What could be better in winter than a nice glass of red wine enjoyed by a roaring fire – and it’s the perfect match to hearty winter fare too! BWS found a couple of good value-for-money drops.

Deakin Estate wines are produced near Red Cliffs in North West Victoria. Red Cliffs was established as an agricultural settlement in the 1880s by former Australian Prime Minister Alfred Deakin – and the wines are named in his honour.

Since 1967, when vines were first planted, Deakin Estate wines have become renowned for remarkable quality at affordable prices and are available in a range that includes a variety for every occasion.

The Deakin Estate range of wines now has a brand new look.

The wines remain the same – varietal-driven, fruit-forward styles that always over-deliver. The packaging solution has a distinct visual language, utilising premium metallics. The labels are premium and classic, in line with consumer trends and expectations. The strength of the previous packaging has also been leveraged by utilising varietal colour coding. The introduction of “Estate Grown, Family Owned” provides heritage and a sense of place for the brand.

A spokesperson told BWS: “Estate wineries produce the finest quality wines and at Deakin Estate we are proud to wear that label. We pride ourselves on producing superior quality wines using only the best fruit from the estate.”

The changes in Deakin Estate’s packaging have also meant a rejuvenated image is required for the Master Brand.

Brand support includes twin bottle packs, banners and header cards.

All Deakin Estate wines are now produced in bottles that are ‘Lean+Green®’. The process to make these bottles takes out considerable weight, and energy and water consumption from each bottle but maintain the proportions and premium image brand Deakin Estate requires. The new bottles are lighter in weight, by between 18% and 21%, with narrower bottle dimensions and smaller carton size. This means a reduction in weight of shipments and better cubic efficiency.

Deakin Estate’s long-standing reputation as an Estate Grown brand that consistently over delivers in the $8-$12 price point remains unchanged.

The new-look packaging will appeal to a broader range of consumers in both the on- and off-premise. The packaging is contemporary and easily identifiable to leverage opportunities with vibrant colours and strong varietal differentiation. The inclusion of metallics adds a premium cue that will cut through in this competitive price point.

A company spokesperson said the new look will attract younger consumers in the 25+ age group and increasingly female consumers to consider the Deakin Estate brand.

Deakin Estate Shiraz 2010 (RRP $14.99) is reminiscent of rich blueberries with subtle notes of menthol and black pepper highlighted by some spicy vanillin oak on the nose. This wine has good structure with medium tannins and a lingering finish.

Deakin Estate Merlot 2010 (RRP $14.99) is a lovely and complex wine. The nose displays rich ripe red fruits including cherries and plums with more subtle rhubarb and spicy oak aromas and a hint of characteristic leafiness.

The aromas carry through to the rich and juicy palate. It has smooth tannins and a rounded and lingering finish.

Both are available through Glengarry and selected supermarket and wine retail stores nationwide.