Paul Tincknell: Coordinating Label Contest Judge
January 12, 2018, Cloverdale, CA – The packaging for Rodney Strong UPSHOT Sonoma County Red Wine features a detailed, interesting, stylish, graphical “calendar” as a circular chart that presents the technical harvest and production details of the wine. Pertinent technical facts such as harvest date, specs, barrel aging, etc. are called out of the calendar with the appropriate information, making each vintage of the label unique to that year’s wine. The orange-and-light-gray color palette is eye-catching yet understated against the off-white background. The use of a san-serif font implies a contemporary style. The packaging is completed with a custom-designed, matching-orange screwcap closure. The 2015 UPSHOT is a red wine blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Malbec, Petite Verdot, with a drop of Riesling.
The label design project was spearheaded by Rodney Strong Wine Estates’ Brand Manager, Ulysses Zamora-Preciado (www.rodneystrong.com). “The label depicts the winemaking process from the 2015 harvest to the 2017 release via circular calendar. From Harvest Dates to Wine Facts and Varietal Composition the calendar creates visual interest on shelf, draws consumers in to find out more and educates them about the winemaking process as they follow the journey of UPSHOT all the way the key moment of blending. Defined as the final or eventual positive outcome of a discussion, action or series of events, our winemaker’s passion for that craft of blending is what brought UPSHOT to life.”
The graphical design firm was Auston Design Group (www.austondesign.com) of Emeryville, CA. Tony Auston, Founder and Creative Director, led the design process. Tony Auston, was introduced to the wine industry in 1988, when he relocated to Napa Valley to take on the role of Senior Design Director at the former Colonna Farrell: Design Associates. Tony’s experience within the category spans more than twenty-five years and encompasses a wide range of successful, award-winning package designs for national and international brands.
The labels were printed by Collotype Labels, a division of Multi-Color Digital (www.multicolordigital.com) in Napa, CA, part of the Multi-Color Corporation (MCC) based in Cincinnati, OH. Collotype is a worldwide leader in wine and spirits label and packaging production. Collotype Labels provides both pressure sensitive and glue applied labels, and other packaging components, via Flexo, Offset, silk-screen, digital, foil stamp, and emboss production processes.
| Category | Winery/Company | Label | Vintage | Varietal/Other | AVA | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artistic: Sweepstake Winner | Rodney Strong | Upshot | 2015 | Red Blend | Sonoma Co. | 28.00 |
| Classical | Claar Cellars | Winemaker's Bloc | 2013 | Red Blend | White Bluffs, Columbia Valley | 40.00 |
| Series | Capo Cellars | Capo Creek | 2016 | Rosé Blend | E. String Series | 24.00 |
| Etched/Painted | Andis Wines | Painted Fields | 2014 | Red | Amador Co. | 21.99 |
| Whimsical | Wilson Winery | Three Dog | 2015 | Zinfandel | Sonoma Co. | 29.00 |
| Block/Other | Wineshop at Home | FACT | 2016 | Cabernet Franc | California | 23.00 |
