Novello del Veneto from Cantina di Negrar is a Vino Novello style wine – the Italian version of Beaujolais Nouveau. It was introduced at the LCBO in Ontario, Canada in 1999 with a label I designed featuring the Lion of San Marco, a symbol of power and prosperity in the Veneto region. Each year since, the wine has been released with packaging emblazoned with a new image of the lion. The designs often draw comments in the media and 3 are featured in the book Exploring Package Design. This year I created a complete archive in the Novello del Veneto Facebook group. You’re welcome to join.

The 2010 design is number 12 in the series. This design celebrates the Veneto region of Italy. Pictures I’ve taken in two great cities of the region – Venice and Verona – are not only the inspiration for the design, they compose the design. A statue of the winged lion from the Doge’s Palace in Venice is the foundation image. A collage of well-known landmarks and regional architectural details are layered on top to create the lion’s mane. To add a little mystery, the lion wears a Venetian Carnival mask.

Related articles:
The new, nouveau, novello wines
Novello del Veneto design gets major press
Wherefore art thou, Verona