Paul Tincknell
Coordinator / Judge, Packaging Design Contest
February 1, 2022, Cloverdale, CA – m2 Wines’ 2019 “Patina” Red Wine Mokelumne River, Lodi from California was the Sweepstakes Winner in the Packaging Design Contest at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, receiving a Double Gold and Best of Class in the Surface Designs category. The judges selected it for the creative use of the metal cartouche adorning the front combined with detailed screen printing of label copy and distressed scratches on the surface of the bottle.
The striking, thick, metal cartouche displaying the fanciful name of the red wine blend was made by an Argentine company, Apholos (www.apholos.com). It echoes the winery’s sign. The cartouche is a custom die-cast zinc plate 2.5 mm in thickness custom bent to the exact specifications of the bottle shape. The background color of the cartouche was created using a chemical wash, and then the top of the letters – etched in an elaborate runic typeface – was sanded to expose the zinc subsurface.
Bergin Screen Printing & Etching (berginglass.com) screen printed the rest of the design work on the bottle. An erratic pattern meant to look like scratches in the glass flows around the surface. All copy is printed in a dusty red color chosen to complement the cartouche and reinforce the impression of a patina. The neck is bare, allowing the custom-printed cork to be seen through the glass.
The packaging was designed by Audrie Kapunis (www.audriekapinus.com), a Senior Designer with Design Bridge North America in New York. She has experience as a designer and art director in luxury industries including wine and spirits, beauty and fragrance, and couture stationery following her receiving a Bachelor of Design from Penn State University. The m2 2019 “Patina” bottle design was a freelance project and was influenced by the building materials and architecture of the m2 winery. Kapunis had previously designed and executed a couple of spirit brands that featured metallic emblems.
m2 Wines (www.m2wines.com) was founded in Acampo, California, by Layne Montgomery in 2004, though he had been a hobby winemaker since 1999. The winery was built in 2014 using Corten steel that has developed a distinctive weathered patina, hence the name of the flagship blend. The winery selects grapes from vineyards in Lodi, the Sierra Foothills, and Napa Valley. The 2019 “Patina” Red Wine is a field blend of Tannat, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel from the winery’s estate vineyard. From the winery building to the unique blends and striking packaging for his wines, Montgomery has created a modern brand with m2 Wines that updates industry traditions and avoids clichés.
About the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
For 22 years the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (winejudging.com) has grown to become one of the world’s most highly publicized and well-respected wine competitions, offering both large-scale and boutique wineries the opportunity to showcase their wines on a larger level. Two decades later, the competition continues to garner international attention and bring award-winning wines to more and more consumer glasses.
Judges for the 2022 Packaging Design Contest were Paul Tincknell and Jennifer Tincknell, Partners, Tincknell & Tincknell, Healdsburg, CA (www.marketingwine.com); Brian Lobsinger, Senior Director, Brand & Web Development, A. Bright Idea, Sonoma, CA (abrightideaonline.com); Lisa Adams Walter, Founder & Senior Publicist, Adams Walter Communications, Napa, CA (adamswalter.com); M.J. Wickham, Owner, M.J. Wickham Photography, Santa Rosa, CA (www.mjwickham.com) and Eric Sabee, Art Director, Bergin Screen Printing & Etching, Napa, CA (berginglass.com).
| Winery | Vintage | AVA | Vineyard/Other | Varietal | Price | Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| m2 Wines: Packaging Sweepstake Winner | 2019 | Mokelumne River | Patina | 49.00 | Packaging Sweepstake Winner | |
| WHITE HORSE WINERY | 2020 | Outer Coastal Plain | Painted White | 23.00 | Silver | |
| WHITE HORSE WINERY | 2020 | Outer Coastal Plain | Rose | 22.00 | Silver | |
| King Estate | 2018 | Columbia Valley | Weinbau Cabernet Franc | 52.00 | Silver | |
| Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company | 2017 | Tehachapi Mountains | Primitivo | 54.00 | Silver | |
| Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company | 2018 | Tehachapi Mountains | Primitivo | 39.00 | Silver |
