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July 1, 2002

Northstar Winery Introduces New “Star” Packaging

Walla Walla, Wash. – Northstar, one of America’s leading producers of premium merlot, has introduced a new label for its wine.  The new label will be featured on the 1999 merlot, to be released this August.

The label highlights a gold embossed star, bronze rolling hills, and a watermark of the Northstar compass emblem a on a white background.  These motifs reinforce the design elements of the new craftsman style winery being built in Walla Walla, which overlooks the Blue Mountains.  Each bottle is topped with a simple black capsule, and back labels feature the Washington Wine Quality Alliance (WWQA) logo.  The WWQA was formed in 1999 to develop the nation’s first industry standards in winemaking and labeling.

The new design, by award-winning San Francisco design firm HKA, represents the first major change to the packaging since the winery’s debut 1994 vintage.  Printing was done by LSK in Sacramento. 

“This new packaging provides a sophisticated, distinguished look that maintains the Northstar heritage, and embraces the features of the new winery,” explains Shawn Byrnes, director of marketing for Northstar.  “With the new winery opening in September, the timing was perfect to give the label a fresh and appealing new look.”  Northstar winery will open in September, in time to crush its first grapes in Walla Walla in the fall of 2002.

Northstar is a collaboration between Stimson Lane and renowned California winemaker Jed Steele. Each year, the winemakers create a Bordeaux-style Merlot by individually fermenting and aging dozens of small lots – the final blend is carefully selected to create a balanced wine of great richness and complexity.  Quantities are extremely limited. Visit the Website at www.northstarmerlot.com.