Bethany wines

Overarching brand identity and strategy
Tier name generation and branding
Packaging

Client: Bethany Wines

Photography: Pavel Gubin / Stephen Clarke

In 1981, fifth generation brothers Robert and Geoff established Bethany Wines. They built a winery in the quarry where the early pioneers had hewn stone for their homes. They crushed two tonnes of Shiraz and Riesling, launching the next chapter of the Schrapel wine story.

The early 1980s were tough for Barossa grape growers. A glut followed a red wine boom and grape prices fell below production cost. The State Government wanted growers to pull out old Shiraz and Grenache vines. They encouraged growers to plant new varieties or leave the industry.

Fortunately, the brothers chose to establish a tradition of winemaking from this undervalued yet irreplaceable resource of old vineyards.

first village

This range of wines celebrate that Bethany was in fact the ‘first village’ settled in the famous wine region of Barossa Valley, back in 1842.

The tableaux is illustrated in folkloric ‘scherenschnitte’ style (the art of paper cutting). It traces the story of the early settlers of Bethany, from their journey across the oceans from Europe to South Australia - bringing their traditions and culture along with agricultural and wine knowledge - through to their village life in the Barossa Valley. With the bluestone hewn from the local quarry run by the Schrapel family, the villagers built the church and established the township surrounding Bethany Creek. In 1852 the first vines were planted on the Schrapel Family Vineyards in Bethany, igniting a passion that continues on today, six generations later.

All this history with vignettes of village life is illustrated drawing inspiration from traditional folk motifs and silhouettes as a continuing, connected narrative.

Blue Quarry

Blue Quarry is the premium Estate range of Bethany Wines of the iconic Barossa Valley, South Australia.

The Schrapel family have been tilling the soil in their Barossa vineyards in Bethany for over 165 years. They planted their first vineyard in 1852 from cuttings carefully nursed when they migrated from Europe to South Australia.

From 1846 to the early 1930s, the family also ran the Bethany Quarry in the Barossa foothills. The distinctive Bluestone was hand-hewn by the early pioneers to build their church, homes and roads.

Today, Bethany’s winery and cellars are encircled by the old quarry walls, still standing as an enduring part of Barossa history.

the chapters

This Reserve range of wines from Bethany Wines in the Barossa Valley were envisaged a series of ‘chapters’, each honouring various people from their heritage and highlighting their respective contributions to the Bethany Wines 165 year story. As precious pinnacle wines, they were to exude gravitas and excellence as the first in the series of heraldic 'bookends'.

The Bethany Reserve ‘GR’ is a testament to the dedication of fifth generation brothers winemakers, Geoffrey and Robert Schrapel in crafting and building Bethany Wines. Whereas the Bethany Reserve ‘LE’ is a tribute to fourth generation vignerons, Lawrence and Edna Schrapel who, for over 50 years, were resolute custodians as vignerons of the Bethany vineyards.