New York designer Karim Rashid has created an innovative bottle design for Stratus Vineyards
2017 New York, NY — Stratus Vineyards, a Canadian-based winery owned by David Feldberg, and prolific, NYC-based designer Karim Rashid, are proud to unveil a revolutionary collaboration — the Decant wine bottle.
The Decant bottle is the result of strategic collaboration between Stratus Vineyards and Karim Rashid. With the goal of creating an innovative and artistic design representative of the vineyard, the duo developed a sculptural concept meant to surprise consumers with an unexpected bottle form. The aim was to embody the Stratus philosophy of ‘form followed by function’ by capturing the elements of vineyard diversity and winery design into a single contemporary bottle.
“It was such a pleasure to work with David and Stratus Vineyards,” explained Rashid. “David is open to doing great, new, original things. I knew of his reputation based on him building a fabulous, progressive company at Teknion, and when he asked me to design a wine bottle for his winery he was open to any possibility. The wine industry can be quite conservative, so this was a fantastic opportunity to do something unique.”
The bottle’s structure reflects the complexity derived from the 44 vineyard blocks within the company’s 55-acre estate. Decant boasts a deconstructed, stratified design that mirrors the geological complexity of the soils from which the wine is grown. Layers upon layers of clay and clay loam are interspersed with fractures of granite and limestone — a result of thousands of years of glacial erosion, along with the recession of Lake Ontario.
The subsequent geology of the soil imbues the wine with its unique profile and also serves as inspiration for the bottle’s signature shape. The result is a 2014 unfiltered Cabernet Franc on its lees, which marks Stratus’ debut unfiltered wine. The layered glass of the bottle creates a slip-resistant handle and serves as a decanter for the naturally forming sediment while visually stimulating the senses.
“I wanted to create an iconic bottle that metaphorically deconstructs the traditional bottle while adding functionality,” said Rashid. “I‘m very proud of the bottle and it still proves that all archetypes need to be revisited and, even more so, that every brand must differentiate itself in the 21st Century.”
Since its inception, Stratus Vineyards has worked with a selection of industry leaders to collaborate on projects that meet the company’s mission of producing benchmark wines. From the design of the winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake – the first in the world to be fully LEED ™ certified – to partnerships with global viticulture specialists, the Stratus team is consistently setting itself apart. Stratus intentionally taps the minds of creative visionaries to encourage the development of innovative, out-of-the-box ideas. Naturally, the winery’s next priority was to create a revolutionary bottle design.
“We chose to partner with Karim because he brings forth a multi-faceted design perspective that breaks down traditional style barriers. His concept for the wine bottle brings something unique and unexpected to the world of wine,” says David Feldberg, President and CEO of Stratus Vineyards. “The result of our collaboration has been incredible. Not only are we offering a functional wine bottle that houses a stellar wine, but we are presenting a collectible and timeless work of art,” adds Feldberg.
The Decant wine bottle will feature Stratus Vineyard’s first unfiltered “sur lie” Cabernet Franc and will be available in the United States through Paul Hobbs Selections at $75, www.paulhobbsselections.com
For orders in Canada please visit the winery in NIagara-on-the-Lake or purchase at www.stratuswines.com for $95 Canadian plus shipping.
About Stratus Vineyards
Located in the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Stratus Vineyards is a gravity flow winery, distinguished by its LEED-certified facility, its commitment to sustainability and wines of outstanding quality. The winery, like its signature assemblage wines, is a composition – a whole greater than the sum of its parts. On their own, the individual elements are distinctly unique – a diversely planted vineyard with complex soils; a sustainable facility that unites tradition and science to serve the winemaker’s art; and a retail gallery with adjoining tasting rooms that are both chic and welcoming. Working together, they create wines and experiences that are truly memorable.
About Karim Rashid
Karim Rashid is one of the most prolific designers of his generation. Over 3000 designs in production, over 300 awards and working in over 40 countries attest to Karim’s legend of design. His award winning designs include luxury goods for Christofle, Veuve Clicquot, and Alessi, democratic products for Umbra, Bobble, and 3M, furniture for Bonaldo and Vondom, lighting for Artemide and Fontana Arte, high tech products for Asus and Samsung, surface design for Marburg and Abet Laminati, brand identity for Citibank and Sony Ericsson and packaging for Method, Paris Baguette, Kenzo and Hugo Boss.
