Unleashing the Wild and Tamed: Masedu and Arestidu

Stefanelli and Cesura's Award-Winning Packaging Identity for Sardinian Wines

The inspiration for the design came from the wines themselves - Cannonau and Vermentino, traditional wines from Sardinia, a land known for its proud, wild beauty. The names Masedu and Arestidu, which mean 'tamed' and 'wild' in Sardinian, reflect a characteristic feature of this land. The designers chose to reinterpret these concepts through the Giara horses, among the last wild horses in Europe and an icon of the most original Sardinia. The two horses express opposites - positive and negative, calm and action, control and fury, with a point of pride that unites them.

The challenge for Stefanelli and Cesura was to create a design that was unique but also representative of the wines and their original land. They needed to express the complex character of the land and its inhabitants. The final concept of the Giara horses was chosen as it could deeply express this complexity. The design was realized using white paper resistant to water plus hot foil (Kurz gold 180) for the name of the wines.

The design process involved extensive research to find a concept that could express the difference and uniqueness of the two typical Sardinian wines. The designers wanted to express the "terroir", the soul of this incredible land conveyed by the wines. The concept of the wild horses was found to be the most representative of the complex character of the land and its inhabitants.

The design team, which included Creative Directors Barbara Cesura and Giacomo Stefanelli, Client Director Stefano Giuseppe Dell'Orto and Illustrator Enrico Rambaldi, worked in Lainate (Milan) and Verona. The project was a challenge to express the intimate mix of souls: land, grapes, wine and most importantly, the human behind all of this.

The Masedu and Arestidu packaging design is a testament to the power of design to express complex concepts and emotions. It is a celebration of Sardinia's unique character, its proud heritage and its wild beauty. The Golden A' Packaging Design Award it received in 2017 is a testament to the designers' creativity, skill and dedication to their craft.