By Andy Young
Earlier this year d’Arenberg wines released its premium wine The Old Bloke & Three Young Blondes and was immediately accused of being sexist.
And while that criticism still hangs the air, the company is delighted after the wine's packaging was awarded one of the most prestigious graphic design awards in Australia.
The Australian Graphic Design Awards were held last weekend and d’Arenberg’s The Old Bloke wine was awarded a Pinnacle, an award which only goes to work that receives a unanimous high score from all judges. In addition, work awarded a Pinnacle is added to the collection of ‘glass mountains’, which acts as a historic narrative of graphic design in Australia.
This year’s awards only saw eight Pinnacles awarded in total, so it is a significant achievement for d’Arenberg’s design agency, Voice.
The name for the wine derives from the old vine Shiraz, which is the major component of the wine, plus the ‘Three Young Blondes’ of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier, which are added to the blend. Having been criticised for being sexist with the name d’Arenberg’s winemaker, Chester Osborne, was delighted with the design recognition.
“We’re absolutely thrilled that Voice have received this prestigious award for their work on The Old Bloke,” Osborne told TheShout.
“The packaging is completely innovative, and reflects the scarcity and limited nature of the product. The four die-cut characters on the front, the paper wrap and unique letterpress label all draw parallels with the premium nature of the wine inside.
“Everyone at d'Arenberg is proud of this official acknowledgement that we’re not afraid to do things differently. And the results speak for themselves.”
There were several other wine, beer and spirit companies recognised as finalists in the packaging category at the awards, with Voice’s work with d’Arenberg on The Athazagoraphobic Cat and The Peppermint Paddock also nominated.
Voice was the most awarded studio in the packaging category with seven finalists in total and as well as the Pinnacle Award, the company also received three Distinction Trophies and one Judges Choice Award.