FLCC students select wine label winner for 2023 vintages

Laura Lopez's design, "Fresca Leyenda," was selected as the 2023 wine label.

Finger Lakes Community College students in the viticulture and wine technology program selected a wine label designed by Laura Lopez, a graphic design student from Colombia, for their 2023 varieties.

Lopez offered an abstract brand design she called Fresca Leyenda, Spanish for Fresh Legend, that is filled with symbolism.

“When I found out that my design had been selected, I experienced a mix of surprise and overwhelming happiness, validation that all the hard work, effort invested, and time spent had been rewarded,” she said.

A College tradition

The annual wine label competition is a key reason Lopez selected FLCC. Every fall, graphic design students get real-world experience by meeting with viticulture and wine technology students to understand their perspectives on the process of making wine and their ideas about what the label should include. The graphic design students use that input to develop a label concept and present it at an event at the FLCC Viticulture and Wine Center in Geneva. Viticulture students discuss the entries and vote on the preferred label.

“I think FLCC stands out for providing opportunities like this for students to showcase their work and talent,” Lopez said. “I was impressed by the importance of wine in the region and the rich tradition of the vineyards, aspects that also captivated my family. The existence of a competition linked to these elements was a significant differential factor when choosing where to study.”

Laura’s Design

Viticulture students were impressed with Lopez’s thoughtful choice of images and colors combined in a design that evokes both tradition and modernity.

For example, the use of gold and silver in her design represents the sun shining on the surface of the Finger Lakes. The magnifying glass represents the college value of inquiry and study. Leaf motifs represent the College value of vitality as well as nature. They appreciated the use of Spanish to represent the increasing diversity of the student body and the personal touch of the artist bringing elements of her own culture to the design.

Lopez will now work with viticulture students and graphic design faculty to fine tune her design and ensure it meets legal requirements for alcoholic beverage labels. She is a second-semester student and a fullback for the Lakers women’s soccer team.

Viticulture students chose two runners up and an honorable mention in the competitions. Runners up were Kenzie Smith of Bloomfield with a label called Bucolic, and Zach Abraham of Clifton Springs, with a design called Endless. Honorable mention went to Amanda Sierant of Newfane with her Mores design. (See images below)

Where to Find FLCC Wine

Viticulture students will bottle the Fresca Leyenda brand wines in spring 2024. The College operates a commercial winery. FLCC-made wines are for sale at Ryan’s Wine and Spirits in Canandaigua and Pedulla’s Wine and Liquor in Geneva.

For an online tour of the FLCC Viticulture and Wine Center and an online form for ordering wine directly from the College, visit the wine center web page.

Information about the viticulture and wine technology and the graphic design programs can be found on the College website.

Mores by Amanda Sierant

Bucolic by Kenzie Smith

Endless by Zach Abraham