Buffalo Rising Online

Oct 18th 2007, 10:02am By Christa Glennie Seychew

A few months ago I heard about a 2006 study conducted by AC Nielsen's Beverage and Alcohol Team. It sited that bottles of wine featuring animals or other creatures on their labels are the fastest growing trend in the wine industry. So much so, in fact, that according to the New York Times, it was reported that of the 438 viable bottles introduced to the market in the previous three years, one in five boasted a picture of a kangaroo, sheep, giraffe, lizard or other critter.

A Nielsen representative said that price (most range from $8 -$12), product placement and quality were also factors that contributed to the popularity of a wine, but there's no denying that this branding trend is a valuable marketing tool for wine makers.

In fact, a major French producer has even begun producing bottles with animal “mascots”, the featured animal indicating which type of meat the wine is best paired. More shocking is Disney's recent decision to offer a chardonnay featuring cartoon character Remy from this summer's computer-animated blockbuster Ratatouille. Disney was forced to pull the wine after complaints, not only from groups concerned about the product promoting underage drinking, but also from California wine makers upset that Disney would promote a French wine.

Though I in no way consider myself an especially knowledgeable wine connoisseur, it is my opinion that most people don't really know what they're buying when they purchase wine, that within their price range, they find a label or maker that they feel safe with and stick to it. Perhaps they are occasionally lured away by a large display advertising an inexpensive bottle wrapped with a cartoon mouse, but I'd hazard a guess and say that most WNYers are uncomfortable with wine and are afraid of purchasing something that they don't like or cannot pronounce. Does the animal themed label somehow quell these concerns?

Nothing can replace the advice of an experienced shop owner, someone that knows their customer and their wine, but many of our local wine stores have inexperienced employees and a selection that is distributor driven. In New York, Discovery Wines offers shoppers encyclopedic touch screens that make the selection process simple and free of potential embarrassment. To further their accessibility, the majority of Discovery's stock is made up of wines that cost less than $20 (remember we're talking Manhattan prices here). Though a computerized sommelier would probably be out of place here in Buffalo, I would like to see the average wine drinker step a little outside of their comfort zone and try something new.

Recently I enjoyed a very nice bottle of 2006 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages, a wine I paid less than $8 for with a Wine Spectator rating in the high 80's. What have you tasted lately that you'd recommend? Being that most people I speak with on any given day do not drink $50 bottles on a regular basis, I'd like to see readers offer other readers suggestions for wines that cost less than $15--even better, less than $10. Let's look at wines that are smooth and easy drinking, but less obvious than Yellowtail and Barefoot, merlot and chardonnay. Any suggestions?