Our own Chateau Morissette puts out a fine lookin' label!
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Wine Labels for the Label Conscious
Admit it. You have, on occasion, chosen a wine on label-looks alone. It’s OK. With all the new wineries, regions, producers, blends, choosing a wine can be daunting and confusing. And the wine industry knows how perplexing the wine aisle is, so it’s doing all it can to entice you to buy that newest wine brand.When you need a bottle of ketchup, your choices are pretty much Heinz or Hunts. Cola? Pepsi or Coke. Jelly? Smuckers or Welch. But, the $28 billion wine industry has far more choices to entice – and far more marketing dollars to entice your dollars, and to broaden your wine horizons.
Some of my fellow wine writers smirk at the marketing of wine through labels - I happen to be a fan of the practice. Whatever motivates new (and seasoned) wine consumers to try new varietals and vintners is a good thing (as Martha would say). After the label entices, then the wine needs to live up to expectation. Sometimes it will, sometimes it won’t. No different than the traditional label.
Here are a few of The Vino Vixen™ own favorites... I’m not recommending all of the wines behind the labels – but, all of the labels score my highest points!
Bonny Doon
Cardinal Zin
Actually, this is one wine that I can recommend without hesitation. By the quirky California winery, Bonny Doon. The label is funky and fun, but the old vines Zinfandel behind it is deadly serious. And seriously good. Take a trippy journey through the Bonny Doon website for some more fun labels.
Toad Hollow
Erik’s the Red
Paso Robles, CA
Chateau Mouton Rothschild
France
Prince Charles has become the latest painter to be featured on the Chateau Mouton Rothschild’s label. The Prince joins Braque, Picasso, Chagall, Miró, Francis Bacon, Henry Moore, Warhol and Balthus all of whose work has been previously featured on the bottle. The painting chosen is a watercolor of pine trees at Cap d’Antibes on the Cote d’Azur.
Big Ass Zin
Napa Valley, CA
I met the distributor of these wines in Miami and wrote “Big Ass” on the back of her card. I was completely perplexed why I would write such a thing months later when I stumbled upon the card. Seems more than a few wineries are using this name and lawsuits are now flying.
Chateau Morisette
Our Dog Blue
Blue Ridge, VA
One of Virginia’s own. The cork is imprinted with “woof, woof.”
Tait
The Ball Buster
Barossa Valley, AUS
One of my favorite Aussie blends. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot – packs a wollop. There's a good reason for that name…
Redhawk Vineyard
Willamette Valley, OR
Willamette Valley, OR
Polo
Smith & Hook
Soledad, CA
Soledad, CA
Sip it, wear it, play it.
Matchbook
Dunnigan Hills, CA
Love the burned label.
Cheers!
VV
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