and rigid enough to sit well and pour easily regardless of the volume of wine in the pouch. “It is also easy to drink in moderation and reduces wine wastage. By squeezing out the air and resealing the pouch, the wines stay fresh for three weeks and beyond. “Third and most importantly was the impact on the environment. Each pouch requires far less energy to produce Judges’ comments
“Certainly a fresh take on sustainable wine packaging and design, pitched accurately to an important market segment”
and transport than glass and is 100% recyclable.” McKee and the team at Greenskin Wines were “thrilled” when given the news they had won the award and indicated that it showed movement within the industry toward more sustainable packaging. “Being recognised is a superb reward for all of our research, analysis and hard work in getting Greenskin Wine into the market,” McKee said.
“It indicates that the industry is open to change and is starting to recognise that there are more sustainable alternatives to glass for packaging wine. “When it comes to alternative packaging, awards like this help facilitate progress in a traditional industry and also offers consumers more sustainable choices when it comes to choosing and consuming their favourite wines.”
Best Package Series Design
WINNER Kings of Prohibition
Paying homage to the age of prohibition, Calabria looked to pay tribute to the figures of the era whose stories are still told.
The bottle design pays tribute and resembles the bottle styles more common in the 1920s and each wine in the series is named for a famed figure like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Bill McCoy. Screen-printing the artwork in foil directly to custom bottle proved to be a huge success with the brand being requested worldwide and searched for from the day it launched. Calabria brand and design manager Ashleigh Quarisa said the team felt the way a wine looks on the shelf was as much a part of the experience as its taste. “With this range, we wanted to put an unconventional twist on traditional packaging with a unique and interesting part of history as the inspiration behind the label,” she said. “Storytelling is crucial in engaging consumers with wine brands; however, it’s easy to get lost when so many other wine brands tell similar stories of the region, winemaking and varietals. “Through clever design and inspiration outside the traditional wine themes, you can express a brand’s individuality in a different way that excites a new generation of consumers.” Calabria aimed to create feelings of nostalgia and tell the stories of a significant period in the history of the wine industry whilst keeping with higher modern standards of quality. “The design is the first thing the consumer sees when choosing a wine off the shelf, and often, with so many exceptional wines on offer, the packaging can be the deciding factor or lead to spurof-the-moment purchases,” Quarisa said.
Calabria brand and design manager Ashleigh Quarisa
Judges’ comments
“A very effective typographic and packaging design which perfectly helps to define this brand series in a new way”
“We are all over the moon to win this award. The wine had already exceeded our expectations in the domestic and international markets, but for it to be recognised for its design is a real accomplishment for the team.”
Best Presentation & Gift Pack Design
Judges’ comments
“An impeccable design concept pushing the boundaries within the premium segment”
Scott Carslake, Rowan RowanLaubsch and Candice Papagiannis from Voice Design
WINNER Golden Amrita Estate Reserve Shiraz
Asmall batch winery in the Barossa, Golden Amrita looked to embody religious iconography found in Asia. The sleek black design accentuates the gold lined highlights that line the bottle, box and bag. Voice Design co-founder and creative director Scott Carslake said it was encouraging for the team to win the award and highlighted the work they had been putting in. Amrita is a concept in Sanskirt and Indian religions reffering to immortality and is often referred to in India as an elixir. A similar etymology is found in Greek mythology and refers to the nectar of the gods. “We were thrilled and knew it would mean so much to our client,” Carslake said, “Only the best work gets entered into competitions. With peer recognition, it further establishes that our expertise in alcohol packaging is cutting through and getting attention.” The team aimed to put the same care into the design that Golden Amrita put into the wine.
The winery was acquired by Pu’er Tea growers, the Liu Family, in 2017 and the design of the Golden Amrita bottles embodies the sense of luxury found in the family’s other produicts. “Amrita is an ancient Indian word meaning ‘Nectar of the Gods’, and a common form evident in many religious images is the almond form,” Carslake said. “This adorns the wine bottle as the front label and the buckle on the front of the gift box, but the moment it really comes to life, is when the gift box is opened and an internal soft light illuminates behind the almond shaped black mirror behind the bottle. The depth of detail continues with a unique hand applied neck label presenting the wine details and sealed with wax.”
National Wine Centre of Australia People’s Choice Award
WINNER Greenskin Wine
Change is in the air and alternative packaging proved to be the taste of the month amongst PACKWINE award voters.
Greenskin Wine’s innovative pouch design not only embodies the spirit of the 2022 PACKWINE awards, but demonstrates how out of the box thinking can help the industry develop. “In short, thrilled,” said Greenskin Wine co-founder Kim McKee when asked about her reaction to receiving the people’s choice award. She said that the most important part of chasing change was to provide quality, so consumers would not be faced with a sub-par product when being exposed to new types of packaging. “Regarding the consumer, Greenskin Wine allows more people to enjoy highquality wine anywhere, anytime, without the inconvenience of carrying heavy, bulky, breakable glass bottles,” McKee said.
“We purposely selected a range of highquality small parcels of wine from highly respected WA wine producers for our first offerings to the market and will continue to source high-quality wines for future releases.”
The Greenskin pouch not only addresses challenges provided to producers’ costs but also the environmental impact of using glass to package wine. Greenskin Wine uses approximately 80 per cent less energy to produce and emits far fewer carbon emissions to be transported. The company also addressed the issue of waste with an intelligent, forwardthinking recycling program. “We also wanted to create a real point of
difference by creating a wine industryfirst mail-back recycling system,” McKee said.
“We worked hard to secure a recycling partner (REDCycle) who would accept our returns. A free, postage-paid satchel is included in each 6-pack for consumers to place their empties in and drop into any post box to be returned directly to our recycling partner.” In an era where the industry is looking for answers to older ideas that are becoming less sustainable, Greenskin Wines have produced an idea and a product that address the industries challenges head on.
