Peter May's Unusual Wine Labels 13

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Unusual Labels
page 13
Diversity in Wine

E ven more labels to delight.

Kiwi Cuvee Jardin de la France
France

This smart label caused complaints from New Zealand. Despite the Kiwi name the wine is French, made by a New Zealand winemaker Rhyan Wardmann. The New Zealand Herald reported
Marlborough Grape Growers Association president Stuart Smith said the French winemakers were misleading customers by using the word Kiwi. "If we tried the same thing, we'd be in court before our feet could touch the ground." The dodgy label, designed to tempt fans of "new world" sauvignon blanc, would hurt sales of genuine New Zealand wine, he said.

Pisse-Dru Beaujolais
France
Piss-Dru Label

Pissed - thats how I read this label when it caught my eye on a French supermarket shelf. And the picture of the jolly (drunk?) peasants seemed to support that name. In fact its Pisse Dru which is French for 'thick piss' and is the sort of boastful comment a wine maker will make about his product.
All the same, this label doesn't seem to made it across the Channel to Britain.

Le Cigare Volant
Bonny Doon Vineyards Santa Cruz, California
USA, Earth
The answers out there

A French chateau surrounded by vineyards, just another standard wine label. But wait! What is hovering above the tree? And is that a death ray???
Bonny Doon's wine, made in a traditional southern Rhone blend takes its name from the French for flying saucer, inspired by a law passed in Chateauneuf forbidding flying saucers from landing in their vineyards. The back label says.

In 1954 the village council of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was quite perturbed and apprehensive that flying saucers or "flying cigars" might do damage to their vineyards were they to land within. So, right-thinking men all, they adopted an ordinance prohibiting the landing of flying saucers or flying cigars in their vineyards. (This ordinance has worked well in discouraging such landings.) the ordinance states further that any flying saucers or flying cigars that did land would be taken immediately to the pound.
No woofer this wine, we feel it is quite a stellar accomplishment. The composituion of our Flying Cigar is based on the traditional encepagement of the southern Rhone. The 1997 iteration is composed of 40.2% Grenache, 39.5% Syrah, 13.6% Cinsault and 6.7% Mourvedre. We encourage terrestrial visitation at our winery. Please visit us corporally 10 10 Pine Flat Rd, Santa Crus, telephonically at (831) 425 4518 or electronically at www.bonnydoonvineyard.com.
Great label, amusing back label and consumer friendly listing of the varietal mix. But at £17.50 its too expensive for a California recreation of a Rhone wine. Surprisingly closed and somehow less than the sum of its parts.

Paddarotti
Paddagang Vignerons Cape of Good Hope
South Africa
Paddarotti label

Made for the Paddagang restuarant in Tulbagh next to a river. The name means frog alley and all their labels have a froggy theme. This one marks a visit by the great tenor to the Cape.
The wine inside was an enjoyable merlot.

George Best Custoza
Italy
George Best label The back label reads 'Presented by George Best' and the front pictures him in his prime. George had the reputation for liking a drink, but I rather doubt this ordinary Italian white was his regular tipple.
It's a dull label, using muddy dull colours and a not very good sepia photograph. George deserves better.

d'Vine Swartland
South Africa
A pleasantly simple label and gentle pun adorns this range of honest inexpensive wines from the Swartland Winery.
Thanks to Marinda Blake of the Swartland Wine Route
Dvine label

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http://www.winelabels.org/labels13.htm
1 May 2002
peter@winelabels.org