OD11 digital HR - Flipbook - Page 69
TEXT ANIA ROKITA
WINE
“The Ghost in the Machine range
is designed and priced in such
a way that most wine-interested
people – even wine nerds – are
likely to come across the wines
and love them,” says Bruce. “The
packaging reflects the quirky but
very deliberate winemaking. As
a winemaker-driven business, we
value production integrity over
short-term profitability, and we
tend to experience wine as much
through our consumers’ eyes as
we do through the machinations
of a production process. How we
use our tools and machines has
an impact on our wine – without
this insight we would never have
thought of using our prosaic little
labelling line to create a label noone had thought of before.”
There’s another rationale behind
the cool labels: what Bruce calls
the brand’s “comfort zone”. “We
are natural outsiders. We’re more
comfortable in an underdog role.
We question everything, sometimes
to our own detriment,” he says. “We
also find it wonderfully eccentric
that almost the entire wine
industry tries to compete with one
another in only two (very similarly)
shaped bottles, and in an arbitrary
750ml volume. We are intrigued
by how we can stand out from the
crowd while preserving the good
things that make wine interesting.
“An innovative, engaging label
with a premium feel is the holy
chalice of design. One way to
engage inquisitive consumers
is to label each bottle differently,
so no two bottles share the same
look but retain a ‘family vibe’. The
result is the Ghost in the Machine
presentation: three separate wraparound labels, placed randomly on
the bottle. Credit goes to designer
and friend Rohan Etsebeth of
Archival in Cape Town, whose
unique approach brought the
packaging to life – and to our own
packaging manager Isabel van den
Bruce Jack’s Harpers Design Award-winning Ghost in the Machine wine labels.
Berg, who turns my often-crazy
and impractical ideas into reality.”
Added bonus? “At this point
we’re very happy that AI models
can’t easily recognise our Ghost in
the Machine labels – and we have
plans to make it more difficult.”
That’s not the only accolade
Bruce can boast about just lately:
he’s also been ranked as one of the
Top 100 winemakers in the world
by The Drinks Business magazine
for the second time in three years.
The accolade recognises the
world’s top winemakers based on
the performance of their wines in
blind tastings in The Drinks Business
Global Masters series – and Bruce’s
wines have performed consistently
well over the years.
In another Bishops connection,
The Mitre Red 2022, made by
Bruce for the 175 celebrations
(see Issue 10), received 90 points
and was named the Best Value
Wine in the Prescient Cape
Bordeaux Red Blend Report
2024. “It stands out for offering
extraordinary quality at a price
that’s accessible to a wide range
of wine enthusiasts,” says
Christian Eedes (1988B), head
judge and the report’s editor.
And in more strategic news,
Bruce has joined forces with the
recently revitalised Zoetendal
Vineyards, and with Black
Oystercatcher founder Dirk
Human. The collaboration – a JV
between the Black Oystercatcher
brand, the Zoetendal brand, and
Bruce’s The Berrio wine project –
will amplify Black Oystercatcher’s
market reach, increase the group’s
production capabilities, further
their shared vision of sustainable,
high-quality winemaking, and help
to meet the rising domestic and
international demand for premium
South African wines, especially
from cool-climate vineyards.
“Our region is already well
known around the world for coolclimate Shiraz and Sauvignon
Blanc, and the many local and
international awards demonstrate
the wines’ inherent quality and
elegant and sophisticated style,”
says Bruce. And in alignment with
Dirk’s commitment to sustainable
viticulture and the environment,
the partners will continue the
practices that protect the unique
Cape Agulhas ecosystem, guarding
the integrity and life of its soils
and biodiversity.
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 67
