Barakoni. The wine of monks

Design: Tomatdesign
Location: Russia
Project Type: Produced
Client: The Barakoni Church of the Mother of God
Product Launch Location: Georgia
Packaging Contents: Wine
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Glass bottle
Printing Process: Foil stamping

The Barakoni Church of the Mother of God is a monument of medieval Georgian architecture. It was built on the hillside near the Rioni river, where local monks had already been growing grapes to make wine for centuries. In anticipation of a milestone harvest, the church rector organized for a premium line wines to release under the Barakoni trademark. Our task was to create a packaging design that would convey the atmosphere of this holy place and tell the story of the wine’s origins.

The Barakoni Church of the Mother of God is a monument of medieval Georgian architecture. It was built on the hillside near the Rioni river.

The minimalistic design reflects the asceticism of the monks and focuses on the symbol of this sacred location — the cross carved into the church walls. It was important to us that the design convey the right associations with monastic wine, emphasize the product’s premium quality, and avoid the stereotypes of Georgian wines.

Barakoni ages in Qvevris, which are large clay jugs. They are buried in the ground, with raw, unpeeled grapes laying inside. The pulp—the grape skins and seeds—soaks in the wine, infusing it with a more harmonious structure and delicate flavor.

What’s Unique?
We made the label circular, so that one side displayed the wine’s origins, and the other described how it is made. The minimalistic design reflects the asceticism of the monks and focuses on the symbol of this sacred location—the cross carved into the church walls. Its history unfolds on the other side of the label, describing the church vineyard, the flavor of the wine and the features of using Qvevris to make it. The use of orange highlights the singularity of the product to match the color of the clay jugs and warmth of Georgian hospitality.

The Barakoni label is one piece. It has no standard front or back sides. Both are of equal importance. Thus, the details of an interesting history—the church, the wine, Georgia and the Qvevri—gradually unfold before the buyer, when they pick up a bottle of Barakoni.