Peter Morrell meets Eliza Southwood, the artist who has designed the new label for the wine producers Bicicleta range

Cono Sur Bicicleta range, including the UK’s favourite Pinot Noir, is pedalling its way into wine lovers’ hearts with its award-winning wines which will feature a Limited Edition cycling themed label across the range from the summer.

Paying tribute to the workers at the Cono Sur Bicicleta vineyard in the foothills of the Chilean Andes who travel from village to vine by bike, Cono Sur has commissioned leading cycling artist, Eliza Southwood, to create a selection of exclusive prints to feature on the labels. The limited edition labels celebrate Cono Sur as the Official Wine of Le Tour de France 2016.

With seven wine styles in the range, the best seller is Pinot Noir which, according to Chief Winemaker, Adolfo Hurtado, is one of the leading trends in popular wine styles. “Pinot Noir is one of the most versatile red wines around and Cono Sur Bicicleta is one of the best examples of the grape. It is bursting with red fruit flavours with notes of cherry, raspberry, plum and strawberry.

“Unusually for a red wine, Pinot Noir tastes great chilled so put it in the fridge and experience a new take on summer red wine drinking; or just enjoy its classic and classy Pinot Noir flavours at room temperature which brings out its subtle smokiness.”

Tasting Notes

A fresh purple red colour, this is a voluptuous Pinot Noir with rich fruit notes of cherry, raspberry, plum and strawberry – a red fruit party! – enhanced by subtle smoked hints. On the palate its sweet fruit notes stand out and fine tannins give it great texture and structure. Balanced and modern in style, this is a wine of personality and elegance. Sexy, pure and simple, it’s a young and refreshing Pinot.

Food Pairing

Bicicleta Pinot Noir is a great choice for all sorts of pasta, grilled poultry, seafood and fish. It’s also excellent when accompanying dishes served with pesto sauces. If ordering in, mushroom pizza and sushi go brilliantly with this wine.

Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir 2015 is available in Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Ocado with an RRP of £7.49

Peter Morrell, Food and Drink Editor of AboutMyGeneration added “Cono Sur’s pinot noir is a great example of why this grape is so popular. Skilled vinification by Adolfo Hurtado has created a very versatile wine that suits dishes as diverse as barbecues and brie.

“Eliza gave me an insights into how she created the stunning label that really captures the beauty of the Chilean landscape. As I watched her paint I sampled some of the other wines from the Bicicleta range. If white is your preferred choice then their Viognier could be just what you are looking for. It has floral notes in the bouquet which develop into luscious tropical fruit flavours on the palate and it leaves a long, crisp finish. Drink this with summer salads or spicy Asian food.”

The Cono Sur Bicicleta Limited Edition range comprises

• Pinot Noir
• Viognier
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Merlot
• Carmenere
• Chardonnay

Eliza Southwood

A former architect, Eliza studied at Glasgow School of Art and is now a full time artist specialising in printmaking, painting and illustration. Recent clients include Rapha, Magma, Bloomsbury, Laurence King Publishing, Sustrans and the V&A Museum. Eliza exhibits regularly at the Affordable Art Fair with East London Printmakers and Gas Gallery.

Cono Sur

Cono Sur Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1993, with the vision of producing premium, expressive and innovative wines that convey the spirit of the New World. The name refers to the company’s geographic position, representing wines proudly made in South America’s Southern Cone, on whose western edge lies Chile and its renowned wine valleys.