Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/172581
PACKAGING relations. "It needed to communicate the magic, mystery and history of water witching. It needed to grab consumers' attention and inspire them to ask, 'what's the story?' We wished to open a dialogue with consumers and begin telling that story." With her first design for C. Mondavi, Chanda Williams perfectly hit the requirements, Mellis said. For this new brand, the process started about six months prior to bottling. For the first vintage of some 17,000 cases, (retailing at $15.99 for Chardonnay; $17.99 for Cabernet) a neck-hanger tag carried a quick response (QR) code on the label. Future bottlings will include the QR on the back label, directing purchasers to C. Mondavi's mobile site, which continues to evolve with the brand story. The face stock is an aged-looking Liso Crudo, applied with cold glue. Again, planning ahead was vital. "Because the labels were to be sheet fed, the Technikote had to order special from Argentina so that it would not have the pressure-sensitive material on the back of the paper. This required a much longer timeline to receive the paper," Mellis recalled. Ben Franklin (now Tapp) handled the special order and printed the labels. A foreign affair Covering the North American wine industry is a full-time endeavor for Wines & Vines, so it's rare that imported brands make it to our pages. BTI, however, gave its gold in Best Paper Label design to Indaba 2012 Chenin Blanc from South Africa, so we contacted Courtney Luick, communications manager at Cape Classics in New York, for the backstory. Indaba's Chenin Blanc is a simple looking bottle with a screwcap. The whole line retails in the U.S. and Canada for $11.99 per bottle. The package is representative of Indaba's 2012 rebranding. "At the core, the Indaba brand is proudly South African," Luick said. "Cape Classics set out to design a package that echoes that sentiment. The new brand design is reflective of the rich diversity of the Western Cape's floral kingdom: The smallest, yet most diverse of the six plant kingdoms in the world. The colors chosen for the varieties are based on what you see in the Cape: slightly muted hues, the way the light falls on the mountains, that sun-faded effect caused by the strength of the African sun." BTI's O'Kennard noted that the judging panel was impressed by the package's sustainability. Luick commented: "The new brand image also draws on the region's commitment to sustainability. As recycling is a social priority in South Africa, we selected recycled and biodegradable—as well as pH-neutral (acidfree)—paper. We also decided to use minimal coloring, and the bottles are screwcap." The Indaba brand launched in the United States in 1996, shortly after South Africa transitioned to a democratic republic. "Indaba" is the C. Mondavi wanted to communicate the process of water witching with its label for The Divining Rod (above). South African winery Indaba adopted colors found in the landscape of its native country for the awardwinning label at left. 36 W in e s & V i ne s O C TOb e r 20 13