Since I’ve gotten into wine over the last 2-3 years I think I’ve picked something just based on the label maybe 3 out of the 300 bottles I’ve purchased. Well, it worked out this time!
Thorne & Daughters Grenache blanc/ Grenache Gris “Menagerie”. From Stellenbosch SA. Reductive nose that reminds me of cote de beaune or Macon. Funky white burg vibes. apricot and white flowers. Medium bodied, subtle acid, strong mineral finish. For $20 this is a steal and reminder I need more South African wine.
by shitbirdie
22 Comments
Not often, but I do love looking at the art on wine labels.
How else am I supposed to get an idea what’s in the bottle? /s. I don’t really buy based on the look of the bottle.
Half the time, if I’m being honest.
I know from experience many women by by looks
I used to a lot more than now — with natty wines and craft beers, there are way too many inexperienced makers that produce subpar products, sadly.
Way too often. Looking at you Tank Winery.
The label draws the eye, Vivino confirms the buy.
Maybe a quarter of the time. This is exactly the kind of label that I would just pick up and try because, for example. Lovely imagery.
Screw the label you had me at grenache.
If a winemaker has taste, it shows everywhere, even on the label.
If the front is nice I’ll check out the back and see if there’s anything I like
That label and blend has me swooning something fierce
tbh when im just dicking around, looking at the french section for something ive never had, the labels that look the most “french” (ie no frills and no stupid designs), i choose those 🤣
I’m a sucker for anything with animals on the label… looking at you, Infinite Monkey Theorem
Whenever I’m in doubt among wines that I don’t know.
There are other things that I take into consideration, like wether it’s closed by a screw-cap (low-end) or cork sealed with wax (high-end, I’ve always liked a lot all the wines that I’ve tasted that were sealed with wax), how beautiful I find the bottle shape, its price…
Of course the most important thing is the wine itself, but unless I’ve tasted them before, the only thing I can get a sense of its quality is how much money the winemaker has spent on its bottling/shipping
v often
I rarely pick a wine based on label. I do however avoid wines based on labels. I would for example never even consider picking up the bottle you posted. In my mind a good bottle of wine has a basic label. Name/producer +vintage in a classic cursive font with a picture of a chateau or something. With that said i did pick up this the other day mostly because it made me laugh a bit. [https://balkanwines.com/produkt/tamjanika-bellucci/](https://balkanwines.com/produkt/tamjanika-bellucci/)
Manfred Krankl likes to add label art. Maybe picking a Sine Qua Non by the label is ok.
Moutin Rothschild vintages have some pretty neat artwork as well.
If I don’t know the maker first, probably not using label as the criterion.
Ok so there is actually allot of people out there who would say that a lot of inexperienced wine drinkers buy labels and not wine.
That being said, perhaps here is not the best location to get an idea of what impulse/uneducated purchasers do.
I am currently struggling with the same question in a different perspective maybe:
As a wine producer trying to produce a luxury quality wine at the price borderline between accessible and premium. How do I create a label that both says: “I am a quality wine” and “I’m not just another square piece of paper in a world of untranslatable square pieces of paper?
You can find examples of luxury wine with all sorts of labels, from traditional to postage stamp sized labels (I’m talking about you Screaming Eagle) to full wrap and screen print bottles…
I guess the bigger question to me is, what turns you off about a wine and says ” yeah no” (I’m talking to you 19 crimes)
Same here, if it looks like something off the Vampire Diaries I’d buy it without question. Yes and yes.
Labels alone is what got me into wine, the prisoner label and name called to me in Vegas lol.
Pretty often but I think we have opposite tastes in labels, these kinds of labels put me off. Give me some no nonsense words about the wine and the winery please.
Does the back label count?