We created a brand strategy, new name and visual identity for the brand of top wines produced on the Nespeš Manor estate in the green hills of Zelina Prigorje. Our story connected the grape growing tradition of the Zelina region, the history of the manor, while including the personal story and vision of the owner of the winery Goran Hanžek.

“The birds slumber and the forest is silent, let my song ring in the valley and in the grove, in the dear land, of which there is nothing more beautiful to me.”

This is how Dragutin Domjanić wrote about his native Zelina Prigorje and anyone who visits this area will find these words truly reflect the lush, green peace of the wine-growing Zelina hills. These words accompany the area’s many castles, mansions, chapels and picturesque cottages. These castles and country estates were once owned by nobility, who loved this area for its peace and grace. It’s as if Zelina Prigorje was created for enjoyment, rest and contemplation.

One of these mansions is the Nespeš Manor, built in 1794 as a country estate near the picturesque medieval fort of Zelingrad. As is often the case in this wine-growing region known for its excellent varieties and long wine tradition, wine has been produced in the cellar of the Nespeš Manor for centuries— the manor has changed owners many times, but wine production has never stopped, even when the manor building was converted into a primary school.

Our school today is a school whose lessons come from the area’s nature, and we are taught lessons about a more fulfilled life, one in which there is not so much stress: a life in which there is more satisfaction and gratitude with what has been gained, acquired and experienced.

The wine here is in the best position with the best winemaker. Zelina Prigorje lies on the 45.56 ° parallel, as do many of the most respected wine-growing regions in the world – Piedmont, Val du Rhone, Bordeaux, Oregon and others — so it is no wonder that the local wines are so rich in aroma. And our “school principal”, Mr. Hanžek, is an experienced winemaker whose knowledge is a promise that this wine is worthy of all wine lovers.

In the manor and its vineyards, each breath rewards us with a wealth of flavors and aromas of the estate’s sumptuous nature. A sip of fine wine, fills us with happiness. However, we do not close our eyes to this nourishing beauty, the beauty of the landscape that resembles a blue-green imaginary paradise, yet is real, and teaches us that life is more than what we have so far perceived.

Today, the Nespeš Manor combines its dual heritage in a unique way, the wine and the school, it teaches us about a life in which we can live better, happier and more fulfilled. The excellent wines produced here carry the identity of the location and the personality of the owner — chardonnay, sauvignon and the ancient, rare, and unjustly neglected green Silvanac, a top wine with a complex and interesting taste. The wines of the Nespeš Manor are fresh, elegant and aromatic, created with love and expertise. They are wines that reflect the richness of taste and aroma of this hilly region — every glass, drunk while walking through a quiet vineyard or with a superbly prepared dinner will teach us a new type of pleasure. The lush, green impression of the landscape, the peace and quiet, the aromas, the tastes and smells of the land that Domjanić wrote about with all his heart will remain with us forever, as a nice lesson from a better, more fulfilled life.

This is a school where the highest grade is our great sense of fulfillment, all the negativity drifts away, leaving us with a more fulfilled and richer life. It really is a real pleasure to be a student of this blue-green school.

We named the new wines Litterarii, which is a derivative of the Latin name for primary school (ludus litterarius), and the new slogan “School for a more fulfilled life” connects the wine with the manor’s school heritage.

The inspiration for the design, which was created by the art director Maja Bagić Barić, came from the preserved documents of the school written with a fountain pen. The backgrounds of the wine labels are reminiscent of old notebooks, and the names of the wines are written in a font resembling handwritten letters. Spots of ink occurring spontaneously on the labels represent an artistic impression.

Brand Strategy & Creative Director: Anja Bauer
Senior Brand Consultant: Petra Despot Domljanović
Brand Consultant: Stipan Rimac
Naming Consultant: Anja Bauer
Copywriters: Anja Bauer, Petra Despot Domljanović
Senior Brand Implementor: Jelena Mezga
Art Director, Designer: Maja Bagić Barić
Photography: Nikola Zelmanović