Micro winery OPG Ravnik, located in the small town of Nova Vas near Poreč (Istria, Croatia), produces ecological natural wine, often called “raw” in the wine community. The owner, and currently the only employee, is Rafael Ravnik, therefore, the name RaWino was chosen for the brand, uniquely combining the manufacturer name, the production method,  and the product itself.

Although a macroeconomist by profession, Ravnik found his calling in the philosophy of uncompromising winemaking, according to ecological principles. Ecological production method is difficult in itself, but Ravnik brought it to an even more challenging level: additionally, he decided to use almost forgotten ancient methods, with minimal mechanization and maximal respect for natural processes. Thus, the grapes grown on the red soil of the small family vineyard are harvested exclusively by hand, and after that a unique method of so-called sublunar maceration begins. The grapes are gently transported into clay amphorae – qvevri buried in the Istrian soil, using only the natural force of gravity (without pumps). In these amphorae, in the ground, in an uncovered courtyard, the wines undergo a maceration process for months under the moon, sun and rain, exposed to the diverse types of natural processes. When the wine matures, it is poured into bottles made of baked clay, completing the story that began in the clay amphorae.

To express what makes this wine so special – the maturation under the sky and in the Istrian soil, in synergy with nature, we decided to transfer part of the soil and vegetation under which the grapes matured in buried amphorae, directly on the wine bottle. We took samples of grass and herbs precisely from the place under which grapes were located, and transferred them on the bottle. The idea was to mix the paint with the soil and to use the grass that grew over the wine directly in the print process. However, since we could not find a printing house that would cooperate in such a process, we decided to realize it ourselves: in the basement of Rawino, a small home printing office was installed. So, using a silk screen method, unique prints were hand-printed on each ceramic bottle, by directly placing herbs on the machine and adding soil to the color. Therefore, in the design of the packaging, we avoided some traditional steps that involve human work (such as drawing graphics for silk screen frames), and instead we allowed nature to directly put its shape through the plants/grass e.g. to create the outer part of the bottle, just as the winemaker allows it to create the wine inside the bottle. The “Raw” approach in the “Rawino” brand is thus communicated also through the design: both the wine and the label are created in cooperation with nature, with deliberate imperfection devoid of refinement and intervention.

Creative direction, Concept, Design, Copywrite / Jelena Fiškuš, Sean Poropat / Studio Sonda
Copywrite for txt on the bottle / Sara Šalov / Studio Sonda
Account Executive / Sara Bažon / Studio Sonda
Production: Printed at home (Rawino Winery)
Client: Rawino