BACKGROUND
The superior quality winery Knipser is one of Germany’s best wineries. In the 2012 top vintage they produced a Cuvée XR from the varieties Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon which was bottled in 2015. This wine will be of optimum maturity between 2016 and 2026. So for the first time they wanted to design packaging for a period instead of a point in time.
CREATIVE IDEA (40% OF VOTE)
The idea was to visualise the wine’s ageing process in an aesthetically appealing manner. Each bottle of the “CUVéE XR” is given a copper jacket whose appearance changes with age – thus making time visible. This transforms the bottle into a design object: True greatness comes with age.
STRATEGY
The “CUVéE XR” packaging produced an attention-grabbing wine bottle that impressed not only wine connoisseurs but also design lovers.
EXECUTION (30% OF VOTE)
Encasing an entire wine bottle in copper is a new way to combine materials. The casing receives the aroma of the wine, since it is completely opaque. By engraving the specially designed logo, it becomes a weather-resistant label. After 3 years of barrel storage the wine was bottled in 2015. The bottle’s maturation after 5 and 10 years is simulated by way of illustration.
RESULTS (30% OF VOTE)
“CUVéE XR” renders the ageing of the wine visible on the bottle as well. The bottle’s copper casing gives it another use – in addition to fine wine, this is a design object. This added value meant that the special edition sold out within a very short space of time.