Jackson Family Wines, Santa Rosa, CA, has found an inventive way to combine a glass bottle with high-end printing to signal the premium craftsmanship in its Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon variety.

For this accomplishment, the winery has been recognized with the Overall Package Design award in the 2009 Clear Choice Awards from the Glass Packaging Institute . The package was one of 12 award-winners in the contest.Silver Palm’s high-end packaging supports the winery’s marketing objective of building a premium brand primarily through fine-dining restaurants, says Ryan Kukol, Jackson Family Wines brand manager.The label’s signature graphic of a silver-color palm tree is screen-printed in inks containing platinum flakes. “These shine in low-light settings in high-end restaurants. Whereas in retail, you’re looking for impact on the shelf with designs having bright colors,” Kukol explains.

The palm tree image and brand name are printed on 750-mL bottles by Bergin Glass Impressions . HKA Designs worked with the winery on the graphic design, which decorates glass bottles from Saint-Gobain Containers . The image is heat-applied onto the bottle surface at a very high temperature using a process that makes the printed image scuff-resistant, yet also provides excellent registration to give the palm leaves very high definition, Kukol says.
Shape is another way the bottle signals a high-end product. The bottle is 1 inch taller than typical 750-mL wine bottles, with a slight taper at the shoulder.

“We did this to elevate the quality perception,” Kukol says. “The bottle’s height is a subliminal way to do it. We tested several design concepts in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and Chicago, and the version we chose was overwhelmingly the favorite option among all the consumer groups,” he concludes. “It hits on all cylinders. It’s very sleek and very contemporary.”

View the other 11 GPI Clear Choice Awards winners.