Meyer-Näkel: Lost Barrels
Weingut Meyer–Näkel and Ruska Martín: a story of resilience and positivity in strive of the light at the end of the tunnel, resulting in two launches at Michelin-Star Restaurants and multiple international awards.
Background
In July 2021, Germany’s Ahr valley faced a devastating flood, completely destroying Dernau village along with Meyer Näkels 2020 vintage. Days later, nine intact barrels were found in nearby villages. Despite all the loss, Meike and Dörte wanted these “Lost Barrels” to emphasize hope and a fresh start for Meyer Näkel.
Brief
Our mission: design packaging honoring the unique and touching story of the remaining 2,520 wine bottles. We sought to convey the luxurious and mystic character of the product, crafting each label for a user experience as unique as the wine. With a global wine tour featuring renowned chefs and Michelin star restaurants, our strategy was to create works of art, appealing to wine connoisseurs worldwide.
Solution
Inspired by the first drop of the flood, the expanding drops on the nine bottles pay tribute to the discovered barrels. Golden barrels on the front shimmer amid dark waves, reflecting their found locations. The dark design symbolizes the overnight flood. In darkness, phosphorescent ink reveals hidden details, turning the object born in darkness into a symbol of hope once found.
In July 2021, the Ahr valley in Germany suffered its worst flood yet, which completely destroyed the Dernau village. This flood met Meike and Dörte Näkel, owners of one of Germany’s top leading wineries, when it swept away the whole 2020 vintage with it.
In the days following the flood, nine intact barrels were found in villages several miles away. The decision was to then bottle this miraculous wine and introduce it to wine lovers all around the globe.
Our task became to design a packaging that would pay homage to the story behind the wine, but tell the story from a place of hope, emphasizing the fresh start it represented for the brand.
Crafting a relic
Given that these wines were the last bottles available of the 2020 vintage, they needed to be sold at higher prices in order for the winery to survive. We thus aimed for a very premium yet, at the same time, a more unusual look that would reflect the two winemakers’ story. As the story goes, the design concept began where it all started: the first drop. And just like the flood, the presence of the drops expands over the nine different bottle formats.
Photos: Sandra Fehr (Heroes of Riesling) | Renderings: Thomas Werle | Video: Sebastian Pfotenhauer, Frank Becker
The TREASURE map
The series presents nine different labels, which progressively display a growing number of drops: from one to nine, a tribute to each of the nine barrels found.
Once placed in the dark, the bottles finally reveal their secret. Thanks to the use of a special phosphorescent ink, details such as the locations of the barrels emerge, alongside the coordinates where they were found.
The wines were first introduced to a selected audience of opinion leading gourmets and journalists, hosted in two different locations by Michelin Star Chefs: Tim Raue in Berlin and the ühring brothers in Bangkok.
Photos: XXXXX
“Our collaboration with Ruska Martin Associates is characterized above all by the expansion of our brand awareness and a breath of fresh creativity. Whether it’s a rebranding project or the creation of a completely new product identity – we take immense pleasure in working with this team to create something truly original through intensive collaboration!”
Meike und dörte Näkel
Gründer und Geschäftsführer von Meyer-Näkel
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