A (hopefully) continuing series on wine labels, and the wines they adorn, under the macro lens . . .
I’ve been experimenting lately, taking photos of pieces of wine labels with my macro lens. It’s a lot of fun to see the colors, and especially the textures, on a wine label that you wouldn’t ordinarily see (or maybe even notice). It’s almost as fun as drinking the wine. Almost. So, I thought . . . why not stitch the photos together into a collage?
Voila! My week in wine labels.
Do you recognize any of these guys??
Clockwise, from the top right:
Herman Story On the Road Grenache 2008 
/92
Herman Story’s wine labels are the best. The BEST!! With every vintage, they’re consistent and yet evolving. And really, really clever. This wine is called On the Road, hence . . . the road! Simple and straightforward, I love this little green weed peeking out between the cracks in the asphalt. Maybe it’s the power of suggestion, but I can taste a whiff of asphalt in this wine.
I’m sooooo over the H3 (hazy, hot and humid) days of Virginia summer. I want fall — football, sweatshirts, fall foods, and heavier wines. The other night, my daughter was having a serious beef stroganoff craving, and that sounded like a perfect foil for summer, so we got to stroganoff-ing! And heavier foods need heavier wines, so I immediately thought of my good friend, Herman Story. By coincidence, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off happened to be on TV (and I can’t not watch Ferris Bueller if it’s on TV). I tuned in just as Jeanie was getting to know Boy in Police Station (pre-crazy Charlie Sheen). And I thought, hey, this wine kinda reminds me of him — bad boy, philosopher. 16.1% ABV. $43ish.
Champagne Baron Albert NV /90
From the Vallée de la Marne district of Champagne, this is a blend of Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, from two harvests. A picnic basket full of apples, pears, and biscuits — all backed up with the acidity I crave and expect from Champagne. A perfect partner for the Shrimp with Champagne Beurre Blanc Sauce my daughter (#mylittleJulia) made for dinner. (And no, she didn’t use the Baron Albert in the sauce!) I bought this bottle on WTSO. I find myself lying in wait for Champagne deals on WTSO — they haven’t disappointed me yet. Wait. What did I pay for this? $22?!? Dammit. I should have bought six.
Herman Story Tom Boy 2012 /90
OK, so I’ve been on a bit of a Herman Story kick this month. There are worse kicks. I so want to be a fly on the wall when Herman Story designs their next wine label. I love the visual connection between a Tom Boy and a pair of well-worn, well-loved jeans. I can’t wait for jeans and sweatshirt weather to arrive. Perfection.
This Viognier is one of my favorite white wines, year in and out. I normally prefer a cooler-climate, more restrained Viognier, but once in a while you just need to turn up the volume. And this is my volume Viognier. In the vein of back-to-school . . . this Viognier would never sit in the back of the classroom and try to be invisible. This Viognier sits front row, center. And owns the classroom. It’s a coconut meringue pie with a lemon chaser. It has a density and unctuous quality that will hold up to just about any food. I had this bottle with a humble baked potato (loaded with a pile of far less humble sour cream, butter, cheddar cheese and chives), and it soared. 100% Viognier. 15.9% ABV. $40ish.
Acrobat Pinot Noir Oregon 2013 /86
Acrobat is the second label for King Estate in Oregon. I love the simplicity on the label — graceful silver lettering and that’s it. The back-label of this bottle says, Acrobat is life in balance. Acrobat is style and grace. Light, and fruit-forward, more cherry-cranberry than earthy funk. Uncomplicated (the King Estate Pinots I’ve tried are a bit more substantial), but still manages to pull off balance and style (kind of like that pair of well-loved jeans!). Enjoyed this with French Dip sandwiches. I probably should have chosen a little heartier wine, but I need a Pinot Noir once a week to maintain my sunny disposition. 
And you know what? This was a $12 Costco find. So file it under weekday score!
Salud!
