Vlachian Mountains
You'd expect this high level of artisanal cheese in Italy or France.
Cheese making is part of the heart and soul of Greek food. This is not only true of feta cheese but other kinds too, such as the soft and delicate Graviera, the intense Kefalotiri, and spicy Nostrou. They made a lasting impression on us from the moment we met the cheese artisans, Dimitris Pappas and his wife. They and their company are based in the Pindos Mountains, one of Greece’s most naturally diverse nature parks. Dimitris’ family is not located there by chance, since for three generations they have followed in the footsteps of the legendary nomadic Vlachs, who for a thousand years have been using the excellent natural resources to produce the finest sheep and goat milk and cheese.
The brand name we suggested, Vlachian Mountains, echoes that long tradition. To build the brand image further we employed a coat-of-arms logo with a shepherd’s crook crossed with a sword at its heart; a pointer to the region’s cross pen and sword coat-of-arms - the crook to symbolize their ties with sheep and goat herding and the sword as a reference to gallantry and to the very psyche of a region, famous for its role in the Greek War for Independence. This was then incorporated onto the front-of-pack of each cheese product to create an easily readable visual system where a central placeholder for the label name is further reinforced by colour and secondary graphic elements to distinguish each of the 9 cheeses.
The new branding system has been launched and is making its way across Europe and the USA as a worthy support to these fine artisanal cheeses and the growing reputation of Greek cheese making.