154 year old winery, Campbells Wines of Rutherglen, is launching its new Light Dry Red wine, a lower alcohol alternative to a Pinot Noir, alongside its 2024 Trebbiano.
The Light Dry Red doesn’t need to be aged in oak. The fruit for the batch was picked at the start of harvest, in late February, to ensure the tannins and phenolics in the berries had not fully ripened. The team kept the extraction light and pressed the grapes early, only taking the free run so the wine didn’t get the hard phenolics.
Campbells Wines winemaker, Ian Diver, said the Light Dry Red is an easy drinking option, and the the first time this style of red wine has been produced by the family-owned winery.
“The Rutherglen wine region, including Campbells Wines, is renowned for its heavier reds and fortified wines. But at Campbells we are also blessed with the freedom to be innovative due to having an abundance of red varieties in the ground in our vineyards,” said Diver.
“Late last year, when we tasted our Tinta Amarella and Mondeuse varieties, which are from Portugal and France respectively, their fresh and bright red flavours gave us the idea to create a Light Dry Red wine.
“So, we put the idea to our managing director, Jane Campbell [fifth generation], to create a small batch, which she supported enthusiastically,” he said.
Campbells is also releasing its 2024 Trebbiano, an Italian-style white wine, like Pinot Grigio. It’s the most widely planted grape in Italy, and Rutherglen’s continental climate creates the perfect growing conditions for this variety.
This vibrant wine has youthful pale straw and green hues. On the palate it is brimming with a fruit salad blend of Jonathan apples, ripe pear, citrus fruit and delicate blossom.
Once released, Trebbiano, along with Campbells Rosé, Amelie and Shiraz Durif, will have a new label. Campbells Wines managing director, Jane Campbell said the main motivation behind the refresh was to make the labels pop.
“The overall look and feel of the new labels is clean, simple, bold and modern. The range works collectively as a family, yet each label will have its own personality and unique typography,” she said.
“With the contemporary feel of the new labels, it was important for Campbells to incorporate the history of the brand into the design. Each label has a bright drop of liquid gold, which is an important and subtle link to wine and Campbells history.”
