WINES THAT TASTE AS GOOD AS THEY LOOK.
"Particularly because there's a new generation coming up who may not be looking for instance wines to cellar, or who may go in to a big retail store and there's nobody there to help them and they're going be drawn to a label that stands out in a great row of labels...there are so many things to drink that wine doesn't perhaps hold its ascendancy the way it used to, and I think it important that younger people realise what a pleasant part of life it is" - Becky Wasserman
First thing’s first, good wine and attractive labels aren’t mutually exclusive.
Ever since we’ve begun to take a strong interest in our own Australian wines rather than only the ‘serious’ wines of the Old World (France, Italy, Greece etc), young, innovative producers are putting forward colourful, aesthetically-designed labels that have begun adorn the shelves of wine stores around the country: think South by Southwest Wines, Ochota Barrels, Brave New Wines and Unico Zelo, to name a few.
In our parents’ day it may have been the case that you bought your wine according to what looked familiar; by grape variety or producer, picking up Penfolds Grange, Vasse Felix or even Houghton’s Classic White for big family affairs. Whilst it goes without saying that all of these producers have their place in the history of Aussie wine, for many millennial drinkers, we’re not looking to drink what our parents drank, but to taste with our eyes as well as our palates. From a young age we've been bombarded with advertising and fashion: we’re so attuned to the concept of ‘good design’ that it can lead us to pick a bottle off the shelf without paying attention to the information on the bottle so much as becoming enamoured by the colour scheme, typeface or the charming messiness of the hand-written label.
Whilst there’s always someone who wants to tell you that you shouldn’t choose a wine bottle by its label (thanks Uncle Bill), or some such nonsense, perhaps it's not such a terrible way to pick a bottle.
So, here are a handful of wines which taste as good as they look.
CINS, Brash Higgins, McLaren Vale SA ≤ $35
You might have spotted design company Swear Words’ distinctive watercolour labels for Brash Higgins: brooding earthy and sunset tones of orange, blue and purple are offset by bold white abbreviations of the grape varieties contained within, stamped with distinctive orange foiling in the left corner. But some of Higgins’ more recent labels have taken a distinctively different direction. Florals and pastels have made appearances, and the CINS label, featuring graphic pink, coral and apricot tendrils sweeping downward in overlapping motion against a pea-blue background, is a visual representation of the aromas that swing up and out of the mouth of your glass.
Translucent purple with a pale ruby rim, violets, strawberries and tart red cherries are the prelude to white pepper, blood orange zest and nutmeg that swirl amongst fine tannins and medium acidity. Usually a blending grape, Cinsault often takes a back seat to bolder French grapes like Syrah and Mourvedre. But in an inversion of traditional blending methods, with a splash of Grenache, it’s fruity with savoury restraint. CINS is as pretty as it looks, and with a palate to match.
2018 Pètillant Natural, Between Five Bells, Lethbridge VIC ≤ $35
Considering Pet-Nat is the poster-boy for natural wine at the moment is advancing in popularity (skin contact ‘orange’, move aside), it would be a right shame not to include a bottle here, with one of the most visually spectacular and stimulating labels I’ve ever seen.
Nicholas Feltron, one of the world’s leading infographic designers, composed the label - which is actually a visual representation of the wine’s nerdy grape data - to invite peoples’ curiosity about what’s in the bottle, and reflect the honesty and intrigue they believe is fundamental to passion.
Each label is drastically different, sometimes conveying vintage year, and other times representing grape volume by varietal, time on skins, pH and a variety of other factors. Once you get past the imagery to examine the data, you realise it’s an incredible way of displaying information that is both visually appealing and highly informative.
Detailed in fuchsia against a peony pink background, stacked layers colour coded to their grape variety in purple, apricot and white take the centre of the label. The resulting image is shaped like an approximate violet, a familiar shape inorganically designed, wreathed with information.
Creamy yellow in appearance with a subtle haze, this Pet-Nat is tart and fresh, with notes of red apple and guava on the palate and a pleasant bubble that foams in a frenzy on the pour. It’s delightfully fresh and fun, and without Champagne’s price tag, a delicious choice for a little celebration or a picnic in the park.
2018 Riesling, Ravensworth Wines, Canberra ACT ≤ $40
This is a label that has always fascinated me greatly. Designed by Steven Nobel, the full image depicts a man with a cleaver over a table draped in cloth, below strung chickens and venison, alongside baskets of onions, fowl, cast iron pots and a cat pawing at fish.
Based off chaotic and decadent 17th-century paintings of kitchen scenes, which, according to winemaker Bryan Martin, are not dissimilar to the contents of his own kitchen, each label is a tableau from the full image, cross-hatched to create depth and detail, with different elements gilt in gold along the label: golden cleavers, burnished pots and glinting onions reflect off from the creamy background, adding a lustrous sophistication.
Pale yellow and gleamingly clear, Ravensworth’s Riesling is as bright as the gilding that adorns its label. Young and vibrant with zingy, tart green apple, and citrus zest crowned by lemon blossoms, it dances across your taste buds for a smooth and lingering finish. With a light minerality and palate cleansing acid, this wine is perfect to drink young, or cellar for another occasion.
2017 Cabernet Sauvignon 03, MOJO Winemakers, McLaren Vale SA ≤ $20
Designed as the third label of a series following Pinot Grigio and Shiraz, this MOJO Cab Sav label is minimalist in the extreme, but all the more effective. Stripped to the grape, vintage, producer and location, it’s a prime example of design in series. Simple, with bold typeface and ample negative space – the preceding two labels are identical in style - the layout remains static whilst the colour scheme morphs, in playful contrasting colours, reflecting their philosophy of intriguing, accessible wines.
Bouncing out of the glass with vivacity, 03’s nose is all dark fruits and red roses. Fruit forward with fragrant raspberries, blackberry and ample tannins, it’s a young wine with a delicious simplicity of character backed by mild spice and acid. It’s easily a crowd pleaser with smooth, easy drinking.
Amongst these bottles, there are many more textured, gilt, hand-drawn and colourful labels to be found. When it comes to choosing your next bottle of wine, be it a quick pick-up on the way to a party, or a thoughtful gift for a loved one, whilst it can’t be advised to solely make your decision based on good looks (we all know Johnny Depp’s history), when looking for fresh, innovative, Australian producers, the label isn’t always far off from what's inside the bottle.
words by Antonina Heymanson