Renowned for being innovative, this October Campbells Wines of Rutherglen continues this trend with the launch of its new Light Dry Red wine.
Ian Diver, Winemaker at Campbells Wines, says the Light Dry Red is an alternative to a Pinot Noir.
"It’s a go-to everyday wine that offers easy drinking, plus it has a lower alcohol content when compared to other Campbells reds,” says Ian.
This is the first time this style of red wine has been produced by the family-owned winery, which will celebrate its 155th anniversary in 2025.
"The Rutherglen wine region, including Campbells Wines, is renowned for its heavier reds and fortified wines. 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,” reveals Ian.
"Back in the 1960s, fourth generation brothers Colin and Malcom Campbell, planted 39 red varieties initially to see which would prosper for port production. We are still growing them today. At Campbells, you will often see myself and our vineyard manager, Bernard Morey, out in the vineyard tasting the berries to see how they’re developing.
"Late last year, when we tasted the 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.”
The Light Dry Red is a drink now wine, it doesn’t need to be aged in oak. The fruit was picked at the start of harvest [late February 2024] to ensure the tannins and phenolics in the berries had not fully ripened.
"We kept the extraction light and pressed the grapes early, only taking the free run so we didn’t get the hard phenolics, which provide the structure and backbone in our heavier red wines, giving them longevity in cellaring,” says Ian.
Campbells Light Dry Red can be enjoyed on its own or matched with many food styles. As it’s a lighter style, it’s best paired with a lighter style of food such as a beetroot and goats cheese salad, a charcuterie platter or confit duck leg with roasted fig.
"It’s exciting to see our idea become a reality; we hope our cellar club members and visitors to our cellar door enjoy this exciting new Campbells offering,” Ian concludes.
This October, Campbells will also release 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.
Trebbiano is easily enjoyed on its own and served chilled as an aperitif. With food in mind and in keeping with the Trebbiano’s origins, Italian cuisine is highly recommended with seared scallops or blue eye cod on a bed of green pea risotto with saffron. When it’s released, Trebbiano along with Campbells Rosé, Amelie and Shiraz Durif, will have a new label.
According to Campbells Wines managing director, Jane, the main motivation behind the refresh is 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 says. "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."
