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September 2018 WINES&VINES 19 R andall Grahm, well- known winemaker and one of the original Rhône Rangers, kicked- off the conference with a keynote speech covering his experiences, successes and missteps in packag- ing, design and brand marketing. Grahm is known for standout wine labels incorporating every- thing from pop art to fine art, in- tellectual plays on words to "doon" right dirty jokes. But the truth is, as a young winemaker entering the industry, Grahm's not-so-simple goal was to craft Californian Pinot Noir as elegant and refined as those found in Bur- gundy. And his wine labels re- flected, what he called, this "naïve" goal: simple, elegant wine with simple, elegant labels. "I thought, 'let the wine do the sales- manship'," he said. But there was nothing about the fine script relaying basic wine facts — name, varietal, vintage — that spoke to the wine consumers: nothing that told the story of what was in the bottle; nothing that told Grahm's story as a winemaker. Through the course of his speech, Grahm illustrated his evo- lution as a winemaker. He found that California terroir (defined by Grahm as "the reflection of nature's order") was more suitable to the wines of southern France, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape (CdP) and the Rhône varieties Bonny Doon is now so well known for. Playing with what was back in the 1980s, "unconventional" grape varieties, Grahm realized he needed a way to speak to con- sumers to tell them, "it's ok to try this unknown." But, how does one tell the story of the CdP on the confines of a wine label? For those who aren't familiar with the story behind Grahm's famed Cigare Volant, the name — and subsequently the label illustration — is connected to the local CdP government's regulation banning flying saucers (cigare volants) from flying over the vineyards: "The flying overhead, landing and taking off of aeronautical ma- chines called 'flying saucers' or 'fly- ing cigars,' of whatever nationality they may be is strictly forbidden on the territory of the commune of Châteauneuf-du-Pape." Bringing a bit of French history, wit and of course a comedic il- lustration (showcasing a flying saucer hovering over a vineyard), Grahm was able to play down the stereotypes of pretension sur- rounding French and French-in- spired wines. Using humor to contextualize the unknown created an inclusive relationship between winemaker and wine drinker. Grahm and his roster of well-known artists such as Chuck House and Wendy Hook among many others have continued this tactic to the delight of consum- ers and critics alike. But when asked "what's next" in the world of packaging design, Grahm admitted, "I don't know." He said that in a day and age when everyone is being clever, being clever isn't necessarily going to make a label stand out. Grahm apologized for his reputation for often times irrever- ent label art. "I owe the wine world a formal apology for my onslaught of goofiness," he said. "Forgive me world, I have com- mitted a 'Cardinal Zin.'" Jokes aside, Grahm's key take- away was about the ability of the bottle to form a relationship with potential buyers. "The important thing to remember is that creating a package is a partnership be- tween the design and the con- sumer," said Grahm. Create that relationship, solidify that partner- ship and those are the building blocks to a successful brand. — Stacy Briscoe Reflecting on a Career of Wine Packaging WINE INDUSTRY NEWS • MOBILE CROSSFLOW SERVICES AVAILABLE IN CA, OR & WA • SALES & DELIVERY OF CUSTOM-BUILT CROSSFLOW & DE-ALC UNITS OFFICE: 707.257.2080 • MOBILE: 707.260.4011 • FILTRATION@WINETECH.US • WWW.WINETECH.US