Askerne Icon Wines
Brand Identity
Packaging
Concepts and Illustrations
Vineyards certified by the Sustainable Wine growing New Zealand™ program
Client: John and Kathryn Loughlin
We have worked with Sonya on labels for several of our new wine product innovations, being our “icons” range and a pair of Rosés. Sonya listened carefully to our descriptions of what we were trying to achieve with the wines. She produced labels that combined creativity, artistic flair and a sensitivity to the wine concepts and desired marketing positioning. We frequently get positive comments from the public and the trade on the labels that Sonya designed.
-John Loughlin
VISION:
Askerne is a single estate winery situated in the winegrowing region of Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. They are committed to producing elegant fine wines that reflect their unique site and their winemaking philosophy and passion.
Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) is a management system with an environmental philosophy for the economic production of high quality winegrapes by using natural resources and regulating mechanisms to replace unsustainable inputs and thus to secure sustainable winegrowing. It is a programme based on continuous improvement.
Askerne Estate Winery became SWNZ accredited from the 2004/2005 season.
SWNZ is an holistic approach to grape growing. It goes well beyond Integrated Pest Management which ensures that pesticide use does not prevent natural enemies from providing at least some measure of pest control. SWNZ encompasses many features dear to the “organic” movement (for example, by recognising the importance of soil health and incorporating strategies to maintain it) but stops short of prohibiting main-made inputs such as pesticides. It recognises that sustainability has several components, of which one is a financially viable return.
Fresh Designs has designed 3 of their top tier Icon wines.
The 2019 vintage was an excellent one which saw the Icon Syrah wine produced, called ‘Tere’ which speaks of the Askerne site on Te Mata Mangateretere Road, adjoining the Tuki Tuki River. ‘Tere’ is a Māori word meaning fast flowing, referencing the Tuki Tuki River that flows passed the estate.
The second Icon wine, Dr John wine pays tribute to Dr John Loughlin, the founder of Waimarama Estate Winery and father of Askerne co-owner John Loughlin.
The third icon wine a Sémillon, honours Kathryn, one of the owners of Askerne.
PATH:
The label designs had to fit within the current Askerne brand and range of their existing wine family. The ‘Tere’ Syrah label depicts an elevated view from Askerne Estate of the back of Te Mata Peak and the fast flowing Tuki Tuki River.
The Dr John label is a tribute profile drawing of the late Dr John Loughlin.
The Noble Kathryn honours Kathryn Loughlin. The design features the White Rose of York as representative of her birthplace. A white rose was adopted in the 14th century as a heraldic badge of the royal House of York. The noble connotations are fitting for the varietal, as are the feminine floral elements of a rose.
Floating foil helped elevate the designs to Icon status. The labels are all printed by Rapid Labels and the ‘Tere’ label won a gold award at the 2021 Pride in Print Awards.
