Ravine Sand & Gravel Wine

Ravine Vineyards, located in Niagara’s renowned St. David’s viticultural area near Niagara-on-the-lake, is steeped history.

Not only are the owners 5th generation farmers and descendants of loyalists that founded the area, but they are an embedded symbol of entrepreneurialism in the region as well. Their family has milled, farmed, canned fruit, mined gravel, made boats and industrial equipment as well as now run the winery estate with esteemed restaurant and event facilities.

With the success of their first launch of estate wines, there became a need to create a wine that added more depth and could round off the table. Ravine asked us to assist in creating a new brand that could express another part of their perspectives on winemaking — essentially as if it were from the newer generation that are co-running the winery today.

Ravine Sand and Gravel is the original moniker of the business that operated a few generations back and so it was natural to apply the full extended name to this release.

For the brand, we kept it simple, wishing to convey sophistication and attention to detail while being grainier, more elbows on table and boisterous than the parent line of wines. We relied on a bold type solution married to textures which were collected from the surface patina of the winery’s facility.

The logo was inspired by the original hand lettered door on the Ravine Sand & Gravel pickup. Hand painted signs have been a fixation of ours and so the opportunity to reflect this tradition was a pleasure.

The label is printed flexo using 4 colour process plus an underlay of spot grey on coated stock. We dulled the paper and added a rustic texture using multiple layers of matte varnish. The result is bright, rusty and in our minds cheerful.

http://www.ravinevineyards.com

Sometimes, when a family’s legacy and history is so colourful and deep, it supersedes those that continue to build upon it today. There becomes a steward like focus and lens through which everything is presented, masking the new generation.

Such is the case with the illustrious history of Niagara’s Henry of Pelham family estate and the Speck family that own and operate the winery while stewarding the family land.

Recently the Speck Brothers felt it was necessary to tell another side of the family legacy. Where the Henry of Pelham story and wines could remain an expression of the land and legacy — classically focused,  Family Tree should express the people; family, friends, neighbours and growers — those who have worked in the past to create the foundation for what the Specks are today, and those who toil today to continue family traditions and make great wine — a contemporary focus while upholding the quality standards Henry of Pelham is know for.

Everyone can relate — a Family Tree is really an appreciation for all those that have come before us to make us who we are, as well as a celebration of those who simply keep at today. For without these people and the love and dedication to family they exude, the legacy would rest.

The label is an illustration of a black walnut tree that rests on the Henry of Pelham estate property beside the historical family plot. The tree was planted in honour of the death of the Speck Brothers’ father and continues a Niagara tradition of planting black walnut which garnered the area’s reputation as the Black Walnut Trail back in the period of the foundation of Canada.

The foliage is simply layers of family names from the Specks, and other branches of Henry’s family.

We created the wine package and supportive website.

“Our wine will speak for itself.”

This sentiment from Francois Morissette was echoed throughout the development of the package design process with Pearl Morissette. Excellence in winemaking; from vinifera selection, to field practice, through every detail and process, Pearl Morissette has scrutinized and refined in order to make exceptional wine independent of cost as a burden.

How does one echo this philosophy in a package? Simplicity, elegance and fine typesetting modestly communicates that the contents within the bottle are the most important concept.

Francois Morissette asserts that the components of wine, the grapes, must be managed to do their best work; to be able to express their terroir and arrive to impart their unique character with the wine drinker without impedance. Our goal was to do the same. Allow fine paper and simple beautiful typefaces to introduce an elegant wine.

The result, for us, is refreshingly lovely and a standout from an ever filling room of loud talking wine packages.

Mike Weir Underdog Wine Co.

Believe it or not, Canadians share an indelible spirit and commonality — we are hard working, nose to the grindstone underdogs that stop at nothing to get the job done. Despite our modest stature, conservative stiff lips and ever apologetic disposition, we rise to the top when the game bell rings.

Mike Weir embodies this spirit and among his Canadian sport icon peers, stands out as the true Underdog. In sport as in wine, Canadians continue to stand up to the challenges, capitalize on timing and execute on hard work as did Mike Weir leading up to his win of the 2003 PGA Masters.

Mike Weir’s Underdog Wine Co. celebrates all of our achievements as Canadians — you, me, wine, design, sport, innovation — Canada is right there leading the way. Congrats to Mike Weir, Ontario wine and all Canadians.

The Underdog Wine is an extension to Mike Weir’s established and very successful wines of which Insite assisted in the brand creation and package back in 2004 (http://insitedesign.ca/brand-design-communicate/weir-wines/). We are particularly excited to have been invited to assist once again to produce the package for Mike Weir Wines.

The goal of the new Underdog Wine Co. wine and package is to express the passion, drive and spirit of Mike Weir in a less modest communication — to tell a different side of the Weir story inclusive of the drive and determination we can all relate to.

Insite worked with the Weir team from the naming stage through print. We believed strongly that there was current equity both in the established branding of Mike Weir Wine but also in the branding of the icon himself including the iconic black attire Weir was known for wearing on the big day during tournaments.

Stylistically we focused heavily on type usage to assist in asserting personality while telling the Underdog story on the label. Textural elements as well as embossing reflect the tactile quality of materials that celebrate sport history such as trophies, patches and awards. The result is what we hope to be a sparky and somewhat sporty option for appreciators of Canadian wine.

Website: http://www.underdogwineco.ca/

Some jobs are just easy because of the people. We were asked to redesign the package for a most inspiring small winery – Featherstone located in the Twenty Mile Bench appellation of the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario. Long the darlings of hand production wine in Niagara, Featherstone was perhaps not well represented by their previous label. Their peer award winning wines were of exceptional quality but the package masked this excellence.

The Insite team spent time getting to know the winery duo, their history and their wine in order to tailor the right fit and personality — as this is all the label had to do — speak sincerely of them without trying hard to tell a story. Multiple options were presented but in the end, simplicity prevailed (Left top).

In all designs, we focused on a label that had no back – where all sides could be equally attractive and photogenic. The end result is a package that has flexibility on shelf for retailing, and can be potentially more interactive in the hand of the viewer.

Released spring of 2009.