Champaign is served. Cheers!

Zolotaya Balka is one of the oldest Russian wine producers. In 1889, Major-General Alexander Witmer established the first wine cellar in Balaklava, and winemaking became a standalone industry. Later on, this place became home to several wineries whose unique experience was used in the production of many Crimean varieties of sparkling wines.

Tauri, the first people to inhabit the Crimean Peninsula, started growing grapes in Balaklava. The first mentions of this place go back to the 8th century BC. For instance, Homer in his famous epic poem Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus’ encounter with the Laestrygonians, the man-eating giants, and mentions the «glorious harbor», or the Balaklava Bay.

The main task of redesign was to respond to new challenges facing the brand that is proud of its history and is undergoing fundamental change, including modernization of production facilities, technology improvement, vineyard replanting, creating new products, rollout of the brand in the Russian market.

The symbol of Zolotaya Balka is a gryphon holding a grapevine in its paw. According to one legend, the gryphons saved sparkling wine from flood. «Giant gryphons, lords of earth and air, spreading large wings, in their lion’s paws preserved the vine for the future world».

The old logo also featured an image of a gryphon, but had poor quality of illustration and typography. While redesigning the logo, we preserved its visual code and historical value, but made the gryphon more lively, dynamic and prominent. We have studied multiple images of gryphons, from Ancient Greek frescoes and Medieval coats of arms to modern sculptures and illustrations, and we came up with our own image executed in etching style.