Monday, January 23, 2012

{Wine Label} Michael Austin Winery, Napa Valley

Here are four wine labels that were designed for "Michael Austin," a fictitious character created by long-time friends winemakers Patrick McNeil and Craig Becker. Michael and Austin are actually the middle names of the two founders.  Each wine label tells the story very loosely based on the founders' lives. On the back of each label, you will find a fictional and humorous story about Michael Austin (read each story below the wine labels).

Unfortunately, there seems to be no website for the Michael Austin winery, an it has proved very difficult finding anywhere else that retails these wines. I did find some California wine shops that still carry their wines, but unless you live there, you'll have a hard time getting a hold of these bottles.  So for now, you'll just have to feast your eyes on these labels :)


Bad Habit (Cabernet Sauvignon)
"Michael Austin grew up in a monastery on the outskirts of France. He was raised by a pack of wild nuns who taught him how to live on a strict diet of wine, cheese and real estate investments. Today, he is religious about only one thing – making great wine." (this story refers to how the two founders met in a catholic high school)


Grape Tamer (Syrah)
 "Michael Austin spent his wonder years far off the beaten path in the heart of the Stags Leap district. It was there he took his first steps towards manhood, tamed his first wild grape and invested in his first IGO (that’s Initial Grape Offering). Today, he’s a grown man with just one thing on his mind – making great wine and drinking it. OK two things."


High Flyer (Viognier)
"Michael Austin spent his post-formative years exploring the landscape from above. He found that grapes actually look a lot smaller from 20,000 feet up, but taste about the same. Today, he spends most of his time navigating the fine art of wine making with both feet squarely on the ground. " (refers to one of the founders' hobby, flying small airplanes)

Moral Compass (Syrah)
"Michael Austin spent his elementary years studying the inner life of grapes. He realized that, unlike humans, grapes don’t have a moral compass – although they do have an amazing sense of direction. Today, Michael Austin has squeezed this knowledge into bottles of fine wine."


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