Serôdio Borges Family, 1836 Porto

Serôdio Borges Family

RITA RIVOTTI, UNIPESSOAL LDA

To renew the traditional Port wine bottle, we first designed the model and developed a plaster mould. We also produced iron tools to shape the bottleneck using a handcrafted process, and the glass was ordered from Italy. The bottle was then shaped by hand using ancient glass-blowing methods. The result was absolutely stunning. No two bottles are alike, and each has its own story to tell. A paper label in Fasson Cotton White was chosen due to its beauty and texture, which our team felt would best convey the rusticity of handmade paper. To recreate the style of old-fashioned sepia ink, the text on the paper is hot-stamped with Kuurz Colorit V 916. Finally, the overall image is designed to be clean, simple and reduced, leaving room to appreciate the full beauty of the materials.

As a Portuguese agency, the team was interested in creating sustainable packaging for one of Portugal’s best-known products: Port wine. A natural, fortified wine produced exclusively with grapes from the demarcated Douro Wine region (established in 1756, the first of its kind), Port is recognised worldwide for its historic and cultural heritage. Regarded by many Portuguese as a true art form, it is a tradition that has been handed down through the generations. To understand the evolution of the Port wine bottle over the years, the agency embarked on in-depth research (with support from the IVDP) and discovered bottles that were over 100 years old. This led to the inspiration to recreate a completely handmade bottle produced in a sustainable manner to act as vessel for Very Old Tawny Port.

Rita Rivotti, Pedro Roque

Pedro Roque

28/09/2021