Two Adelaide favourites have launched a new wine label that harks back to the glory days of Italian table wine.

Carlo Jensen and Steve Crawford have worked together for a long time.

Carlo – a graphic designer (the one from Gondola Gondola, Pink Moon Saloon and The Happy Motel) and Steve – a winemaker (responsible for the delicious Frederick Stevenson) have long and confusing resumes that overlap and intersect, but they’ve finally formalised their relationship with a partnership at new wine label Giovanni Armani Giorgio.

“For the last year-and-a-bit we’d joked about creating stupid Italian pseudonyms and making affordable and delicious Italian-style vino that we’d flog from the boot of a clapped out Fiat 500,” says Carlo. “Shortly before the 2015 vintage commenced some well-hung fruit became available to us and Fattori G.A.G. was born.”

Their limited first release was made public yesterday and included just one red and one white. The Rosso del Giorno is described as “a devoutly Catholic table wine for drinking with il diavolo”, and is made using “65% Sangiovese, 35% Merlot, 100% Stupefacente”. While the Bianco Superioré is said to be “a tropical paradise of mild sexism, grippy texture and freshness” crafted from “70% Garganega, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 100% Belladonna”.

The entire winemaking process was conducted by hand by Carlo and Steve (likely with the help of some unpaid friends), and was designed to produce wine that is drinkable, affordable and Italian-inspired.

“We aim to make reasonably priced wines based on Italian varietals,” says Carlo.

“Nothing too serious, made for pleasure, ease of drinking, social lubrication, and mangia mangia mangia. They’re not ‘fine wines’ to be pondered over. Just well made plonk to be drunk with much joy and gusto.

“Basically, we’re not making full-bodied Shiraz out of Sangiovese fruit, neither are we making simple dry white wine from Garganega. We’re really trying to capture the true poetry of Luciano Pavarotti’s vocal range in a suite of affordable wines. Because, at the end of the day, it’s all about the quality of flavour and the expression of each vineyards unique ‘ciao’.”

A rosato is likely to be added to the list of varieties on Giovanni Armani Giorgio’s menu next year, which Carlo says will really round things out; “White, pink, red. Green, white, red. Tricolore. That’s all you need in this beautiful life”.