In 2025, House of Arras celebrated 30 years since Ed Carr set out to craft Australia’s finest sparkling wine, one that would champion the finest terroir of Tasmania and set a new benchmark for Australian sparkling wine globally. The 30th anniversary was a testament to Ed’s dedication, his unwavering commitment to the ethos and craftsmanship behind House of Arras, and the achievements of this master of Australian sparkling which he has taken to the world.
Blend was tasked with amplifying and elevating House of Arras in its 30th year by engaging Australia’s top tier media in generating coverage that would celebrate the winery’s major milestone. We set out to position Arras as the world’s leading sparkling wine producer by showcasing its dedication to ‘time’ as an essential ingredient in its portfolio of cuvées, best demonstrated by the limited edition museum release – the 2006 E.J. Carr Late Disgorged.
The Campaign
Blend developed a full-year PR strategy dedicated to amplifying the 30th anniversary milestone of House of Arras, culminating in the unveiling of the limited museum release of the 2006 E.J. Carr Late Disgorged in addition to the 2017 vintage collection at an exclusive event for tier 1 media, customers, and business stakeholders.
Blend executed all major elements of the communications plan, developing content and messaging, engaging all media for earned opportunities, and producing the series of events to unveil Arras’s latest releases. These elements included:
- A premium studio shoot of the new release wines.
- A luxury gala event at Bennelong Restaurant in the Sydney Opera House.
- A series of masterclasses in Sydney and Melbourne with leading trade and wine critics.
- Targeted profile pitching for Ed Carr and the brand story of House of Arras.
The Results
Deemed “the most discussed wine event of the year” by Katrina Butler from Halliday Wine Companion, the House of Arras 30th Anniversary campaign was wide reaching and spanned the entirety of 2025 with a variety of coverage opportunities in tier 1 media titles, including:
- A multi-page spread in Harper’s Bazaar in collaboration with iconic Australian brands like Jac + Jack, Mud Australia, Dinosaur Designs and Grandiflora Studio.
- A feature on ABC Landline on Ed Carr and his success at the International Wine Challenge.
- A nationally syndicated feature on House of Arras across News Corp. mastheads including the Daily Telegraph, Hobart Mercury, Courier Mail and The Advertiser.
- Wine reviews and features with key critic platforms including Wine Pilot and The Real Review.
- A two-page profile on Ed Carr in T Australia – The New York Times Style Magazine.
- A Q&A with Ed Carr in Gourmet Traveller Magazine.
- A feature and wine reviews on Tasmanian sparkling with from Max Allen in Jancis Robinson’s website.
