A ll labels on this site are special in some way, but the first one is more special than most.

Michaela and Stefan	Stadecken-Elsheim Germany
My good friend Stefan Franke is a lucky man. Not only did he have the good sense to be born into a wine making family but he achieved his ambition of marrying his long time sweetheart Michaela. Stefan and I worked together in Austin, Texas during the summer of 2000 writing a computing book *, into which he managed to insert Michaela's name at every opportunity. The only time I saw Stefan lose his cool was when someone dismissed Riesling as a 'wine for girls.' We had to hold him back from rearranging the guy's nose on his face. For Stefan, Riesling is supreme among wines. It is fortunate that his father's vineyard is planted with Riesling and every year Stefan helps him harvest the grapes and make wine. Of course, only one wine was considered for serving at Michaela and Stefan's wedding on 2 September 2000. Gracing the tables was Riesling from the family vineyards with the above label specially designed for the occasion. Stefan posted a bottle of the wine to me. It's great. A lovely refreshing steely/flinty taste, dry with a fruity sweetish edge. Elegant and subtle. Thanks Stefan and Michaela. The toast is a long, happy and fruitfull marriage. * End to End Scheduling with OPC and TWS can be purchased from www.fatbrain.com or read online at www.redbooks.ibm.com.

The Full Monte pulciano	Abruzzo Italy
I am surprised it took so them to get around to this pun. Anyway, here it is.

Rude Boy	Western Cape South Africa
	Another innovative label from importers Western Wines. The back label warns, in red, When this bottle of wine is chilled Rude Boy will reveal all. So, you want to know what happens when the bottle is chilled? Sorry, but I'd have to put 'Adult Check' on this site before I could share it with you!! And now Rude Girl has joined him on the shelves.

Big Mamma's	Italy
Cheery label for this house wine from an Italian restaurant, Cheers Mama!

Dances on your Palate	Carmel Valley California
	The great name and intriguing label caught my eye. The wine was on sale in the bin ends section for London's Vinopolis wine shop. I was a little concerned about the age, it's a 1993 vintage which I bought in 2001 so I only purchased one bottle. But the wine was full fresh and complex and good for several more years, By the time I returned to buy more, they'd all gone.

Peter Lehman Semillon	Barossa Valley Australia
Same wine, different vintages. On first look the labels appear identical. Artist Anelia Pavlova's painting of the Madonna appears as part of Lehmans Queen of Clubs series on their Semillon. But for the American market the artist was asked to paint over a higher neck line. (pictured right) It was considered that some markets, and especially the US Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) authorities would not allow the bare breasted lady. My first page of this section shows a Kenwoods label banned for 20 years by a ATF ruling and Chateau Mouton Rothschild's 1993 label featuring a pencil sketch by Balthus of a naked girl was also banned from sale in the US. I bought these wines in different branches of the UK Oddbins chain. Their winelist says 'those level headed marketeers in Oz decided that flouting a big pair of mamas would scare of us prudish Brits.' Not me. I rather like Semillon, an unfashionable white variety grown in Bordeaux that reaches its greatest height in Chateau d'Yquem. Peter Lehmans wine is an enjoyably full-bodied dry food wine. Read the background story to Anelia Pavlova's Queen of Clubs here. Visit Anelia Pavlova's website