Tablewine Feature

With the holidays long gone and, if the groundhog is correct, another six weeks of winter ahead, we thought we'd lighten things up here for the bleak days of February and take another look at wine labels.

Our last feature on the subject, I've Looked at Wines from Both Sides Now. . . , took a rather whimsical approach to wine selection. For that piece, my friend Ann Landi, an art journalist, author of the recently published Schirmer's Encyclopedia of Art, and frequent contributor to Art News, selected wines for us to review based solely on the merit of their labels. It was a lot of fun and seemed to prove that perhaps all one needed to find a good bottle of wine was a highly developed aesthetic sense.

So this month, I thought why not do a variation on a theme and choose wines whose labels might, in one way or another, be less attractive, and look for beauty within the bottle rather than upon it. Like the "fashion police" of an entertainment magazine, Ann and I roamed the aisles of a well-stocked wine store on New York's tony upper Westside, looking for bottles $20 and under whose good taste was perhaps all in the bottle.

After an hour or so, we came up with eleven bottles that, while not horrendously ugly, seemed to violate, at least for Ann, an aesthetic principle or two. But then again as the maxim goes "de gustibus non disputandum est" (one cannot argue about taste). In fact, a less than fashionable label might be a stroke of marketing genius, a way to stand out from the crowd and dare the shopper to try something different.

As we did last time, we've presented the labels flanked on one side by our art critic's comments and on the other by our tasting notes. We hope that you'll let us know what you think about both the labels and the wine in our TableWine Forum.

For this tasting, we sampled each of the wines individually on their own without any food and then again with a thick crust, spinach and cheese Sicilian pizza. A cheese board was also on the table.

The Art Critic	The Label	The Wine Critic
The purple rhomboid shape with gold type somehow comes off as flat. The curlicued logo is rather sweet and understated, but overwhelmed by the size and colors of the label.	2000 Verdad, White Wine, Ibarra-Young Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley ($17.99)	Very pale straw in color, this Albarino-based wine (the first California bottling of this varietal) has an attractive nose of lemon and pineapple with nuances of vanilla. Quite crisp on entry, there's a noticeable astringency. Light to medium bodied, it delivers tart, bitter orange-pith flavors with slate notes. The flavors linger on the palate. The wine is well structured with good acidity and finishes well with toast notes. With the food, it was quite good and would be a great complement to almost any grilled fish.

The central figure on the label is a cute image of a little girl, who resembles Madeleine from the French picture books. Her mom sprints ahead of her, as the child reaches for her hand. This might be an appropriate image for a children's book, but for a wine….?	2000 Ca' del Solo, Malvasia Bianca, Monterey White Wine ($12.99)	Pale, almost clear, in color, this wine's nose is big and fruity and redolent of concentrated peach. Light bodied, this Malvasia-based wine is nice and tasty on the palate, with a hint of crispness. The flavors are, at first, predominantly dry peach, lichee, and lemon citrus, but near the finish, they develop into sweet peach. The finish is good. Well structured, this wine has adequate acidity to stand up to food. It was good with our pizza, but I think it would be even better with roast chicken.

The bottle features a pair of orange and blue totems, one with a sun, the other showing the moon. The spiky shapes sprouting from the sides don't make a lot of sense, and the colors are extremely unappealing against the greenish-yellow of the bottle.	2000 Alkoomi, Southlands, Semillon, Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc, Western Australia ($13.99)	The color is very pale straw, almost clear. This blend of Semillon (35%), Chenin Blanc (33%), and Sauvignon Blanc (31%) has a big, forward nose of roasted green bell peppers that's surprising for a white. Light to medium bodied, it delivers dry mineral and tart lemon-citrus flavors. Well structured, it has a pleasant, unctuous mouthfeel and a good finish, again with green bell pepper. The wine's crispness made it a good match for our pizza and the cheese board. I would highly recommend pairing this wine with salmon. Definitely a star of this tasting. Imported by The Ravensvale Group, Manhasset, NY.

Do you really want to buy a wine with a name like this? Why should a cartoony image of a snooty-looking cat with an orange collar appeal to anyone? This is a mystifying way to market vino.	1998 Sour Puss, Semillon, Gisborne ($9.99)	Pale gold in color, this New Zealand Semillon has a subtle, attractive, musky nose that intimates dried figs. On the palate, it's light bodied but full flavored, with tastes of sultana raisins and cloves. There's some spice as well. The flavors linger on the tongue, and the wine has a good finish. This is the type of wine for which a taste must be acquired. One taster remarked, "Interesting, but I can't dance to it." This wine improved considerably with the food and was definitely outstanding with a piece of Stilton. Imported by Winebow, Inc. New York, NY.

This is a very weird graphic--it's not exactly unpleasant, but it's not very well thought out. The row of inky black trees at the bottom is vaguely Expressionist, but the churning purple sky is straight out of JMW Turner. I'm guessing the image has some connection with the name of the wine, but I can't tell what it is.	2000 Cockfighter's Ghost, Semillon, Hunter Valley ($15.99)	Pale straw in color, this Australian wine has a subtle citrus nose that's on the sour side. "Medicinal," quipped one taster. It has fennel aromas with light toast notes. Light bodied and dry, it delivers slate and sour grapefruit flavors. It's packed with acidity and quite tart on the finish. It was OK with the food but would have been better paired with fish in a lemon-butter sauce. Imported by The Ravensvale Group, Manhasset, NY.

The uninspired flowers at the center of this label look like they were pulled from a cheap greeting card. Or worse. The combination of bouquet and cream background reminds me of wrappings for Yardley Soap.	2000 Carneros Creek, Fleur de Carneros, Pinot Noir, Carneros ($14.99)	Very light garnet in color, this wine has beautiful legs and a sweet raspberry nose that has some depth. On the plate, it's light bodied with dry, bitter, peach-pit flavors that come as a surprise after the sweet nose. However, it quickly falls flat and leaves an unpleasant after taste that stays on the tongue. It was, at best, lackluster with the food. Just not what a Pinot, especially from Carneros, should be.

There's something annoyingly tacky about the shades of blue and silver-gray chosen for this one, and I can't make out the architectural motifs. There's a sort of "etched" building that might be a cow barn, with an overblown Roman arch off to one side. Altogether unappetizing.	1999 Rutherford Hill, 25th Anniversary Merlot, Napa Valley ($18.99)	This wine has a pretty, deep-ruby color and nice legs. The nose is predominantly cassis, with underpinnings of green bell pepper and some cedar as well. It's a nice Merlot nose. The wine is well structured and has plenty of fruit in good balance with supple tannins. Medium to full bodied, it's packed with cherry and oak flavors complemented by spice notes. It has a lasting finish, with hints of tart cherry. A lovely Merlot. Although good with our meal, it would shine with a fillet mignon or a grilled pork loin. Another star of this tasting.

I'm sure the vintner thinks this is an acceptable take on Abstract Expressionism, but the gold border and garish pile-up of primary colors simply come off as cheap.	1998 Meridian Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, California ($7.99)	Ruby in color, with good legs, this wine has an attractive nose of burnt sugar, cassis, and strawberry. "Pretty," remarked one taster. Medium bodied and dry, it delivers sour-cherry flavors that are fleeting and end abruptly with spice. Not much of a finish. As one taster said, "a lightweight Cab." The wine was OK with the pizza, better with the cheese, but would be best served with beef.

I can't tell what's going on in the picture on this label. From the name of the wine, I'm gathering it's supposed to be the devil's cellar--and there does appear to be a diabolical apparition in the center of the composition--but it could just as easily represent a halloween party in your neighbor's basement.	1999 Concha y Toro, Casillero del Diablo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley ($9.99)	Deep ruby in color, this Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon has long and plentiful legs. The nose is old world, with wild cherry complemented by cocoa and some subtle oak. On the palate, it's medium bodied and dry. It delivers lingering chalk and dry cherry flavors, with hints of slate. This wine is well structured with good tannins and might even benefit from a little more bottle age. It has a nice finish with blue-plum notes. It was good with the pizza and the cheese but would be better matched with prime rib or lamb. A very good value. Imported by Excelsior Wines & Spirits, Old Brookville, NY.

The landscape at the center of this predominantly green and gold label recalls Italian Futurist motifs, but it's kind of fuzzy and out of control. The eccentric shape of the label, trimmed in a drab olive color, underscores the skewed composition.	1997 Zaca Mesa, Cuvee Z, Santa Barbara County ($16.99)	Rusty garnet in color, this Rhone-style blend of Grenache (51%), Mourvedre (22%), Syrah (12%), Cinsault (10%), and Counoise (5%) has good legs. The nose is attractive, with smoke and wild mushroom aromas. Medium to full bodied, this wine is well structured, with big soft tannins and loads of fruit. It has plenty of tart plum flavors that evolve into cherry, as well as some hints of tobacco. The finish is good, with lingering flavors of tart cherry and oak. This is a very nice wine that's made for food. It was good with the pizza but cried out for beef. Definitely a star of this tasting.

Vermilion, black, and red could be smashing in the right combination and intensity, but this label lacks punch. The central logo of a tulip-shaped cup (and is it a cup?) surrounded by spiraling doodads comes off as insipid Art Deco.	1999 Qupe, Los Olivos Cuvee, Santa Barbara County ($17.50)	Bright ruby in color, this Rhone-style blend of Syrah (59%), Mourvedre (27%), and Grenache (14%) has nice, graceful legs. The nose is restrained, with nuances of cherry, dried meats, and spice. Light to medium bodied, it appears lacy on the palate and delivers a mix of dry plum, cherry, and spice flavors with hints of tar. There's a delicate complexity to this wine that delivers what the nose intimates. The finish is good with spice notes. Although good with the pizza and the cheese, this wine would be better paired with a classic cassoulet.

TableWine is a personal website and does not sell any wine. However, many of the wines we review are purchased from our local wine merchants, Wine & Spirit World in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ and The Wine Seller in Ridgewood, NJ. The Wine & Spirit World website may help you locate a good number of our selections. You might also use the database of quality wine merchants at Wine Searcher.com to help find wines that are difficult to locate. Finally, if your local wine store does not carry a wine that you've read about here, don't hesitate to ask them to order a bottle or two for you. For imported wines, you may need to supply them with the name of the importer or distributor.

If you have any suggestions for future tastings, drop us a line at the address below.

Graphic Violations