They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to wine, sometimes you just can’t help it. See our selection of wines you’d be proud to turn up at the party with:
La Vie Spritzers, $15 for four
The days of daggy Miami Wine Cooler are long gone; wine spritzers these days are a lot classier. These pretty bottles from La Vie are made from sauvignon blanc mixed with sparkling water, and come in three chic flavours. The strawberry and kaffir lime bottles pictured above, decked out with sweet floral illustrations, are our pick of the three; the other two sport a yellow houndstooth pattern (cucumber and juniper) and blue stripes with a red band (grapefruit and kaffir lime).
Crafters Union, from $16.99
This wine label, which produces sauvignon blanc (Marlborough), rose (Hawke's Bay), pinot gris (Hawke's Bay), shiraz (McLaren Vale) and pinot noir (Central Otago) and custom red (Hawke's Bay), has a stylish label anyway - in a shield motif - but the best thing about it is that the bottles come pre-wrapped, just like a present. The wrapping paper is lovely too - each varietal is different, from animal scenes (pinot noir) to leaf and dragonfly illustrations (pinot gris). There are also food matches included on the packaging - nice touch.
The Supernatural Sauvignon Blanc, $30
We love the intricate, slightly dark, labelling from this organic wine producer out of Hawke's Bay, which comes sealed with a cap like a beer bottle. Self-described as "old style wine from the new world", the wine has notes of passionfruit, guava, spice and honeysuckle lime. Among the illustrations on the label - a goblet, an ace of spades, an owl, a skull and a unicorn. Spooky.
Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Brut, $245
Established in 1811, this French champagne house from Epernay is not only a beautiful drop, its labelling, featuring Japanese anemone, is a work of art. The anemone wreathed in gold artwork was designed by art nouveau movement pioneer, artist and master glass-maker Emile Galle in 1902, and has featured on Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque bottles since 1964,
Chateau Leoube Cotes de Provence Rosé, $28.99
Dusty "Millennial" pink has been the shade of the year for the fashion set, and a beautiful bottle of rosé ticks all the aesthetically pleasing boxes. Pretty to look at, delicious to drink, it's hard to go wrong with the quality of rosé currently being produced. We like the simple labelling of Chateau Leoube's Cotes de Provence Rosé 2015 - less is more when it comes to rosé packaging, so the tones can really sing.
