When was the last time you walked into a wine shop, liquor store, or grocery store to buy a bottle of wine and decided on a bottle strictly by the look of the label? It’s a common occurrence. Actually, a very common thing. Many people have been overwhelmed by the great wall of wine that greets them when they enter. Eyes glazed over, they reach for the most attractive, bright, or interesting label. How does the wine taste? How expensive is it? What is the varietal? Will I like it? Does this matter to them? None of this matters to the non-wine enthusiast that just needs to grab a bottle and leave. They will go to the red section or the white section or the pink section or the sparkling section and when their eyes hit the most attractive label, their search is over! Wine marketing gurus know this and take their aim at these folks. They know that pretty, enticing labels will do a great job directing uneducated wine buyers to specific brands. So, why not? It works…go with it!
I’m not saying all interesting, beautiful labels are wrapped around less than fabulous wine, I’m just saying that you should look a little further on the label to discover what kind of wine it is, where in the world it’s grown, from which winery, etc. I truly love a beautiful label. I’m an artsy person so a lovely label is very eye catching. Especially if the wine is to be given as a gift. But what I’m saying is…look a bit deeper.
Next time you are met with an overwhelming wall of wine bottles, read a few labels. Better yet, if there’s a wine tasting, taste a few to judge for yourself whether the wine is something you’d like. The best one may be a very plain label. Who knows, right?
We tend to put a lot of emphasis on “labels”. How someone looks isn’t necessarily what they are like or who they are as a person. It’s always a good thing to not judge a book, a person, or a bottle of wine by its cover. Be open and accepting to something new, always.
Task: Buy a bottle of wine with a fun, bright, interesting label and one with a plain and classic label. Open them, let them breathe a bit, pour into a glass. Then, compare with your senses: Sight, Smell, and Taste. Which one do you prefer? It’s always fun to discover a new wine in the process of experimentation! Pretty or Plain label…sometimes, it just doesn’t matter. So, don’t just automatically reach for the “pretty” label. Look at them.
Cheers!