Winstanley Partners recently popped the cork on a variety of new themes for Nejaimes, a family-owned wine merchant in the heart of the Berkshire hills.

Early expressions of a new logo ranged from vine-­‐entangled bottles to old-­‐school corkscrews; still, it seemed that the brand needed something else to give it life.

Josh Jevons, graphic designer at Winstanley, said he began by looking more closely at Nejaime’s company culture, finding that several aspects of how the shop does business are reflective of the family’s values and Lebanese heritage. This gave him the inspiration needed to create a logo based on Nejaime’s rich ancestry.

Lebanon, located on the Mediterranean coast to the North of Israel, is home to ancient maritime trading cultures, notably the Phoenicians. Their economy was rich in trade, fueled by cultural and technological ingenuity.

Some early ideas for the Nejaime’s logo project

“The design is centered around a wine cask floating gently in the waves, a nod to the maritime trading culture that once dominated routes from the Iberian Peninsula to Cyprus for hundreds of years,” explained Jevons. “The style also incorporates a Mediterranean color palate, rich in indigo blues and warm, sandy tones.”

Owner Joe Nejaime said his store features hundreds of vintages in addition to dozens of imported cheeses, beer, tobacco, and other gourmet treats in historic Lenox Village. The store is cradled by trees and neighbors the town’s post office, a gift shop, and an art gallery, among other businesses.

Soon, Nejaime’s Wine Cellars will boast additional footage and an even broader range of imports, but the location will continue to reflect the classic styles and rustic beauty that is seen across the town of Lenox. The new logo has a vintage quality owed to shadowed lettering, a stretched diamond outline, and a subtle yet significant “Est. 1970” italicized at the bottom.

“The style reinforces the motif of a family-­‐run business, invoking a sense of nostalgia,” Jevons added. “Given that wine often improves with time, customers can appreciate that this new look marks a coming of age for Nejaime’s Wine Cellars. “