11 January – Since breaking ground in 1999, Flat Rock Cellars have been industry leaders and innovators on the winemaking front. We’ve built a reputation for producing internationally acclaimed Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling from the Sustainable Winemaking Ontario Certified, family-owned vineyard in Niagara’s Twenty Mile Bench sub-appellation.
Over the last three years, the team at Flat Rock have taken a deep dive into the history of the Flat Rock Cellars brand and laid the groundwork for the future. For two decades the brand and labels have not undergone any substantial modifications, until now. Today, we are excited to announce that the highly anticipated 2020 vintage of wines will have a striking new label design as part of a bold rebranding project. “It’s taken a long time to get to this point, but we are excited to fully embrace our name in every way,” says Flat Rock Cellars Owner, Ed Madronich. The project was undertaken with a focus on solidifying Flat Rock’s position as a leader of the Canadian wine industry and to enhance the wine drinking experience for its consumers.
The Flat Rock Vineyard is renowned for its geologically diverse, ancient limestone soils which will now be a focal point on the new packaging. Madronich says, “This new look speaks to the importance of our place, our soils, our rocks and our promise that the quality of our wine will never change – nor will our pursuit of excellence. We are not afraid to push the envelope. It’s just who we are.”
The project was led by Brandever, a respected design firm from Vancouver whose labels are displayed in museums and galleries around the world. Cross-sections of limestone were obtained from the property by a geologist and one-of-a-kind microscopic images were used to create bold, texturally rich images that speak to the uniqueness of our place. “Flat Rock Cellars has the type of rocky terroir that not only inspired its name, but also produces award-winning wines. Using this simple, but powerful connection – we were able to rework the brand into a seamless and modern creative space,” says Brandever Senior Designer Claire Tam.
The new branding emphasizes three consumer driven concepts: first, the new terroir focused labels create an authentic link to the place both on the inside and outside of the bottle, second, a concise framework within which consumers can more easily identify the different series, and finally a rejuvenation of the logo which references the meaningful stone cairns dotting the Flat Rock Cellars’ property and creating an inherent link between the people and the place. “My Dad would be proud of what Flat Rock has become and would be excited about our vision for the future,” says Madronich who’s late father, Edward Sr., founded Flat Rock Cellars.
About Flat Rock Cellars
Flat Rock Cellars is an architecturally unique, five-level gravity flow winery surrounded by 80 acres of vineyards, located on the Twenty Mile Bench in Jordan, Ontario; specializing in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. Flat Rock Cellars was established based on a commitment and the inextinguishable passion of its founders. The winery is guided by the mastery of modern techniques where viticulture and winemaking come together with architecture and hospitality to create an experience as memorable as it is enjoyable.
