My Week in Wine Labels (3)

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!