(L to R) Craig Brown and Colin Mathura-Jeffree enjoyed the new Left Field wines at the recent launch in Auckland.
It’s been a journey full of discovery, exploration and creativity for Left Field, as the wine creations are released to the world. A part of the wider Te Awa Collection including Te Awa Single Estate and Kidnapper Cliffs, Left Field wines roam wild, allowing whimsical imagination and creativity to reign. They explore areas outside the stunning Te Awa Single Estate in Hawkes Bay, discovering sites, grapes and creatures beyond the boundaries known.
New Zealand has always retained a freestyle approach to exploration, creativity and imagination and these are the qualities the creative team Ali Campbell and designer Aaron Pollock along with the winemaking team Richard Painter and Ant MacKenzie wanted to embody in Left Field wines. The uniquely beautiful labels were intricately designed off vintage etchings by renowned Kiwi designer Aaron Pollock and capture the quirky nature of the brand with stories of creatures, events and inventions. Each illustration serves as evidence of Left Field’s link to Te Awa, the windmill, an obscure symbol of just where they were first discovered … or even imagined.
“The design process was one of the most exciting projects I’ve worked on. We kept challenging ourselves to create the most unexpected, absurd combination of characters; from a Squid Crab to a Flamingo Recluse. These images would then fuel folklore justifying their existence. The more characters we invented the more our imagination and ideas grew. I created each illustration by splicing and cutting together multiple vintage etchings, and then had them re-illustrated into a unifying style. I see them as archaeological mash-ups.” Aaron Pollock, Designer
The wine has a distinct voice and personality, with moments of quirky humour and unexpected surprises. In a saturated market Left Field wine stands out through creative storytelling, avoiding the more traditional forms of vernacular used within the industry. Produced with meticulous care and passion from an incredibly skilled winemaking team, these wines are sophisticated and show ‘great finesse’. “What is really exciting for Left Field wines is that the new brand design has corresponded with two fantastic vintages in the bottle, 2013 and 2014. These wines show great finesse and generosity, and are eminently drinkable.” Richard Painter, Winemaker
The Left Field range of wines was released “to all good, imaginative retailers across New Zealand and the United Kingdom” in March.
You can view an enchanting Left Field mini film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84dRwEJ4zoU&feature=youtu.be
The Left Field Range
Left Field East Coast Pinot Gris RRP $17.99
Left Field Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP 17.99
Left Field Hawkes Bay Chardonnay RRP $17.99
Left Field Hawkes Bay Rosé RRP $17.99
Left Field Marlborough Pinot Noir RRP $17.99
Left Field Hawkes Bay Merlot RRP $23.99
Limited Availability
Left Field Hawkes Bay Syrah RRP $23.99
Left Field Hawkes Bay Albariño RRP $23.99
