Thursday, May 31, 2007

Wine Behind The Art - Not In Key West, But Could Be


Last week I did a cool post over on Wine Sediments that I would like to share with you, just in cast you could not make a visit. This is fun!


Looking for something fun to do while you are escaping the summer heat in your local wine shop or supermarket? Stroll down the wine aisle and check out the fun wine labels that wineries are now using. Some of them are just too cool! I have spent numerous hours reading and viewing these wine labels. Not only is the art on these bottles very creative, the titles they give them are so whimsical. Four Emus, Twin Fin, Gnarly Head, Goats Do Roam are just a “drop in the bucket” as to what you will find.

Now the questions is – what do the wines taste like that are behind these fun labels? Not being able to resist purchasing these cool labeled bottles, I did put them to, what I call, my “senses test”. I am sure you have heard the saying, “you eat with your eyes first”. Well, I drink with my nose first. Therefore, the order of my “sense test” goes like this - smell, look, and taste.

Twin Fin 2005 Pinot Grigio from Gonzales, California was a pleasant surprise behind its amusing label. Loads of citrus and melon flavors escaped the bottle when opened. These flavors followed right on through to the palate, where it was crisp and lively. You know, one of those “jump around and be known in your mouth” types of wine! Great for summer sipping!

I like to say this wine’s name, Gnarly Head, Old Vine Zinfandel. This winery is located in Lodi, California. This wine is crafted from grapes that are from vines that are 35-80 years old! Dark ripe fruit was the aroma that swam up to my nose as the bottle was uncorked. The color of this wine was a rich dark purple. This is a wonderful Zinfandel with many layers of plum and berry fruit. Tannins were moderate, which gave it a nice smooth finish with a touch of spice. Pour yourself a glass and head for a seat under that big ol’ gnarly oak tree during a cool summer evening.

These are just two of the wines with those creative labels that I enjoyed, proving that the wine behind the fun can be very appealing. Actually, I have sampled quite a few of these artistic labeled wines and have not been disappointed with the wine behind the art!
Cheers!

2 comments:

Wendy said...

As I've told you before, I know nothing about wine. My technique for choosing is:

a) Choose a colour
b) Decide which country I'd like to be in that evening
c)Pick the most appealing label on a wine from that country

Can't say I'm abandoning this technique but I do now have a "Debs' recommendations" list on my fridge!

winedeb said...

That is great Wendy ! You only learn by tasting. I cannot even tell you how many wines I have tasted in the past years. I have even had a few that I would not even cook with !
Cheers to you !