As such, you can imagine that a lot of thought has gone into the creation of the Bester Family Wines label. Here's the story of how our label came to bear a rearing unicorn, graceful ears of wheat and some pretty random-looking musical instruments.
When Zakkie met with Jan Solms, Rohan Etsebeth and the rest of the talented blokes and lasses at Fanakalo Studios in Stellenbosch, he had quite a few elements that he wanted to combine to a graceful whole, and the designers obliged with aplomb. In fact, they did so well that the label actually featured on the graphic design gallery of global taste-maker site Behance for a while. If you have ever spent some time in a graphic design studio you'll know this is a pretty big deal. It's the highest form of kudos from the international design community - a little like getting an Oscar, except you don't get to wear a fancy suit to a red carpet event, you only get to be happy that other designers appreciated your struggle with the blasted kerning on the inclined font (we appreciate it too, dudes!).
But we digress, back to the matter at hand. Let's break it down:
The unicorn, the red star and the fancy-looking crest all have their origins in the German version of the original Bester family crest. That's right - there were a few Germans out there with the whimsy to put a fantastical beast on their crest, and it only makes sense that we come from that long line of merrymakers. (Side note: the unicorn also happens to be the national animal of Scotland, and Sandra's family, the Wilsons, hail from that wild outpost, so there's a nice origin-story overlap there).
"For me, the unicorn represents something unique and almost unreal, while the red star symbolises quality," says Zakkie.
"We especially enjoyed the fact that Zakkie allowed us to let the unicorn 'wheelie' on the cartouche," says Jan Solms from Fanakalo.
As for the ears of wheat, those symbolise the Swartland. Zakkie is a born and bred Swartlander with a deep and enduring love of this region, so it was important that this element also took center stage.
The musical instruments (guitar and trumpet), on the other hand, point towards the Bester clan's insatiable love of music. The Bester family have always been a musical bunch, and Zakkie's children and grandchild continues this tradition. He's always adored jazz and blues, and when he recently visited New Orleans, he'd found a city that mirrored his belief in a sincere enjoyment of life. The instruments are a nod to this important aspect of his personality.
There you have it - a rundown of all the various elements that make up the Bester Family Wines logo. And that's just the packaging - you should taste what's going on inside! Buy it in-store at Enjoy Liquors in Riebeek Kasteel or at our various outlets throughout the Western Cape; or order it online from Wine.co.za - you won't even have to put on any pants!