Proud to Present: A rustic and nostalgic brand for Jaded Palates

When we got the call to ask, were we interested in rebranding a wine retailer in Devon? And could we perhaps go and stay for the weekend - you know, just to get a real feel for things? Well my friends, it was a race to see who could get down there first...

Jaded Palates is an independent wine merchants based in Chagford, Devon. Having launched their first shop in the summer of 2016, the team are preparing to open their second high street shop very soon in the bustling foodie town of Ashburton.

More than just a wine merchants, Jaded Palates aim to shift the way people think about wine. Fuelled by founder Ian’s lifelong fascination with wine and his unique experience and qualifications in winemaking, we want to bring wine to life by telling the stories behind each bottle. Of course, everything they sell tastes incredible, too (I can vouch for that - all in the name of research). With their down-to-earth, friendly approach, Jaded Palates help customers to discover the wines they most enjoy and encourage them to explore new wines through a blend of conversation and thoughtful tasting notes available in their shops and online.

The big plan

Ultimately, Jaded Palates will become the destination brand for all things wine. They want people to touch it, taste it and understand wine before they buy. They want more and more people to be bitten by the wine bug, just as they have! As well as developing their high street presence, online offering, wholesale business and wine school, Jaded Palates plan to launch a wine club in the not too distant future.

The season personality

Jaded Palates is a brand rooted in the Autumn personality, with just a hint of Winter. Autumn personalities are warm, clever and passionate. They’re authentic, genuine and hard working – they’re resourceful and unafraid to roll their sleeves up to get a job done. They are warm, friendly and honest. With a genuine passion for what they do, they have an irresistible energy about them. They love to learn and they’re generous with sharing their knowledge with those around them. Provenance is key to the Autumn personality; they are always curious to know the story behind something.

On the Winter side, there’s a sense of exclusivity in the rarity of their products which elevates Jaded Palates to something quite special. The grit and vision of the Winter personality brings a sense of confidence and authority which will help the brand to garner respect and position Jaded Palates as the experts that they are.

The brand

We knew that one of the current challenges is that Jaded Palates were perceived as a bit too exclusive, posh and unattainable. We also know that winemaking is an agricultural process, and much less glamourous than what people might think. I knew straight away that I wanted to create a visual identity that celebrates the producer, and conveys a sense of traditional farming – of tending the earth and of the hard graft that goes in to producing wine.

The new Jaded Palates brand is warm, earthy and welcoming. Knowing how they prioritise producers who favour traditional methods over heavy, machinery-led methods of farming their land, we wanted to create something rustic with a slightly nostalgic twist. The typography is packed with personality – from the hand lettered scripts to slightly broken slab san serifs and quirky serifs – it all feels quirky and characterful.

We love the message 'that's what good grapes taste like' which completely encapsulates the Jaded Palates philosophy. It's not about swanky chateaus or overworked fermentation - it's about celebrating incredible quality ingredients, and the hard work that goes into the farming process.

The colour palette is warm and approachable with a sense of traditional modernity to it. A graphite grey provides a solid base colour (not as harsh as black), a deep petrol blue feels established and serious. A misty blue-grey is calm and reflective; mustard yellow is happy, optimistic, energetic and positive. Ochre is warm, wise, generous and knowledgeable. A rich grape communicates quality and heritage. I completely adore this palette!

As you can imagine, we had so much fun creating the brand for Jaded Palates. Between Dan's strong typographic style and Derek's signature illustrations, this brand played to all of our strengths. The result is a brand that's full of warmth, character and nostalgia - yet that's fresh enough to be appealing and relevant to today's customer. The team are beavering away with preparations to get their Ashburton store ready to launch and we can't wait to see where the new Jaded Palates brand takes them. Here's to the journey, guys. You've been wonderful!