In Montclair: The High Art of Booze

Amanti Vino’s official store mascot, proprietor Sharon Sevrens’ yellow Labrador retriever, will star in a series of wine labels for the independent wine and spirits shop’s 10th anniversary private-label launch, Cuvée Rufus.

The wine shop received 150 submissions, from paintings and sketches to digitally enhanced photographs and crayon drawings, poured in from around the country.

According to a release, the contest received so many entries that Sevrens doubled the number of winners from four to eight.

“We were thrilled by the talent and creativity shown in the submissions,” Sevrens stated. “The winners, all from New Jersey, shared eye-catching designs with clever, well-executed portrayals of Rufus that captured his sweet nature.”

Amanti Vino will launch two private-label wines, a red and a white, in the fall. Each box will include three bottles of four winning designs representing the four age groups.

According to a release, Amanti Vino partnered with the Montclair Art Museum to present the design competition. Submissions will be exhibited there this October when Cuvée Rufus is released at a 10th anniversary party. Amanti Vino also plans to create a book featuring the label designs, which will be on display in the Church Street shop.

A percentage of proceeds from sales of Cuvée Rufus will be donated to Intensive Therapeutics and to help support exhibitions and education programs at the museum.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Amanti Vino to help celebrate its 10th anniversary,” stated MAM Director Lora Urbanelli in a release. “The submissions to the wine label design contest really blew us away. It was hard to choose the winners, but we were dogged in our pursuit.”

Contest winners included:

• Ages 19 and up: “Grape-Colored Glasses” by Mitzi Chaves, Lincoln Park; “Bacchus” by Mike Ferrari, Montclair
• Ages 13 to 18: “Rufus’ Lazy Day” by Jasper Davies, Montclair; “Lick” by Ahri Han, Tenafly
• Ages 9-12: “Chair Pour” by Mareau Hall, Montclair; “Rufus Pulling His Weight” by Lucy Mann, Montclair
• Ages 5 to 8: “Rufus on Red” by Elizabeth McKenzie, Montclair; “Rufus With Grapes” by Naomi Gilmore, Montclair

Photos courtesy of Amanti Vino

Photo 1: “Grape-Colored Glasses” and “Bacchus”

Photo 2: “Rufus’ Lazy Day” and “Lick”

Photo 3: “Chair Pour” and “Rufus Pulling His Weight”

Photo 4: “Rufus on Red” and “Rufus With Grapes”

Send Montclair news tips to eric.kiefer@patch.com