Designing a logo for anything, especially a bottle of wine, is always tricky. Many consumers buy their wine strictly based on whether or not they like the label. We wanted to create something that would both catch the attention of consumers and represent Argentina and Maryland in one way or another. Many wine labels from Argentina feature the Andes Mountains in the background, and this was something we wanted to avoid. We love and drink many of the wines that feature these labels, but we wanted something unique to Vectors South and to the two locations most important to us.
The original idea to combine the four animals, two from Argentina and two from Maryland, came to our dear friend Maggie Phipps. After some serious thought, we decided that the crab, the signature food from the Chesapeake Bay, and the Oriole, Maryland’s state bird and mascot of our baseball team, would represent Maryland. For Argentina, we decided on the Puma, the mascot of Argentina’s rugby team, and the guanaco, a llama-like creature native to the Mendoza province.
The last and most important animal that would tie everything together would be the horse. The horse is of the utmost importance to the cultures of both my ancestral homes. Argentina, of course, claims some of the best polo players and teams in the world, while horse racing is also popular, and I spent many a Saturday afternoon at the Hipódromo de San Isidro. As is true about most Vectors South’s origins, details go back a few generations to my grandfather Roberto, who served in Argentina’s cavalry in the 1940s, telling tales of his horse Carlitos. Horses are as important, if not more so, to Maryland, from the Preakness Stakes to steeplechase racing, including the Maryland Hunt Cup and the Grand National. All these factors made the horse the perfect piece to complete the Vectors South logo puzzle.
We hope our unique minimalist approach will combine with the story behind the animals to attract consumers to our product, and bring a piece of Argentina to Marylanders.