As consumers, we occasionally discover a product so alluring we just have to have it. Even if it pushes our budget a bit. It could be clothing, jewellery, furniture or even a car. Extraordinary design has the power to connect. In some cases, it isn’t even the product. It’s the packaging. That’s the reason I chose Neptune Riesling from Rosewood Estates Winery.
So many things appealed to me about this package design. The bold label is obvious but there are other more subtle aspects of the design and strategy I found to be compelling. The bottle for one thing. Even for Riesling, it seems exceptionally tall and slender. This perception is accentuated by the scale and low placement of the label. Then there’s the seal. A wax capsule, cut at a sharp angle. Great attention to detail.
The label? Well, the label is stellar. Neptune is represented in a colourful collage. We see only the arm and scepter of the Roman god of the sea amidst a myriad of sea creatures, including starfish, scallops, and mollusks along with a pair of menacing tentacles and branches of coral. Pleased to see that artist Shannon Rolanty is credited on the back panel. There is also a tiny bee at the top of the front label. That isn’t part of the collage, it’s the winery logo. The product name, Neptune, set in a hand-drawn typeface is small and inconspicuous. Even more so is the vintage date underneath, and the region that runs up the right side of the label. Note, the winery name and varietal do not appear on the front label. Pretty bold exclusions.
The back label is even more understated. It is small in size but uncrowded. Smaller still is the typography. It is here, though barely noticeable, that you might discover that this bottle contains 100% Riesling. The wine notes are interesting but in an even smaller point size of type. The VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) logo dominates the space. Perhaps usage requires a minimum size. The bee logo reappears here but even smaller than on the front label.
Let’s go back to those wine notes. “Fermented wild and aged 18 months on its natural lees in 60% neutral 500L French oak barrels and 40% in unlined clay amphora. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.” Pretty unique process. It produced an incredible wine. A very distinctive expression of Riesling with explosive grapefruit flavour. There is a briny undertone to the wine which is actually the inspiration for the name Neptune. A salute to the sea if you will.
This isn’t the first release of this wine but it is in this packaging. Previously, the label was the staid common label of the producer’s primary line. I wouldn’t have given it a second look or any consideration. Great packaging promotes purchasing.
