Branding, Packaging,
Digital, Sales.
Koonowla.
Koonowla, part of George Family Winegrowers, is a distinguished Clare Valley winery known for producing exceptional wines that balance tradition with innovation. With a deep-rooted history in Australian winemaking, Koonowla has built a reputation for quality, craftsmanship, and a strong sense of place. The brand is committed to honouring its heritage while evolving to meet the tastes of today’s wine drinkers.
Partnering with Koonowla, our team at Tucker Creative set out to revitalise its brand while reinforcing the winery’s rich legacy. The project encompassed a full-scale brand identity refresh, packaging redesign across multiple wine ranges, an expansion into craft beer, the development of a dynamic new website, creation of memorable marketing and trade collateral, and strategic sales consultancy. The goal was to create a cohesive and compelling brand presence that would resonate with both long-standing enthusiasts and new audiences.
Reawakening the Koonowla Story.
We set out to revitalise Koonowla’s brand identity by honouring its heritage and infusing it with a fresh perspective to engage modern wine drinkers. The goal was to highlight the Clare Valley origins, merging the timeless aspects of the brand with a more contemporary design approach.
Immersing ourselves in Koonowla’s story, we drew inspiration from its historic estate and origins to establish a refreshed brand identity that feels timeless and dynamic. Inspired by a striking tower on Koonowla’s historic property, the new logo is bold and distinct. For typography, we referenced a historic property sign found on-site, capturing a sense of character and authenticity.
Another core brand element we developed was a distinctive saw-tooth pattern, inspired by the angled sawtooth roofline of the winery’s original gravity-fed cellar. This unique detail was carried across multiple touchpoints, including tasting notes, the website, and marketing materials, creating a subtle yet recognisable visual thread. By incorporating this pattern into physical and digital assets, we facilitated a consistent design language that ties the brand’s heritage to its modern presence.
Throughout the process, we collaborated closely with Koonowla to ensure the new identity resonated with their market positioning and audience. The final result is an identity that is as rich in character as it is in design, with bold colours, refined finishes, and a unique visual language that speaks to the essence of Koonowla.
Layered Approach to Packaging Design.
Following the brand identity refresh, we turned our focus to Koonowla’s wine packaging. We took a layered approach to design, using colour palettes, typography, and material choices to differentiate each range while maintaining a consistent visual thread across the brand.
At the heart of this was the Reverence range, a collection that set the creative direction for the project and embodied the deep respect for Koonowla’s history and the property’s role as a Clare Valley icon. The name Reverence was chosen with intent, honouring the land’s agricultural legacy and the forebears who shaped it, while elevating Koonowla’s aspirational vision for the future.
Reverence Range.
This collection embraces Koonowla’s expressive, youthful side while staying anchored in its heritage. The design elements reflect a deceptive simplicity, using black ink for the main elements and a distinct layout for the hierarchy. The colour ways reflect this approach of pragmatic design, with a bright, earthy pastel colour palette… simple, yet highly effective.
From the refreshing, zesty notes of lime and lemon in their riesling to the dark fruit characters of black plums and blackberry in their shiraz, the application of colour is attention-grabbing and evokes the vibrant tastes that await behind a twist of the screw top. Quality textured label stock enhances the tactile experience, reinforcing the authenticity and refinement of the range.
Single Vineyard Range.
The Single Vineyard Range reflects Koonowla’s commitment to site expression, with each wine sourced from a distinct vineyard to highlight its unique terroir. This range celebrates the nuances that each vineyard imparts to the wine, emphasising its single-source and provenance.
The label design follows the established layout while adopting a monochromatic scheme, reinforcing a sense of restraint and elegance. A colour palette of warm tones, including a rich warm-grey taupe label background was chosen to align with the range’s focus on provenance, lending a sense of depth, heritage, and understated luxury. A textured screen varnished inclusion of the gravity-fed winery roofline in the background, brings tactility, and interest and finishes of the piece.
Signature Range.
The Signature Range represents the pinnacle of Koonowla’s winemaking, featuring The Tiller Shiraz and Bass Hill, a Bordeaux-inspired blend. The Tiller, sourced from the Clare Valley’s Armagh district, is a wine of depth and structure, carefully cultivated and matured to showcase its cool-climate vibrancy. Bass Hill is a precise expression of Koonowla’s vineyard, nurtured vintage by vintage to highlight the finest fruit selection. This striking signature pair is built for longevity, rewarding cellaring while showing exceptional balance and complexity in their youth.
The packaging reinforces this sense of craftsmanship and distinction. A deep charcoal-black backdrop, refined typography, and gold-embossed lettering create a presentation that reflects the wines’ sophistication. The layout is designed with balance and proportion in mind, ensuring an understated yet unmistakable presence. The very subtle inclusion of the George family crest as a screen varnish in the background brings a subtle hint of tactility.
By maintaining a classic aesthetic with premium detailing, the Signature Range packaging supports Koonowla’s positioning at the top of its portfolio, appealing to collectors and those seeking an elegant, memorable wine.
Adoration Sparkling Wine.
Crafted specifically for weddings and functions at Koonowla, Adoration is a sparkling chardonnay pinot noir designed to complement life’s most memorable moments. The name follows Koonowla’s tradition of evoking deep emotion, capturing themes of devotion and admiration. With a subtle nod to the essence of marriage, Adoration embodies the warmth and significance of shared celebrations.
The packaging reflects this sentiment with an elegant and refined aesthetic. A delicate balance of soft, neutral tones and gold foiling conveys a classic sophistication and enhances the wine’s positioning. Every detail was considered to ensure Adoration fit comfortably within Koonowla’s offering, enriching the on-site experience for couples, guests, and event hosts alike.
Brewing Brand Consistency.
Building on the growing success of weddings and functions held at their historic estate, Koonowla partnered with Little Bang Brewing Co. to extend the brand into the craft beer market. This move allowed Koonowla to enhance its on-site experience, offering a range of beers that would appeal to visitors who prefer beer over wine. This selection included a bright lager, a mid-strength session ale, and a generous pale ale.
Our challenge was to create beer packaging that fit within Koonowla’s established identity while resonating with craft beer drinkers. Drawing from and expanding the brand’s existing visual language, we incorporated the iconic Koonowla tower and distinctive typography to ensure a sense of continuity. At the same time, we applied a bold, vibrant colour palette for an inviting, energetic presence, and a category-specific tone of voice.
Each beer was given a distinct colour, making it instantly recognisable for staff and guests – particularly at nighttime events where visibility and quick selection were key. This brand extension reinforced Koonowla’s reputation as a premium yet welcoming venue. Available exclusively on-site at their cellar door, the Koonowla beer range is a natural complement to the winery’s on-site offerings, giving guests a well-rounded experience without straying from the core brand ethos.
Seeding Success and Channelling Growth.
Our work with Koonowla extended to a strategic sales advisory role – collaborative partnership aimed at seeding immediate impact while laying the groundwork for long-term growth.
We understand that even the strongest brand identity relies on effective strategies to drive commercial success. By aligning Koonowla’s offerings with market demands and operational priorities, we equipped them to navigate complex sales environments with confidence.
A key component of our work was developing a pricing and discount model tailored to Koonowla’s diverse sales activities. This included distributor partnerships, direct-to-consumer sales, on-premise venues, and off-premise retail placements – creating frameworks that balanced profitability with competitiveness.
We also developed a product segmentation strategy to capitalise on the unique positioning of each wine range. Working closely with Koonowla’s team, we considered factors such as volume potential, target audience, and sales channel dynamics. This approach allowed Koonowla to effectively position each range, whether for B2B, cellar door, or retail sales, while maintaining a cohesive brand presence.
To support Koonowla’s growth, we conducted detailed research to identify domestic trade partners and distributors who aligned with their commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Our team assisted in negotiating trading terms and distribution agreements, ensuring arrangements that prioritised Koonowla’s long-term objectives.
Beyond traditional sales consultancy, our collaboration with Koonowla involved hands-on support and oversight. Acting at times as an extension of their team, we provided research and guidance on export market activities – with our close involvement helping focus efforts on revenue-building and business priorities.
Through this collaborative approach to sales strategy and support, Koonowla gained the tools to achieve immediate impact while setting the stage for sustainable, long-term growth.
Digital Destination.
A website should do more than look good – it should work hard for the brand. Our redesign and redevelopment of Koonowla’s website focused on both form and function, creating a site that reflects the brand’s identity while providing a strong user experience.
Recognising the website as a key touchpoint, we designed it as an intuitive platform for wine sales, event bookings, and brand storytelling. It reflects Koonowla’s vision as a premium wine producer and a sought-after destination for weddings, luxury stays, and special events.
To ensure the website performed as beautifully as it looked, we conducted a comprehensive audit to enhance its technical performance, user experience, and alignment with Koonowla’s brand identity.
SEO optimisations improved discoverability, while faster page load times, refined layouts, and an intuitive navigation system created a seamless and engaging browsing experience.
Beyond technical improvements, the website was crafted to deepen customer connection. Our team refined Koonowla’s copywriting to bring its story to life, whether highlighting its restoration efforts of their historic property or detailing its premium wine collections.
Whether purchasing a bottle of wine, booking a venue for a wedding, or exploring Koonowla’s story, the refreshed website provides a compelling, user-friendly experience that directly supports the growth of the business.
By intertwining brand revitalisation, strategic packaging design, marketing and trade collateral, digital enhancement, and astute business advisory, Koonowla’s brand presence has elevated and thoughtfully honed to resonate more deeply with a broader audience.
We are thankful for the opportunity to contribute to Koonowla’s ongoing story and success, and for the trust placed in us to deliver impactful solutions that honour their heritage whilst embracing future opportunities.
Whether you are the owners of an established brand, or you are about to embark on a completely new branding venture, Tucker can help you review and achieve your brand aspirations; from strategy to implementation.
Take the first step by booking a discovery meeting, emailing us at tuckers@tuckercreative.com.au or calling +61 8 8331 1700.
Tucker. For visionary brands.
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