TOP PHOTO: Local artists Alice Brubaker and Sam Chapman sign wine bottles featuring their artwork at the Signature Red Series wine event at Chapman Hill Winery on Saturday.

By Charlotte Underwood    
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Chapman Hill Winery unveiled its Signature Red Series at a special event held Saturday. The unveiling featured specialty bottles with the art of four local artists featured on the front and information about the artist on the back.

Campbell County Culture Coalition Executive Director Manuel Mesa and Chapman Hill Winery owners Chuck and Sherry Compton approached artists last year about using original artworks from local artists on their bottles. The idea was to feature local art, local artists and provide information about the Campbell Culture Coalition and the Campbell County Artists Association. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each bottle of the winery’s Signature Series Red will go back to the Culture Coalition to help with art projects for Campbell County Students.

Chapman Hill Winery owners Chuck and Sherry Compton opened the winery right outside Deerfield about two years ago.

The winery produced around 1,000 bottles of this particular wine. Local artists featured on the Signature Red Series include Alice Brubaker, Deborah Purcell, Jocelyn Griffo and Sam Chapman. Three of these artists were at the event signing labels and showcasing their original art pieces.
Mesa said he was thrilled with the project and hoped it would be repeated in the future with additional art work on bottles featuring local artists. According to winery owners, there is a Signature White Series in the making.

Local artist Deborah Purcell was at Saturday’s unveiling of Chapman Hill Winery’s Signature Red Series event to sign bottles featuring her art work.

Chapman Hill Winery has been in operation for about two years. According to co-owner Chuck Compton, wine making had always been a hobby of his, and he decided to pursue it further. He said he and his wife were very excited about the release of their Signature Red Series featuring local artists. He and his wife selected the art to go on the bottles after viewing each artist’s work.

The selections have special meaning or connections such as Jocelyn Griffo’s art work featuring Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong, who is iconic to LaFollette and the art of Sam Chapman’s barn, which reflects the area landscape.

Campbell Culture Coalition Executive Director Manuel Mesa gets his wine bottle signed be local artist Alice Brubaker at Saturday’s event at Chapman Hill Winery.

“I’ve always seen the art in wine making and felt the two go hand in hand,” Compton said. For more information about upcoming events call Chapman Hill Winery at 423-352-6211. The winery is located just outside of the gate to Deerfield on the right hand side of the road. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 03/03/2021-6AM)

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