Visitors to the Rymill Coonawarra cellar door are immediately intrigued by three series of paintings by John Hinge.
The first series comprises our vineyards’ seven principal grape varieties. The second depicts the development of Cabernet Sauvignon from its dormant winter bud through to the fully mature bunch of grapes the following autumn. And the third shows our annual cycle of vineyard operations.
John, who lives in the Limestone Coast, remembers growing up constantly aware of the annual growth cycle of the region’s vineyards. Although he painted his first watercolour at the age of eight, and has since enjoyed a distinguished career, he found the Rymill commission offered a challenge which required new techniques; particularly the very fine brushwork necessary to achieve total scientific accuracy.
He also found that one of the most intriguing facets of his field-work was being able to taste the developing flavours in the various grapes as they attained their full ripeness and then, through some inexplicable synaesthetic process, to transfer these subtleties to his mouth-watering paintings.
For further information, see John Hinge.