Back in September, we let all of you know about the Canvas Artist Series Label Contest. The contest gave accredited art students the opportunity to create the next labels for a variety of Canvas wines, which is a private label, signature wine brand developed exclusively for Hyatt by Folio Fine Wine Partners.

We received so many great entries from very talented art students — it was hard to narrow it down! However, we're happy to finally announce that our three winners have been chosen — one for each varietal, including Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Here is some information on each of the winners, including where they drew their inspiration from as they created their varietal artwork. You can also check out pictures of the winning labels below.

Anna Membrino, a student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, is the winner of the Canvas Merlot varietal. When asked where she drew inspiration from, she said, "I was inspired by that first sip of the Merlot that just exploded with fruity flavor. It's hard to imagine that such a depth of flavor can be contained in one little grape. I pictured the grape failing to hold in that abundant taste, and the juice inevitably spilling out."

Claire Ramirez, a student at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, is the winner of the Canvas Chardonnay varietal. When asked where she drew inspiration from, she said, "I'm a big fan of silhouettes, and I wanted to do a piece that would incorporate the design of an Oak Tree silhouette since it's so iconic and visually appealing. I also really wanted to incorporate a fruit that you wouldn't typically associate with wine since the Chardonnay has a fruity flavor. The pear has a beautiful shape and such a wonderful array of color, which captured the simple elegance I wanted to portray, as well as the class of the Hyatt hotel brand."€

Jesse Couturier-Herndon, a student at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia, is the winner of the Canvas Cabernet Sauvignon varietal. When asked where he drew his inspiration from, he said, "Determining how to depict this wine's characteristics was an interesting challenge. After many ideas, I thought it would be great to show all of the ingredients blending in the air and turning into wine. I chose the grapes for obvious reasons and the oak leaves to depict the subtle hints of oak. Then, I painted the background to convey the moods of cedar and tobacco. From there, I researched some of the spices that are typically found in Cabernet and even invented some of my own."€

Congratulations to all of our winners! Make sure to check out the new Canvas varietal bottles in early 2011 at a Hyatt near you.