Vinarija Knežević

Vinarija Knežević produces Merlot and Sauvignon and needed labels that would instantly convey the wine's character and quality on the shelf, instead of the generic look typical of smaller family producers. The challenge wasn't only aesthetic — for a small winery, the label is often the only moment a buyer learns anything about the brand before purchase, so it had to carry a story, not just a name and alcohol percentage. It also had to clearly differentiate between varieties while both labels still read as part of the same, recognisable family.

We shaped the logotype as a handwritten signature of the family surname Knežević, bringing in a personal, almost intimate note typical of small wineries that still make wine to a family recipe. Alongside the signature we added a subtle illustration of sheet music woven through a bottle silhouette — a visual reference to the harmony and patience that ageing wine requires. Each variety got its own ribbon colour on the label, red for Merlot and green for Sauvignon, while a black background remained the shared constant giving the whole line a sense of elegance and seriousness, regardless of which colour changes from season to season.

The result is a label system that's instantly recognisable on the shelf and easily extends to new varieties simply by changing the ribbon colour while keeping the same handwritten signature and music motif. The handwritten logotype gives the winery a personal, family note that's still subtle enough not to distract from the wine itself, clearly setting Knežević apart from competing labels in a similar price bracket. A guest in a restaurant or a shopper in a store recognises the winery by the same signature whether they reach for the red or the white, building continuity of impression across the whole range.