The term “perihelion” is the point at which an orbiting planet or celestial body is closest to the sun. In Greek, the word literally means around (peri) the sun (helios).

Earth’s perihelion is during our Australian Summer, with January 3rd, 2024, slated as the next occurrence. It’s during this time that grapes plump and ripen under the sun amongst the verdant vineyards of the picturesque Adelaide Hills wine region. Our rich soil and sun-soaked South Australian climate delivers world-renowned, full-flavoured wines.

The winemaker, Chris Coulter, created Perihelion as an export-targeted range, nodding to the ‘time in the sun’ Australian wines have been enjoying internationally.

From a wine label design standpoint, we decided to focus solely on the logo and typography, without art or imagery to distract.

We made reference to the brand’s minimal intervention methods and sustainable practices with smooth curves and organic, natural shapes. We combined this with a sharp, precise elegance to evoke art that might be used in the title sequence of a fantasy or sci-fi film, leaning into the general feeling of mystery surrounding our solar system and its celestial bodies.

We wanted the Perihelion labels to interact with light so we chose a high-build finish to create some depth and accentuate the curves of the typography. We took inspiration from the colours of the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis), muting their tones somewhat to achieve a sophisticated, premium aesthetic.