The experience of fine dining is a sensory experience. It awakens all the senses not just taste or visual appeal. Nothing is better paired with the fine dining experience than a good bottle of wine that arouses the sense of smell.
South Africa’s Cape wine lands are the heart of good wine and food. The Cape wine lands are also one of the most diverse parts of South Africa when it comes to scenery. The area is surrounded by picturesque mountain peaks, waterfalls and valleys. These valleys are every connoisseurs dream and every wine estate and restaurant pairs their wine with choice foods to enhance your experience.
Nothing enhances the experience like the rich smells of the wine itself. The wines are filled with the aromas of fruits, flowers, nuts and pepper. And every wine has a unique nose from the soil in which it is grown. There is no better and unique atmosphere than a wine cellar filled with candles for the mood and the smell of oak barrels, cork and the soil of the vineyard outside.
The design process for the ceramic candle holder started by looking at existing candle holders.
The above precedent board shows examples of existing ceramic candle holders as well as some interesting candle holders made from other materials like aluminum and cement.
The mood board explored the wine tasting aspect of the fine dining experience as well as where the wine is made in the Cape wine lands.
Other processes involved in the making and tasting of the wine was also explored like the barrel, decanter and bottle opener. Finally the smells that you can smell in the nose of the wine were examined for example citrus, flowers, pepper and nuts.
Hazelnut inside
The final design inspiration came from a hazelnut’s inside.
The hazelnut linked back to the smell of wines, mostly those found in red wine. The nut inspiration was taken further by giving it an almond shape in the final design along with the smooth round body of a decanter. The texture of the nut would be replicated on the top part of the design.
Shapes and sizes were explored with the development models, along with specific rounded bottoms to give the Iwayini candle holder the specific decanter shape.
A pattern and mould was made of the final design.
From here the candle holder was slip cast into the final product. Some colour exploration was done but the final white glazed ceramic candle holder was chosen with a coloured brown candle.
Wooden pattern and plaster mould for slip casting
Final product
Packaging for the candle was also designed to go with the fine dining expierance.
The packaging also opens like a nut, revealing the candle holder on the inside. The corporate gift packaging was covered in a thin layer of cork to enhance the wine tasting expierance.
Packaging and corpaorate gift packaging
