2007 Label Contest Winners - WineMakerMag.com

Who says you can’t choose a wine based on the label? We certainly don’t! In fact each year we can’t wait to see the thousands of entries for the WineMaker label contest. Ranging from the simple, elegant and austere to the wild, wacky and whimsical, we had a great time choosing which would be this year’s best.

While the competition was certainly fierce (we loved them all!) we somehow narrowed it down to a Grand Prize winner with a love for all things Gorey (as in Edward), a goofy Gold-winning Gewürztraminer, a Silver from “St. Somewhere,” and a Bronze winner with a wild side. Congratulations to all!

GRAND PRIZE

David and Nina Richter
Seattle, Washington

David and Nina named their 2005 blend of Cabernet, Cab Franc and Merlot as a tongue-in-cheek way of reflecting a wine that is “anything but” — since “plonk” is British slang for cheap wine. They based the label’s design and font on the work of “The Gashlycrumb Tinies“ by Edward Gorey.

PRIZES: Gift certificate from Grape and Granary; Yeast coupons from White Labs, Inc.; Wine kit from Winexpert, Inc.; Wine kit from Lakeside Wines; Gift certificate from Quality Wine and Ale Supply; Gift Certificate from Original Home Brew Outlet

GOLD

Aimee Demaret
Vancouver, Washington

Aimee says this label for her 2006 Gewürztraminer was designed for her husband Rick who is, “a dead ringer” for the bald, smiling cartoon man.

PRIZES: Gift certificate from Bader Beer & Wine Supply, Inc.; Yakima Chardonnay wine kit from Cellar Craft International; Yeast coupons from White Labs, Inc.; Wine kit from Winexpert, Inc.; Gift certificate from Quality Wine and Ale Supply

SILVER

Brian Hoffmann
Madison, Wisconsin

Brian says he designed this label when his wife “finally” decided to make her own wine, which turned out to be tropical tasting. Named for a Jimmy Buffett song, St. Somewhere’s original artwork was inspired by the couple’s love of scuba diving since they are “always looking for a St. Somewhere of our very own.”

PRIZES: Wine bottle tree from BrewCitySupplies.com; Yeast coupons from White Labs, Inc.; Wine kit from Winexpert, Inc.; Wine kit from Lakeside Wines; Gift certificate from Quality Wine and Ale Supply

BRONZE

Romona Ellison
Houston, Texas

Romona says her favorite inspirations for labels come from nature — especially animals, fish and flowers. We fell for her trio of pastel zebras, which she adapted from preexisting images, that reflect the wild feeling of South Africa.

PRIZES: Gift certificate from Fine Vine Wines; Hat & T-shirt from White Labs, Inc.; Wine kit from Winexpert, Inc.; Corks and plastic spoons from The Flying Barrel; Gift certificate from Quality Wine and Ale Supply