The proof might well be in the pudding or, in this case, in the drinking but there is no doubt that our choice of the wines we consume is influenced as much by the labels on the bottles as our expectation of what's inside.
If it's a bottle with a label that makes it stand out from the crowd; a label that's attractive, elegant, unusual, colourful or in some other way appealing then we are more likely to pluck the bottle from the shelf.
Especially if we are one of the younger drinkers who, overseas studies show, are turned off by stuffy labels. Or one of the women who buy most of the wine that is sold in supermarkets. Hence the success of New World wines in general, especially those made by producers who have adopted more attractive and colourful label designs, and the switch by some in the so-called Old (and stuffy) World from chateaux to chic.
But it's only the look – the cosmetics – that have changed. The labels, front and back, are still required by law to contain all the information the consumer needs to know to evaluate the wine before buying it, including the country of origin, quality, type of wine, alcoholic degree, producer, bottler, or importer, the allergens contained and, in some cases, other details.
Not that everyone bothers even to look. Instead they buy on sight wines like some of those from New Zealand with labels that have caught my eye for one reason or another. And all of them, incidentally, wines that are well worth plucking from the shelves on sight.
Just offhand it is difficult to think of a more colourful label than that on the new ant moore range of wines, launched by an Australian go-getter of the same name who came here in 2002 to make Isabel Estate's wines in Marlborough, and a name for himself.
Having already launched the Catalina Sounds and Crowded House brands, now this signature brand with a mass of multi-coloured vines on the label, he has just purchased the Central Otago Vinter's Winery in Cromwell, one of the country's biggest pinot noir processors.
He says it fits in perfectly with his group's Marlborough operation and the growth of its labels here and in Australia.
For a taste of ant moore, try first the classy varietal (pears and florals) 2009 Marlborough Pinot Gris ($21.99), which has already collected a couple of gongs. Also available is a 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($21.99) and a well-priced 2008 Central Otago Pinot Noir ($29.99).
A more muted and sedate, but another colourful label that has always appealed to me is Riverby Estate's. The centrepiece, a rainbow trout, is a reminder that where the grapes now grow was once the bed of the Opawa river in Marlborough, home to the fish. Look for either of the good value Riverby Rieslings or the outstanding 2008 Noble Riesling, a steal at $25 (375ml).
Different, and eye-catching as a result, is the vertical black and white label on Sacred Hill's new Halo range of six premium varietals from Marlborough and Hawke's Bay, which all have a recommended retail price of $25.90. Among the lineup is a savoury, well peppered 2008 Hawke's Bay syrah and an elegant stonefruit-driven 2008 Hawke's Bay chardonnay from a team which makes them with a touch of class.
My favourite label, however, is Julicher Estate. It is simple. It is elegant. Imagine the bottle, swathed in a white napkin, being presented for inspection at a restaurant table by the sommelier.
If you see the stylised gold "J" on black on the wineshop shelf, and you will, then reach for the stunning 2008 Martinborough Pinot Noir (about $39), wine of the show at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards. You will not be disappointed by the contents, or by style with which the bottle graces the table.
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