Labels tell the story

2008 Invivo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The newspaper photo of captain, crew and passengers standing on the wings of the airliner that was brought down safely on New York's Hudson River last month will be one of the most enduring images of the 21st century. If ever a picture was worth a thousand words, that was it.

And so it is with wine labels - the image is the story. With a plethora of wines on shelves these days, a label of distinction has never been more important. While not true that a dull label is indicative of the wine in the bottle, producers need all the help they can get to capture the fleeting attention of customers, whose purchase is likely to be as dependent on emotion as it is on price.

Niche wine producers and old schoolmates Rob Cameron and Tim Lightbourne understand this. They represent that generation of 30-somethings for whom image, inspiration and story are fundamental marketing tools in the never-ending search for a point of difference.

The sophisticated, compelling Invivo label in striking black and white was designed by Neville Findlay, director of fashion label Zambesi. Why not? Fashion and wine have always been comfortable bedfellows - apart from being synonymous with lifestyle aspirations, they share common aspects of creativity, taste, flair, colour, passion, nuance and innovation.

The label design was, in part, inspired by the face of a ship's compass indicating the points of direction as the wines will be created from carefully selected grapes from all over the country. Classy label, captivating wine.

Recommended

2008 Invivo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
Lively, vibrant, balanced and refreshing. Intense floral and tropical aromas and a nice touch of capsicum along with melon/lime flavours.
Price: $25

2007 Frizzell Merlot Malbec
Collaboration between celebrated local artist Dick Frizzell and winemaker Rod McDonald. Funky label, funky wine. Savoury, soft, generous and smooth. Price: $22