Diora Wines
Food & Wine Styling and Photography for Feminine Wine Brand
Brand Overview
Diora is a family-owned winery based in California. It is the culmination of over thirty years of vineyard-to-bottle expertise. With a name derived from the French word for gold, Diora’s brand embodies a light, airy, and feminine aesthetic.
Project Objective
To develop a collection of timeless brand assets showcasing Diora’s products in a lifestyle kitchen or dining setting, inspiring usage occasions. The brand specifically requested images pairing their Chardonnay with butternut squash soup and their Pinot Noir with mushroom pasta.
Production Challenges
While creating an upscale kitchen/dining scene within my basic photo studio presented its own set of challenges, the primary hurdle was the extensive food preparation required for the styled pairings. Preparing and styling two distinct dishes—butternut squash soup and mushroom pasta—for a limited number of shots demanded significant time and effort, especially given the desire for a polished, gourmet presentation.
Creative Process
To overcome the challenge of creating an upscale setting, I utilized Replica Surfaces to create a simple, yet upscale scene. To streamline the food styling process, I employed creative shortcuts. Instead of preparing full meals from scratch, I enhanced store-bought butternut squash soup with a swirl of cream and garnished it with pumpkin seeds to create a gourmet appearance. Similarly, I garnished plain pasta with fresh ingredients to resemble the desired mushroom pasta dish. This approach allowed me to achieve the desired visual results efficiently while minimizing the time and effort required for food preparation.
“These look great! Your butternut squash soup is perfect.”
—Marisa, Creative Agency Brand Manager
Images In Use
