The Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, so why not select a wine with a playful label for the celebration?
Toast our lady the moon with Ruffino's excellent 'Super Tuscan' wine Modus (Oliver's; $649). A high quality blend of sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon, its label features an astrological symbol and the moon in all its phases, ideal for an evening spent gazing into the heavens.
Wine and the moon have had a long, romantic relationship in China, most famously articulated by the great poet Li Po (AD 701-762). In his beautiful poem Drinking Alone with the Moon, the companionless Li Po plaintively invites the moon to drink wine with him and his shadow to form a party of three.
But the Mid-Autumn Festival isn't solely about the moon; it is also an autumn harvest celebration. With food supplies abundant, villagers traditionally feasted during the eighth moon and made offerings of round fruits such as pomegranates, apples and pomelos. This year, honour the autumn harvest with Alkoomi's sauvignon blanc (City'super; $199), which sports a yellow apple on its label.
With its autumn gold, red and orange label, Carpineto's Dolce Spumante (Oliver's; $165) is sublime with slivers of mooncake. Produced from the aromatic muscat grape, this sweet, lightly sparkling wine is laden with grape, floral and citrus flavours, but sports alcohol levels modest enough to appease your teetotal auntie.
Fans of savory ham mooncakes might prefer Cakebread Cellars' chardonnay (Watson's; $528). Smooth and rounded, with spiced apple and citrus notes reminiscent of mum's apple pies, this is a top-class wine.