Thank you SO, SO much to Angela Lisman for photographing our Label Art Dinner. You did a magnificent job capturing the fun and spontaneity of the evening, not to mention the gorgeous food and wine!

More photos on our Facebook page – go ahead and tag yourself if you were there!

Thank you to everyone who joined our Label Art Dinner last night, we hope you enjoyed the evening, and your six bottles of the newly named ‘Sensuale’ Sangiovese Merlot will be on their way to you soon. For those of you who weren’t there – this is just some of what you missed below!

Welcome, Creative Department!

That’s you! Tonight you’re joining the De Lisio Wines team as our Creative Department, to critique, criticise, challenge and create a new character in our story. Of course, you’re also welcome to sit back and enjoy the show, the art, the food and the wine!

At De Lisio Wines we think one of the most exciting parts of a wine’s journey is its label design. We knew the wine, back when it was just a twinkle in the vineyard manager’s eye. Now, after all the hard work to subtly guide it to be ready to enjoy, it’s time to crystallise the wine’s personality into a character.

Tonight you don’t need to worry about the intricacies of sizes, spacing, colours or compliance. Think rustic and raw, think a butcher’s paper sketch pad—draw out your most striking and organic ideas.

Our label artist John Draper has bravely agreed to create another character with you tonight, after bringing to life Briar Tuck at 12 Paces at our 2015 Label Art Dinner. We hope you have as much fun working with John as we do.

The stories of our wines and labels develop from some of the most unlikely places. The ‘Quarterback’ concept was dreamt up in an airport, the ‘Honeypot’ was originally a seductive addition to the ‘Covert’ range, and is now a sweet favourite catching the eye of the boys and the girls. While the ‘Covert’ itself started as a spirited discussion between father and son.

The wine we’re labelling tonight is a Sangiovese Merlot blend, and our winemaker Tony De Lisio has a special passion for blending:

“Blending allows me to create a style reflecting what De Lisio Wines is all about, delivering a wine with texture and structure, richness, weight and length and most of all, the genuine complexity that can be best achieved by blending the best. I always say you can buy the colour green but it is far more artistic to blend yellow and blue to create your own shade of green.”

So have a taste of our new release, discuss it with the people around you and think about the story it’s telling you.

Cheers, from De Lisio Wines

Label Art Dinner Wine List

CMC Sparkling NV Chardonnay Pinot Noir
Softly textured with good fruit weight, finishing medium dry with crisp acidity

‘Honeypot’ Sparkling Moscato
Tasting of passionfruit, meringue and melon, not just another Moscato

‘Argento’ 2014 Pinot Grigio
Bouquet of honeysuckle, honeydew melon and ripe pear with light lemon citrus

‘Argento’ 2013 Cabernet Merlot
A perfect partnership offering flavours laced with black cherries and mulberries

‘Cleanskin’ 2015 Sangiovese Merlot
A seamless blend of light floral and aromatic Sangiovese with a hint of the sensual dark side of the Merlot

‘Quarterback’ 2010 Red Blend
Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot and Grenache working together as an unbeatable team

‘Quarterback’ 2013 Red Blend
The signature ‘Quarterback’ flavours in a fruit-driven new release vintage

‘The Covert’ 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
Rich in black cherry and mocha with a fragrance of earthy briary tones and a hint of cedar

‘The Covert’ 2010 Shiraz
Bulging with mocha and chocolate, melded with rich fruits, dark berries and earthy spices

‘Catalyst’ 2013 Shiraz Grenache
The intention of this wine is to engage debate and opinion; ignite your drinking pleasure

‘Krystina’ 2012 Shiraz
A velvet mouth-feel allows you to experience spice box, pepper and blueberry flavours

It was so lovely to meet journalist Katie Spain last week, and what a wonderful review of our upcoming Label Art Dinner – it sounds like Katie’s looking forward to it as much as we are!

Published on Broadsheet, 31 May 2016
By Katie Spain

The McLaren Vale Sea and Vines Festival’s Label Art Dinner is Mr Squiggle meets Art Attack with a dash of Mad Men and a lot of wine.

On June 10, a group of diners will front up to the Stump Hill Gallery for a three-course meal, as they eat, they’ll decide on a name and design a label for a De Lisio wine.

Fleurieu illustrator John Draper will sketch the ideas as they’re shouted across the room. He says it’s a whole lot of boozy fun. “People start out relatively quiet but by the time the main course arrives they’re pretty well up and running.”

Winemaker Tony De Lisio will guide the brainstorming process and talk increasingly enthusiastic “artists” through four premium wine-tastings. As the evening progresses, so too will the label concept.

“We try to plan what will happen, but when you’ve got a big group of people in front of you and they’re shouting ideas, you can’t predict what type of design will emerge,” he says. “No one really talks about the development of this part of the product. It can be a lot of fun coming up with ideas, [and having] arguments with the designer [about] whether it’ll work when it gets to the printing plates.”

The final design will be used on a new-release cleanskin. Last year’s inaugural event resulted in the label Briar Tuck and The Duellist.

“Tony is the client, I’m the art department,” says Draper. “The creative department is this hotbed of guests. It’s a bit like mustering cats, especially when they all start singing.”

The Label Art Dinner will be held at 7pm on June 10 at Stump Hill Gallery, McLaren Vale. Tickets are $150 and include a six-pack of wine.

Sunday 12 June, McLaren Vale Visitor Information Centre, Main Road
Tickets $30 (+bf) book now at: seaandvines.com.au
Buses welcome | Wheelchair Access

Our whole family has so much fun at Sea & Vines every year, and we can’t wait to share the festival fun with you again in 2016.

MENU

Breakfast – Two stack buttermilk pancakes served with fresh Alexandrina Cream, jam and maple syrup $6.50

Main – Spiced salt and pepper squid with steak fries and fresh chive aioli $11
Wagyu beef and Goodieson Stout pie with a creamy skordalia mash $11

Session 3 Special – Available from 4pm $10 Pizza and Wine Special, your choice of Chilli Prawn or Vegetarian Pizza, paired with you choice of ‘Argento’ Pinot Grigio or ‘Argento’ Cabernet Merlot.

Dessert – Chaja, a ball of caramel, sponge, vanilla cream, peaches and meringue $7.50

WINE

Our full cellar door range plus new releases of our premium 2013 ‘Catalyst’ Shiraz Grenache, and the new 2013 ‘Quarterback’ Red Blend. Lucky 13 again…

ENTERTAINMENT

If you’re looking for that true Big Band sound as part of your Festival experience look no further than CHESTERFIELD BRASS playing at De Lisio Wines from 9 am – 5 pm.

A highly experienced team of eight of South Australia’s best musical talents will entertain you all day with rock, jazz and acoustic hits, plus all of your favourites, so you can’t help but get up and dance!

Monday 13 June, McLaren Vale Visitor Information Centre, Main Road
FREE ENTRY 10 am – 3 pm

The family fun day of the McLaren Vale Sea & Vines is the perfect day for laid back picnics, local produce, acoustic music and premium wines…all of which you’ll find with De Lisio Wines at The Vale Market!

All of your favourite De Lisio wines from our cellar door range, plus new premium releases available for purchase by the glass or bottle. Tasty, organic cafe menu from Garden 2 Kitchen, and a range of Adelaide’s best food vans.

FREE bouncy castle! Plus over 50 market stalls including local produce, arts, crafts, skincare, accessories, souvenirs, and home wares.

Playing all day is local dynamic duo Turn Back, specialising in Aussie Rock, you’ll hear a mix of acoustic tunes and all of your favourite pop and rock hits.

And, on this LUCKY 13th day of June, we’ll also be running a business card draw throughout the day, giving away a bottle of De Lisio wine every hour to a lucky winner!

We can’t wait to see you there, it’s been too long between holiday Mondays!