Boutinot unveils Rioja trio with 'unexpected' design

By Lisa Riley

Published: 08 March, 2018

Boutinot has unveiled a new range of Riojas featuring labels designed to break from ‘the traditional Rioja wine language of competitors’.

The Vega del Rayo range, which is rolling out now into independent wine shops and restaurants across the UK, comprises three wines - Tempranillo 2016, Vendimia Seleccionada 2016 and Reserva 2011, each made with grapes from the Carlos Serres vineyard in Haro.

To denote the ‘good’ (Tempranillo), ‘better’ (Vendimia Seleccionada) and ‘best’ (Reserva) versions in the range, each bottle features a different bottleneck and label design.

The subtle design variations had been introduced to express the tiered price points which range from around £9 to £12, said Catherine Bewick, new product development and innovation, Boutinot.

Designed to stand out from “a busy sea of wines on shelf”, the labels are based on the dramatic thunderstorms of the Rioja region, which is well known for its changeable climate, and feature a lightning fork and vine root.

Translating roughly as open plains and lightning strikes, the name Vega del Rayo was also picked in a nod to the region’s weather.

“The aim was to create a contemporary, fresh and own-able look to capture the provenance of the region,” said Bewick, adding Boutinot wanted to maintain Rioja’s heritage while delivering an unexpected design for the trio.

Boutinot tasked branding and design agency Biles Hendry with the brief as it had the vision to “tackle it without a “purist wine category bias”, she added.

Biles Hendry’s founder and creative director, Anthony Biles, said: “We created an acute graphic idea: beautifully crafted and founded in a product truth. It hits that sweet spot between the contemporary and the traditional, appeals to the discerning modern drinker and stands out on a busy fixture.”

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