Wine Stories | Turdetano
The sunny lands of Andalucia were, once, home of a prosperous civilization, Turdetan, that left a legacy of amazing geometrical patterns. Stylized and conceptualized, these models now wrap the wines of Andalusian Bodegas Salado into a graphical system full of contrasts and meanings – the most recent project of the Spanish agency TSMGO.
The wealth of the Aljarafe region of Seville, in Andalucia, dates back to the prosperous Turdetan civilization: birthplace of art and culture for the Iberian village settlements on the Guadalquivir River. Numerous vestiges of the Turdetan people still remain, one of these being its pottery, which follows a particularly distinctive style thanks to the geometric patterns and the contrast of lines, colours and shapes which decorate it.
The decorative elements of Turdetan pottery revolve around the symbolism of natural elements, opposing each other, yet in perfect harmony: fire and water; the sun and the moon; feminine against masculine; curved forms versus straight lines.
Inspired from the concept of Turdetan pottery, Spanish agency TSMGO recently created a “proposal that captures the essence of its art; creating harmony from opposing geometric elements of great symbolism and genuine beauty.” Thus, their concept wrapped, in stylized, conceptual and minimalistic patterns, the range of still wines of Bodegas Salado, one of Andalusia’s most active, most innovative wineries, devotes its efforts to give value to the region’s indigenous varieties. “Our design interprets the contrasts of Turdetan decoration, creating a graphical representation system for the entire range of wines which combines the old and the new; the force of fire against the versatility of water, feminine against masculine.”
Turdetano
A Graphical System Full of Contrasts
The branding strategy of TSMGO covered four main directions. The starting point was the aim to recover the cultural origin of the Aljarafe region of Seville, its history and its symbolism. Then, the direction was to generate a modern, systemic design which clearly identifies the range, as well as to form a concept which translates graphically in a poignant, convincing and clear way, thus creating an exclusive, striking image that generates attraction.
“We created a system which graphically represents the characteristics of each wine. Inspired by the geometric motifs of Turdetan art, we make use of opposing concepts to create balance:
The type of wine is determined by the Turdetan-inspired graphical details, lines which acquire different forms depending on whether it is a red or a white wine.
Reds: the intensity and character of the reds is represented by straight lines, in copper tones, inspired by the ferocity of fire and the sun.
Whites: conversely, white wines found in the range, more sensitive and subtle, acquire rounded, more feminine, softer lines. Printed in silver and blue tones, they are reminiscent of the fluidity of water, the serenity of the moon.
The aging of wines (its absence, in young or semi-crianza wines aging in barrels) is depicted in the background colour on the bottles.
Semi-aged Wines: red and white wines, semi-aged in barrels, acquire dark tones on their label, in tune with its maturity and presence in the mouth.
Young Wines: by contrast, the young red and white wines in the range are represented in light tones, reflecting femininity.
The meticulousness of the Turdetan artisans can still be felt in its art. As a tribute to this careful attention to detail, we apply inks with metallic flashes to the labeling, in addition to Braille varnish techniques on Crianza wines to create embossed features, with UVI varnish for the young wines. The result is a cohesive range which shows the unique personality of each wine in a surprising, modern way, rich in meaning.”
Short Porfile of TSMGO
The Spanish agency TSMGO or The Show Must Go On describe themselves as “working as craftsmen; polishing, defining and unravelling the concept. From consultancy, via creativity and research to cultural acceptance of the brand on an international level, TSMGO offers complete and comprehensive name creation, packaging and branding services.”