Wine and handbags, two of our favourite things…

Renowned Irish designer Pauric Sweeney has renewed his partnership with Carmen Wines this year, creating another bespoke bag for the brand.

Sweeney fans may remember last year’s creation, the stunning ‘Carmen Explorer’ bag.

This year, Pauric will customise a limited edition bag exclusively for Carmen Wines, named ‘The Carmenère’, after the Carmenère grape which was rediscovered in the Alto Maipo Valley Chile in 1994.

For years, Carmenère was a grape variety thought to have been extinct after being infected by a plague in the mid-19^th century. Once Carmenère was unearthed and re-discovered by Santa Rita estate, where today it is still cultivated in the Nipa Arriba vineyard, Carmen became the driving force behind the development of Carmenère in Chile, launching its first bottle in 1996.

Commenting on the collaboration, Pauric Sweeney said, “I’m really honoured to work with Carmen again following the success of the first collaboration last year. The development of this year’s project led to the creation of a piece inspired by the timeless, luxury ethos of Carmen, a brand able to harness the extraordinary force of nature." 

If you want to get your hands on this gorgeous burgundy bag, you’ll need to keep an eye on Carmen’s Facebook page from Tuesday, 1^st October 2013 for further information.

You’ll be in good company if you manage to get your hands on one; fans of Sweeney’s include Daisy Lowe, Lily Allen and Kate Moss, among many others.