Minerva Vine-Art

The first of its kind

The clinking of glasses, celebrating one of life's special moments and sipping pure luxury at a chateau, or a desert island wedding...

There’s a story about wine which is often forgotten about, away from the glitz and glamour.

Quality English sparkling wine and champagne conjure images of success and sumptuousness, indeed the final destination of the grapes is one of tributes and commemorations. However there is an overlooked beginning, a journey that wine has gone through to reach that tantalising moment in time - of celebration. Two to three years before bottles are even filled, the path begins out in the vineyard, with family and community.

This human element of wine is unapplauded in the toasts to follow, the immense effort in banding together through thick and thin, through bitter winters and all manner of storms. Although when spring arrives with a sigh of relief, the days gradually lighten.

It’s this complexity of human spirit I love the most, the passion, determination and camaraderie, the meeting of new friends and the beauty of coming together with old, to work and achieve something beautiful and greater than yourself.

Yes it’s grit, trust and love that gets us over the line at the end of the season. It’s these characters out nurturing the vines, the vineyard, the land. That’s where the story starts for Minerva.

Vine-Art

There’s no season exactly the same in the vineyard, one year we’re battling dreaded early frosts, the next we’re wrestling with wasps. Each trip around the sun comes with it’s challenges, surprises and sublime victories, but it’s this whole eco-sphere adapting to weather that conspires to make each vintage one-of-a-kind.

The Vine-Art concept is an expression of embracing life and the harvest’s constant change, which we have adopted in our signature Minerva labels. Just as the seasons are constantly changing so will our Minerva label, with each year’s unique wine pairing with an artist’s impression of the vintage.

Every year, we will invite a new artist to join us on this journey, bringing vineyard living new life with vine-art. In capturing a blended snapshot in time, culture and land, each new label will be a distinctive, idiosyncratic piece of history.

Mockup of the new label by Victoria Topping soon to go onto bottles

Coming Soon

Next week, find out more about the philosophy of Minerva, the purpose behind the creation of a new community of vine-lovers and a sneak peek of our vision for the future.

We are very busy getting ready for our launch of our first vintage at the end of November! Keep an eye out soon for more enticing details about what it will mean to become a 'Founding Member'...