World Dining Series

Wine World decided to take a dead weekday like Tuesday during the winter, to offer a new concept, dining experience, to bring in customers. Thus the World Dining Series was created. We took a wine producing country and had the chef create a one-dish meal and paired it with a bottle of wine from that country. For $29.99, a couple could have an incredible meal - one country, one dish, one bottle of wine, 2 people. So each week a new country was introduced with a new dish and bottle of wine. When the diner came in, they were presented with this menu which they could keep. It included the chef's recipe for the meal. Other countries that were introduced included Spain, France, Australia, Argentina, United States (California). This event became a huge favorite of our winter visitors and always filled up.

For the design, I wanted to stay consistent with the brand I had carefully crafted - old school, nostalgic, authentic. With a travel theme in mind I invoked old Pan-Am colors and 50s style planes and route-lines. I always liked adding small details to menus and tasting guides that we put in people's hands. I always included a well researched wine quote from the country that was running that week. On this layout, the small print on the lower right side says, "One barrel of wine can work more miracles than a church full of saints. – Italian Proverb."

More by John Cross

View profile