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Heitz Cellar is a globally recognized wine brand. Established in the early 1960s by Joe Heitz, the brand quickly reached critical acclaim, with the 1974 vintage of Martha's Vineyard still held as one of the greatest wines made in any major American wine growing region. My work with Heitz Cellar start in 2016, growing from Production Intern to Associate Winemaker. I contributed to a vast number of creative production projects during my time at the winery.
With an infusion of resources in 2018, we were able to regenerate several facets of the business and redesign the mechanics of how clients interacted with the brand. This included redesigning the original logo and wine labels, both of which had long been prolific in the global wine community. The redesign was done in thoughtful collaboration with Napa-based design firm CF Napa, who help re-envision a future for the brand.
Images courtesy of Demeine Estates & CF Napa.
We also worked with renowned interior designer Peter Fleming to reconstruct the tasting room and design a new hospitality experience at our St. Helena property. This served as a major turning point for repositioning our brand in the market and elevating the overall presentation of our wines to guests.
The website was also redesigned along with all print collateral. Winemaking for the brand remained untouched, with a continued focus on organic and biodynamic farming practices to illustrate the true quality of wine grapes in the Napa Valley.
Our work faced several challenges, as the brand had significant historical relevance not just in California, but globally. Heitz Cellar was the first winery in California to bottle vineyard-designate wines, a trend now ubiquitous among wineries around the world. From design work to winemaking to hospitality, it was critical to maintain the spirit of the original brand while thoughtfully welcoming a new era of design, guest interaction, production ideologies, and experimentation.
Developing and releasing a new iteration of the brand fortified its position in the market and welcomed a new generation of guests to the winery.
During my time there, we were awarded several 95+ point scores from a variety of wine critical publications. This recognition was evidence that tireless work on the production side was impacting the publics' perceptions of our wines.
RECOGNITION
96pts
Decanter Magazine
2017 Martha's Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon
95pts
Decanter Magazine
2017 Lot C-91
Cabernet Sauvignon
Decanter Magazine
2017 Trailside Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon
95pts
96pts
James Suckling
2017 Lot C-91
Cabernet Sauvignon
94pts
Wine Spectator
2019 Martha's VIneyard
Cabernet Sauvignon
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