Sonoma Valley’s Westwood Winery approached Auston Design Group to develop a new Pinot Noir-centric brand image and package design. The desire was to create a brand that was representative of the location and unique terroir of their vineyard plantings. A narrow passage at the top of Sonoma Valley, known as the Annadel Gap, keeps vineyard temperatures up by day, and draws in cooling maritime breezes at night. Westwood sought to leverage this unique terroir story, along with an air of understated elegance, to guide the process of branding and the designing of their packaging.
While many options were considered, ultimately, it was the topographical map and compass rose, printed with metallic ink and intricately debossed, that give this brand both a sense of place and a high-end appeal. The addition of a hand-applied wax seal reinforces the exclusive nature of these small-lot wines.
With wines of this caliber, it was also important to present technical information regarding growing conditions and winemaking details. This helped drive the clear and concise information design on the back label. While not conventionally exciting, these small details help communicate the value of the wine and are important to the serious consumer.
Thank you to our friends at Westwood Winery for entrusting ADG with this interesting assignment and for allowing us use of their photography.
