Case Study - Mebane Manor Wine Labels
The Problem
Mebane Manor is a thriving premier business retreat and conference center in Pulaski, Virginia, with an onsite vineyard. Despite the vineyard’s establishment in 2015, the labels for its current varieties were outdated. The most challenging aspect was designing wine labels for a modern audience while meticulously adhering to brand guidelines.
Background Research
My background research explored concepts focused on bold simplicity, taking to the Internet for inspiration. I sought to arrive at a happy medium where the new designs would combine bold yet recognizable designs rendered in a clean color palette complying with Mebane Manor’s existing branding guidelines.
Initial Sketches
In my initial thumbnails, I sketched various rough concepts for the wine labels. My primary focus was iterations of leaves, grapes, and other nature imagery.
Early Drafts
In the early stages of my project, I focused on creating visual representations that highlighted the unique ingredients that characterize each type of wine. I also experimented with various color combinations while adhering to Mebane Manor’s branding guidelines.
This section includes the front and back labels of three wine varieties: the 2021 Chardonnay, the 2021 Viognier, and the 2021 Vidal Blanc.
The Solution
For my final label designs, I concentrated on depicting the grapes and vines themselves rather than the specific types of wine or the winery environment as a whole. Stylistically, I settled on the silhouette approach I explored during my research phase. I saw it as a perfect combination of illustrations that evoked the sophistication of the Mebane Manor brand while still retaining the necessary cleanliness. For the color palette for each label, I explored various combinations as outlined in Mebane Manor's preexisting branding. These factors combined created a beautiful selection of wine labels that corresponded perfectly with Mebane Manor's updated brand image.
In this section, I include a selection of my final label designs and one of my designs at the end stage of production on a bottle of wine.
Next Steps
After presenting my final designs to the client for feedback and additional editing, I thoroughly reviewed the designs to refine any critical details. Upon completion, I provided the labels to the client for production.