“You’ve aged like a fine wine” is just about the finest compliment you can bestow upon someone on their birthday. It’s a more refined and diplomatic way of saying, “You’re looking more fit and fab than I’d expect for someone your age!”
When bestowed upon a human, it’s a metaphor, but when we’re celebrating the birthday of one of South Australia’s most beloved wineries, it’s a fact, as is the case with Clare Valley’s iconic and multi-award winning Knappstein Wines’ 50th birthday celebration this year.
To mark 50 years of winemaking, Knappstein’s wine labels have had a makeover, revealing a new look that captures the winery’s heritage and elegance while embracing crisp lines and contemporary graphics. This freshened aesthetic will be featured on every wine in their popular Estate and Single-Vineyard ranges.
Established in 1974, the Knappstein winery has matured into one of Australia’s leading premium wine brands, with grapes grown in the best vineyards in Clare that are transformed into wine within the historic walls of the Enterprise building that remains a feature upon their labels.
Since its construction in the late 19th century, the Enterprise building has been rolling beverages out its doors and updating its purpose and identity to meet the needs of the era. This began with Fanny Filgate, who saw an opportunity in 1878 to quench the thirst of the local copper miners with the beer from her ‘Enterprise Brewery’.
Upon turning 25 in 1905, the brewery was renamed Clare Brewery, and it retained this identity until it closed in 1917 due to a shortening of hotel hours resulting from the emergence of the Temperance Movement. True to the more conservative consumption of the era, the building was then occupied by the Clare Mineral Waters Company, serving water and soft drinks.
The Enterprise building had to wait 57 years before the Knappstein family brought the love of libations back within the walls of this Clare landmark in 1974. Initially known as Clare Enterprise Winery, it later evolved into today’s Knapspstein Enterprise Winery, sourcing the grapes from their surrounding vineyards, including the Enterprise Vineyard (planted in 1969), the Mayor’s Vineyard (planted by the former Mayor of Adelaide) in 1969 and the Ackland Vineyard (planted in 1971).
Over the last 50 years, Knappstein has developed a reputation for its precision-driven processes and unrelenting adherence to excellence at all stages of production.
With more international and local awards than we can mention, Knappstein recently scooped a Top Gold Trophy in the 2024 James Halliday Chardonnay and Cabernet Challenge ‘Best in Region’ category. An accolade we’re sure Fanny would cheer with a raise of a heavenly beer and a wink to their enterprising new look.
Refusing to rest upon their laurels, the Knappstein team prefers to polish the quality of their offerings rather than their trophies, pouring their energy into continual improvement with the same enthusiasm as wine lovers worldwide pour Knappstein’s wines into their glasses.
Knappstein’s Senior Winemaker, Michael Kane, said, “With this brand refresh, we aim to honour our rich legacy while looking forward to the future of Knappstein. Our new labels are designed to capture the essence of our wines and the exceptional experiences they offer, all while reflecting a modern sensibility that resonates with today’s wine lovers.”
The presentation of a wine often informs our perception of its quality. It imparts the wine’s style, vintage, region, and tasting notes, as well as conveying the character and integrity of both the wine and the winery through the quality and design of its labels. The force of influence a label carries, especially a well-recognised one such as Knappstein’s, could unintentionally shift the perception of the wine within.
Appreciating this complexity, Knappstein partnered with Adelaide’s nationally recognised and award-winning graphic design agency, Black Squid Design, to breathe new life into their brand’s aesthetics, delivering upon a brief to reflect Knappstein’s well-earned reputation for crafting prodigious wines while evolving the brand’s aesthetics to coalesce with the refined considerations of contemporary wine connoisseurs.
The revitalised labels capture the undulating hills and terroir of Knappstein’s vineyards through their curved shape, which is mirrored by a rolling stripe that shifts in colour according to the wine.
The detailed lithographic illustration of the Enterprise building and surrounding landscape has now been pared back to a clean line, gold embossed illustration that floats above the bold Knappstein typographic logo that sits confidently upon centre stage.
Knappstein and Black Squid Design have truly encapsulated the “less is more” approach with aplomb.
Showing that all moments of interaction with their bottles have been considered, the modernisation has moved further up the bottle to the design upon the cap, the key identifier for bottles laid down within wine racks or retail shelving.
To date, Knappstein’s bottle caps have been stamped with “Enterprise Winery 1974”, which spoke to the winery’s history but didn’t mention Knappstein… until now. The new caps now proudly boast “Knappstein – Clare Valley” upon them, making for easy selections the next time you’re browsing your wine rack or retail shelf.
As for the content of these re-designed bottles, Knappstein’s wines remain as exquisitely crafted as ever.
Knappstein has demonstrated, year after award-winning year, that a wine only ages well if it was grown with fertile soil amid an energising climate, producing high-quality grapes that are then transformed into liquid splendour by expert winemakers.
Michael shared that his team is “…fortunate to own and have full control over our vineyards, which enables our winemaking team to pick the grapes when they’ve determined what the perfect moment is according to the vintage and surrounding conditions, such as the weather, without restriction.”
It appears they’ve also selected the perfect opportunity to celebrate their legacy while embracing modernity with the release of their new labels, which we anticipate will be a milestone in a long and delicious journey ahead.
To explore the new labels and learn more about Knappstein Winery’s history, visit its heritage-listed Enterprise building for a tasting, explore its museum for some friend-impressing education on what it takes to make a fine wine, or join one of their many events throughout the year.
All you need to know about Knappstein Winery
What: Knappstein Winery and Cellar Door
Where: 2 Pioneer Ave, Clare SA 5453
Phone: (08) 8841 2100
Website: www.knappstein.com.au
Email: [email protected]
Socials: Facebook | Instagram
Open: 7 days per week, 10am – 4pm
(Closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day)
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