Good names for good wines?

From the rudest to the most absurd, from the unorthodox to the conventional, wine names have been a lot more creative and inspired than in the past. Some of them still carry the family name, the name of the château or domain, or even a poetic reference to the wine or place itself. This naming convention has certain merits but newcomers have adopted a more modern method.

Le vin de Merde Rouge 2012, Vin De France, On-line, 6.50€

Despite a remarkable work undertaken since decades by winemakers that have improved the quality of their wine, many wines remain on the customer vision as "Shit Wines". In order to make sure that the reader understood the real meaning of the wine’s name, a big blue-colored fly was drawn in the right upper quarter of the label…

Color: +                  Intense red color.

Nose: +                  Subtle nose with aromas of small red fruits.  It does not smell of shit !!!

Mouth: +                Mature, fresh and beautifully dense. The velvety tannins got a bit rough in the finish.

It is sure to enliven conversations when it brought to the table… Sometimes the worst hides the best:     Really surprising! Under the label was a second thin one clarifying that this was “ Le Vin des Phylosophes” ! This wine was created in response to the entrenched prejudices and scatological criticisms to which some vintages have been subject. So Jean Marc Speziale, GOOD JOB !!

Pinot Evil Pinot Noir 2006, Vin de Pays de l’Ile de Beautè, Corsica , France, Art et vins € 6,70

Grape variety : 100% Pinot Noir

Color: ++              Light, cherry red

Nose: +                Rich fruit (black berries) forward style Pinot Noir

Mouth: ++            Hint of dark berries, chocolate, medium bodied with full round tannin finish

The Three Wise Monkey proverb “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil” was introduced to Japan by a Buddhist monk from China. A Buddhist maxim of wisdom recognizes that these wines are all made from grapes that belong to the Pinot family, and that it is really hard to make an affordable Pinot.

Well, Pinot shouldn’t have to be wicked to your wallet, which is why we set out to find really good Pinot that everyone could afford. Pinot Evil…a guilty pleasure!

D.O. Terra, French Tonton, Vin de la communauté européenne, 2012, La ligne rouge, 10€

« A wine without border », as told on the label. A blend between Spanish Mourvèdre and French Merlot. And that explain the name! Reference to the Spanish AOC (DO or DOC), they aim to make a wine that express the best of two different grape varieties, coming from the best areas where they were grown. The first chapter of a wine revolution?

Color : +               Deep red, with rubbish hints.

Nose: +                Very attractive nose, red fruits and strong pepper notes.

Mouth: ++            Soft tannins on ripe fruits. Medium-bodied and simple wine. Medium length.

A good wine to share “To drink with the people you love” as written on the back label. A wine that we wanted to support, because it defends a new way of making it! A strange name for a strange wine…   
       

L’Herault-ik, Eric Herault, AOC Chinon, 2009, Bought at the estate, 13,80€

A pretty hot wine…if you know what I mean! The name of this wine may be explained like that: This wine is made the warmest year in Chinon (2005, 2009…), from the most exposed vines of this estate…very warm grapes! He took his last name and made a joke of it, pretty clever, isn’t it?

Color : +               Red cherry, violet hints. Intense.

Nose: ++              Ripe fruits and spicy mostly. Very aromatic.

Mouth: ++            Very fruity and solar. Few tannins. A bit young, but already a fine wine.

An unusual Chinon! It would be great for a blind tasting. I drank a bottle two years ago, it was a bit too tannic and green peppery flavored, but now it’s evolving pretty well! A couple of years to wait still. A good wine to spicy up a romantic dinner…

New owners and winemakers have one thing in common: they all want to sell their wine. Regardless of the wine quality, the first step is to promote it and put it in front of the consumer with the help of various advertising techniques. One sure way to help this strategy is to provoke and intrigue the consumer by coming up with an unusual, ironic or provoking names . Who in their right mind would call a wine Vin de Merde? Now that’s overly silly and crazy, don’t you think?

Drink cheap. Drink well!