Hugh Hamilton Wines Dark Arts – the Exciting New Range Puts the Adventure Back into South Australian Wine

Noted for their boldness, with the new Hugh Hamilton Wines Dark Arts range the black sheep of local wine offers wine lovers an exciting new tasting adventure.

Mary Hamilton – CEO of Hugh Hamilton Wines

Stepping carefully down the stairs into the very dimly-lit recesses of the Red October wine bar, in the back lanes of Adelaide the other evening, we could have been forgiven for anticipating a display of the macabre and arcane dark arts. However we were there for something much less threatening and much more fun – an exploration of  the extraordinary new Hugh Hamilton Wines Dark Arts series.

 Daring to put things that shouldn’t go together in one bottle and thus continuing to challenge the status quo, Hugh Hamilton Wines, the Black Sheep of the wine industry, has released its newest range of wines named the Dark Arts.

Using a truly unique approach, these wines contain possibly some world first blends, challenging wine-lovers perceptions and redirecting the classic tastes we’ve become accustomed to.

Four signature blends have been released this month in the Hugh Hamilton Wines Dark Arts series – Black Ops – a 66% Shiraz and 34% Saperavi blend, Stunt Double – a potentially polarising blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Sauvignon Blanc, Three Card Monte – a classic combination of Shiraz and Cabernet alongside 15% Montepulciano and the bold Agent Provocateur – a mystery blend of Grenache, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Shiraz, and Sauvignon Blanc, which will surprise each vintage with no rules as to which varieties will be blended.

Mary Hamilton, CEO of Hugh Hamilton Wines, said “The Dark Arts wine series is our playground for experimentation and developing our own avant-garde. As Black Sheep, we are known for our striking and contemporary ideas, this new range codifies our creative hot house.”

“The Dark Arts range will be constantly evolving and changing each vintage, and we can’t wait to develop our playpen of ideas to continue imagining more fearless combinations that work.”

In a further bold step, they have taken the decision to be completely transparent with their consumers in the labelling of the wines. The Australian Wine Industry Label Integrity Program only requires that as little as 85% of grape varieties in a bottle of wine must be identified on the label.

Winemaker Nic Bourke believes that transparency is key, saying, “If you understand the variety and origin of the wine, you enjoy the experience more.” With this in mind, each of the range is totally open about every single drop, with the exact percentage of each grape variety contained in the Hugh Hamilton Wines Dark Arts range of wine specified on the label.

Nic says, “The taster will know exactly what they’re drinking in every glass, and this authenticity is the foundation behind the Hugh Hamilton Wines brand.”

This exciting new range is available to buy right now at the cellar door and online, with another in the range due to be released later in the year.

Lambs’ Ears was a guest of Hugh Hamilton Wines at the launch.

All images supplied by BPPR Adelaide.