Charles Krug

The new website is as much of a mix of old and new as the brand itself, paying homage to the institution's rich heritage in the visual language. Website design took inspiration from grand, established museums like The Met and Smithsonian, drawing a parallel between preservation and modernization. With age comes character, consistency, and reliability, and imagery works to balance that legacy with contemporary sensibilities. The site’s visual narrative speaks to Charles Krug’s history while showcasing the vibrancy of the winery’s award-winning tasting and event experience.

A unique feature is the site’s wayfinding itself. Persistent and locked to the bottom, the navigation approach playfully speaks to Charles Krug’s identity as one of the original and enduring California startups, continuing thoughtful experimentation even in the digital arena. With all real estate reserved for big, beautiful imagery up top, the navigation below runs no risk of interruption, reinforcing, instead, the importance of the content above.

Charles Krug’s years of experience has led to the production of exceptional wine. So the products receive their own gallery-like treatment with interactions on hover, where bottles animate to “lift” and reveal their label, mimicking the behavior of pulling bottles out of a cellar. Within release detail pages, products are presented boldly on their own like showpieces, paired with lifestyle imagery below that puts the moment of enjoyment in context. Wine content also includes an innovation from Charles Krug’s history, adding a sense of timelessness to a rich history.

The site’s responsive scaling is an effortless continuation of the full-site experience—that bottom-locked navigation now just an easy thumb lift away, like today’s mobile users have come to expect. But no matter the screen size, the experience culminates in the telling of winery stewardship that spans Mondavi family generations, with a vision and consistency in craft and product continually, confidently presented.