The New Wine Label Phenomenon

It comes as no news to anyone that the American people love their animals. What did come as a surprise to me is that we also love animals on our wine labels. Yes, a study released earlier this year by ACNielsen confirms that wine labels with animal images are becoming increasingly popular in this country.

I felt compelled to do my own research on this topic so one evening I stopped by my local liquor store to check out the wine selection. Sure enough I was greeted with a veritable zoo of animals on labels. There were Dancing Bulls, Leaping Horses, Black Swans, Little Penguins, Kangaroos, even a hippopotamus courtesy of Fat Bastard Wines (which is French would you believe). This very informal research confirmed that there seems to be a much larger selection of wines with animal labels than ever before.

Critter Labels Rule

In the wine industry these animal labels are affectionately known as "critter labels", and the trend began back in 2001 with the introduction of the Yellow Tail brand of wines into this country from Australia. Pictured on the label is what looks like a kangaroo (but which is in fact supposed to be the yellow-footed rock wallaby). These wines had labels that looked striking, were priced very reasonably and they tasted great – so they became a runaway success. So much so that they spawned an entire new "category" of wine.

The ACNielsen study has some hard data confirming the popularity of this new wine category. In the past three years there have been 438 new Table Wine brands that have been successfully introduced in the American market (those wines that sold more than $20,000 annually). Of these 438 new brands 77 of them featured an animal on their label, around 18 percent. Combined with existing "critter label" wines, sales reached $600 million in 2005 out of a total of just over $4 billion, based on ACNielsen sales data from supermarket point of sale purchases.

"Critter-labeled wines are on the rise, quickly gaining share in the table wine category," said Danny Brager, vice president of ACNielsen's Beverage Alcohol team. "The sales generated by new brands featuring a critter outperform other new table wines by more than two to one." That's right, taken across the board new critter-labeled wines have proven in the marketplace to be more popular.

"While placing a critter on a label doesn't guarantee success, it is important that wine makers realize that there is a segment of consumers who don't want to have to take wine too seriously," said Brager. "Not only are they willing to have fun with wine, they may just feel ‘good' about an animal label presentation." With hundreds of new wine brands being introduced each year, wine makers realize that they need to stand out from the crowd if they are to make an impression. The easiest and most cost effective way to stand out is with an attention grabbing label on your bottle. The wine industry has also realized that there is an increasingly large segment of consumers who are attracted by fun labels. They want to buy a non-pretentious wine and they don't want to pay a fortune. These are the people who walk into a liquor store and supermarket and have no idea what they are going to buy – they decide by looking at the labels.

Chasing the Yellow Tail

The Yellow Tail wine phenomenon is the perfect example of this. From Casella Wines, a small family-owned winery in New South Wales, Australia, Yellow Tail went from zero to the number one imported wine in the US in just two years. The first year the Casella brothers expected to sell 25,000 cases of wine here, they ended up selling 200,000 cases. That was back in 2001. In 2005 they sold 8 million cases of wine. Yellow Tail Shiraz is now the #1 selling red wine in America (not just imports but ALL red wine). In the crowded and highly competitive US wine market with over 6,500 wine brands, Yellow Tail has become the #1 wine brand, and it took just five years.

Now, I realize that Yellow Tail's success is not just because of their label. They have a great product that is reasonably priced – the Shiraz is just $6.99 – and they have a very loyal base of repeat customers. But could they have become #1 without their unique label? I don't think so. One of the biggest barriers they faced was getting people to try the wine in the first place. With what looks like a brightly colored kangaroo on the label on a black background, it is a visually striking label. It was able to break through the clutter at the retail store with this label.

Perhaps the biggest indication of the success of Yellow Tail is the number of copycats it has spawned. Penfolds, Australia's leading winery, was obviously disappointed in missing out on this opportunity, so they responded with the launch of the Little Penguin brand of wines. There is now a deluge of animal themed wines, so much so that ACNielsen is tracking their sales now. Despite all this new competition Yellow Tail remains the most successful wine brand in terms of total sales.

Labels are a Powerful Tool

While the wine business is somewhat unique there are lessons here that can be applied to any industry. One lesson is that with a high impact label you can make inroads even in a conservative and image conscious industry such as the wine industry. Your label should be working hard for your product. It should be informational, be a sales and marketing piece, carry any necessary regulatory information, and at the same time be eye catching. If you are selling your products at a retail store, then your label needs to perform well in all these areas for your product to compete with other more established brands.

Your label is your sales tool. The success of Yellow Tail wines demonstrates that in any competitive industry a good label can help bring success. Of course, it doesn't have to feature a critter, but a visually appealing and eye catching label will always help sales.

____________________

***Fun Sites***

Wine of the Week (Click Here!)

Take a Tour of The Wine Country! (Click Here!)

____________________

Copyright (c) 2006 Peter Renton
Peter Renton is the founder of Lightning Labels, Inc. the leaders in digital label printing and custom labels. He writes regularly about the label printing and packaging industry on his blog at http://blog.lightninglabels.com http://barworks.blogspot.com http://barworks.wordpress.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Renton

Wine Storage Options for Serious Wine Collectors

Taylor & Norton Wine Merchants, fine and rare wines.- Click Here

Wine asset management, as serious wine collecting and storage has come to be known, is available in a variety of configurations depending on what a wine lover’s needs are. Storage options include vault-like facilities where a customer’s wine has a room all to itself, facilities that catalog and store wines all together in a cave or warehouse, decorative custom racks and cellars for the home and even wine storage lockers at local restaurants.

When deciding on how to store your wine, consider the following:

How long will your wine need to be stored?

There are many reasons to store wine, and the longer you plan to store it, the more important environmental conditions are. Some wine lovers store wine with a long-term investment in mind while others, such as wineries, may just be looking for a temporary space while their own storage facilities are full.

The type of wine you are storing also plays a part in length of storage time since many wines change and become more complex over time. Modestly priced wines generally improve more in the short-term, while finer wines that have come from quality fruit, harvested at the peak of ripeness and sugar levels, and are processed appropriately, will develop more complex flavors, intense aromas and deeper colors over many years assuming they are stored under the proper conditions.

How important is consistent temperature, humidity and lighting?

At a lower temperature wine develops more slowly, which allows it to reach and maintain its peak drink ability. If wine becomes too warm, certain aspects may mature and decline before others have been optimized. A temperature-controlled facility is a must for collectors who will be storing their wine over a long period of time. The industry standard for wine cellaring is 55-57 degrees.

Humidity levels are important as well. High humidity will cause mold and mildew, which can damage a wine’s label and foil. But too little humidity can cause corks to dry out, shrink, break the seal and ultimately spoil the wine. Humidity of between 60-70% is optimal and is the industry standard for cellar storage.

How important is security, privacy and accessibility?

If you are storing valuable wine and want to rest easy, you may want to choose a facility that has individual lockers, state-of-the-art alarm systems at the facility, and on each individual locker, on-site surveillance cameras and even a 24-hour, on-site security guard or residing resident manager. Also, a fire sprinkler system in the building would be reassuring.

Secure wine storage facilities located in earthquake country should also include sturdy shelving that is bolted securely to floors and walls and specifically designed to protect the wine in the event of an earthquake. If a facility also has a back-up generator system, you will have extra assurance that even during a power outage; your wine will be maintained at the proper temperature.

Other Storage Options

For wine collectors who want to keep their collection close to home, the sky’s the limit when it comes to personal storage containers, racks, cooling systems and cellars. If cost is no object and sufficient space is available, there are companies that specialize in building home wine cellars. Of course, this is the most expensive option and should only be considered if one is certain they will not be moving anytime soon. If properly designed and constructed, the home wine cellar can be a source of great enjoyment, but like many home improvements, the cost of construction is unlikely to be recovered if the home needs to be sold and may limit its appeal to future buyers who are not wine collectors.

There are many home refrigeration units on the market for storage of wine, but most of these are of rather limited capacity and unlikely to meet the needs of a serious collector. However, these units can be a good part of a storage solution – allowing a small sampling of the collection to be kept at the home while the bulk of the wine is stored off-site in a secure facility.

A final option is the installation of built-in or free standing wine rack in a room of the home. The problem here is that the wine will not be stored at optimum conditions since most people do not want to maintain their home at 55 degrees. Thus, for valuable wines, this should only be a short term solution for wine ready to be consumed in the near future.

For collectors of valuable wines with long term potential, the best solution is probably a combination of off-site storage in a secure facility with ideal temperature and humidity conditions, with some small amount of temperature-controlled storage in the home for those wines which are ready to be enjoyed at the peak of perfection.

By having a proper wine storage facility at your disposal, it is possible to buy cases of wine when they are first released and store them until they reach their peak. This can save significant cost compared to buying such wines aged to perfection (if they can even be found), and some collectors can sell the wines they have aged under perfect conditions and make a profit to fund further acquisitions of fine wines. Enjoy!

____________________________________

***Fun Sites***

Taylor & Norton Wine Merchants, fine and rare wines.- Click Here

____________________________________

Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
James Ledwith is a real estate developer specializing in self storage. His interest in collecting fine wines led him to recognize a shortage of secure, climate controlled wine storage facilities. www.MarinWineVaults.com http://barworks.blogspot.com http://barworks.wordpress.com

Wine Gifts - Elegant, Thoughtful & Elite

Wine gifts are considered as one of the best gifts for men. They come in a variety of tastes, vintages, colors, wrappings, baskets, labels, corkscrews, stoppers, etc. Many types of wines are available in the market and a variety of vintage wines are sent as gifts. Sending a wine gift is considered elegant and reflects upon the thoughtfulness of the sender of the gift. Wine gifts have become a symbol of elite gifting and hence are on the rise.

Generally four types of vintage wines are considered best for gifting for anniversaries, birthdays, diamond weddings, retirements and other special occasions. They are Madeira, Armagnac, Sauterne and Port.

Madeira is a fortified wine. It has a long history, it was used to toast the American Declaration of Independence. It does not go bad with changes in temperature and can be stored up to 200 years.

Armagnac is in essence a brandy and is made from distilled white wine in Bordeaux, France.

Sauterne is a type of sweet wine distilled in an area near Bordeaux named Sauterne. Sauterne can be stored up to 100 years. The alcoholic content of this wine is less compared to other wines. It is sweeter than other wines due to its sugar content.

Port wine is a fortified wine made in many different styles. They are stored in oak casks up to 100 years. It may be noted that the wines are stored for a long time in special containers in special conditions for them to improve or cure and once the bottle is opened it is to be consumed within a day or up to a week depending upon the type of wine.

There are wines other than the ones mentioned above like champagnes, red table wines, malt scotch whiskies and “celebrity wines” which are also gifted.

Wine gifts are generally given in a wine basket along with cheese, fruits, or sea foods depending upon the taste of the recipient. Wine gifts are wrapped in attractive wrappings and sometimes designer cork lifters and wine stoppers are also gifted.

An assortment of wine related gifts are available on the market like crystal ice buckets, ice tongs, crystal glasses, wine racks, wine cabinets, wine furniture, wine decanters, wine totes, wine bags etc.

With the advent of internet wine gifts can be purchased online and are delivered on required date to the recipient.

When the recipient’s wine taste is not known, presenting a wine gift certificate is better as the recipient will be able to choose from an array of wines according to his/her liking on the company’s website. There are many websites and companies providing gift certificates and door delivery. Wine gifts are available in a wide range of costs ranging from under $35 to over $100. Some companies customize the label on the wine as per order.

Wine gift deliveries are not made to hospital patients and there are laws in different states on wine gift delivery.

______________________________________

***Recommended Sites***

DelightfulDeliveries.com Gift Baskets (Click Here!)

Wine Baskets and Gifts under $100 (Click Here!)

The Wine Enthusiast - Wine Cellars, Wine Accessories, Wine Racks, Wine Glasses and more. (Click Here!)

_________________________________________

Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Tyson J Stevenson writes on a wide variety of "every day" subjects, always with valuable news & reviews. Expect to see his name often. A related resource is www.WineGifts.com or visit www.HubbuH.com http://barworks.blogsot.com

Making Port Wine

I had a friend in college whose life's goal was to move to France, don a beret, stomp on grapes, and make wine for a living. Though I tried to tell her that there was more to wine-making than purple feet, and that berets were so "Clinton Administration," she ignored me and dreamt of grapes anyway.

Though I did not share her winemaking aspirations and decided instead to dream of something much more realistic, like a marriage proposal from George Clooney, she did get me thinking about the process, and she got me thirsty for knowledge. This eventually led me to discover different types of wine require different recipes, with one of the most complex belonging to Port.

Prior to actually reading about making Port, I was under the impression that all it involved was people stepping on grapes in bare feet. Because of this, I often worried that I would be drinking Tinta Barroca, and find floating in my glass a human toenail or perhaps a foot corn. But, in truth, port-making is a lengthy, complicated process.

Port wine, also known as Vinho do Porto, Porto, or Porto wine, is a fortified wine that comes from the Douro Valley in the northern lands of Portugal. Produced in Portugal since the mid 15th Century, Port gained popularity in England after the Methuen Treaty of 1703. While this treaty did war-related things reserved for history books, in regards to wine it caused England to become an adopted family for Port, with Portugal being the biological parents.

There is no easy way to make Port: no kind comes in a packet with "just add water" instructions. Instead, the process initially involves picking grapes, smashing them, and then placing them in an automated tank where they are further chopped into tiny pieces. After remaining in this tank for nearly twenty-four hours, the grapes begin to ferment and their sugar climbs the food chain, turning into alcohol.

With Port wine, after fermentation begins, timing takes over. Once half of the grape's sugar has been converted, fermentation must be stopped. In order to do this, the wine is mixed with clear brandy (a strong alcoholic spirit distilled from wine) containing a proof of 150. The alcohol in the brandy kills the yeast in the wine, causing fermentation to cease. The ending result is a sweet wine that is about 20 percent alcohol. It is typically served with desserts, cheese, and, of course, desserts made of cheese.

Though there are many styles of Port - White Port, Ruby Port, Young Tawny Port, Aged Tawny Port, Vintage Character Port, Late Bottled Vintage Port, Traditional Late Bottled Vintage Port, Vintage Port, Single Quinta Vintage Port, Crusted Port, and Garrafeira Port - most styles fall into two broad categories: Bottle aged or Cask aged. Because doing the tiniest thing different will result in a different taste of wine, the two Port processes greatly dictate the flavorful outcome. While Bottle aged Ports generally behave like wine on Botox, keeping their color and their fruitiness well into maturity, Cask aged Ports lose flavor quickly. They are ready to drink right away.

The best Ports to know, the ones to introduce yourself to before sending them down your esophagus, are the Taylor Fladgate Tawny Port, W. & J. Graham's Tawny Port, Smith Woodhouse Vintage Character Port, Niepoort Vintage Port, Quinta do Infantado Single Quinta Vintage Port, and Adriano Ramos-Pinto Late Bottled Vintage Port.

As demonstrated, the process of making Port is not as simple as one might imagine; it involves a little more than simply visiting a vineyard, and being met with thousands of grapes shouting, "Pick me! Pick me!" And, it involves more than taking off your tennis shoes and having a smashing good time. After a careful, lengthy process, the smashing good time will follow.

______________________________________________

***FUN SITES***

The Wine Enthusiast - (Click Here!)

_______________________________________________
Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Jordan http://barworks.blogspot.com

Did You Know?

One of the most popular drinks around the holiday season is eggnog. But where did the name eggnog come from? History offers differing versions as to the origins of the popular holiday beverage's name, but it is likely derived from combining one of its main ingredients, eggs, with the term "noggin," a reference to the small, wooden mugs used to serve drinks in European taverns.

Another popular theory offers that eggnog got its name by combining eggs with "grog," the term used for rum in Colonial America. Even George Washington was a big fan of eggnog. He concocted his own recipe featuring rye whiskey, rum and sherry.

______________________________________________

***Fun Sites!***

Get Dad a Beer Club Membership This Year (Click Here!)

Send a Fruit and Wine Gift today! (Click Here!)
Will make a great (even for yourself!).

_____________________________________________

http://barworks.blogspot http://pickamortgage.blogspot.com

Wine Lore: Folklore That's Had a Few

All of us, no matter how skeptical we claim to be, have been impacted by Folklore at some point in our lives. From those of us who refuse to utter the words "Bloody Mary" in front of a bathroom mirror because we believe an Urban Legend, to those of us who still peer out a snow covered window on Christmas Eve in hopes of seeing eight tiny reindeer, Folklore is a part of our lives. And, what's more, Folklore seems to have had a hand in every aspect of our culture, with its clever fingers grabbing onto our customs and traditions and adding a new spin.

Not immune to Folklore is wine. Wine, having existed throughout the travels of time, comes with its own legends and its own stories. Whether or not the tales are true, we will probably never know. But, chances are, they are based on some truth. And, chances are even greater, the stories will become more believable with each glass of wine consume.

So, pour yourself a drink and enjoy some wine lore. It's Folklore that's had a few.

Women Invented Wine
The male species is credited with the invention of both the wheel and fire. Thus, it seems only fair that, in lore, women would be credited for a great invention, the invention of wine.

As Persian legend goes, wine was invented when a woman, plagued by a headache, drank fermented juice from a jar used for grape storage. After consumption, she became relaxed and at ease, eventually falling asleep and waking up cured.

However, it is believed in Greek Mythology that wine was invented by Dionysus, appropriately named the God of Wine, Intoxication, and Fertility (the coupling of Intoxication and Fertility can probably explain the Greek's booming population). As was commonly accepted, he invented wine on Mount Nyssa and soon began to cultivate grapes around the world.

While the Persians and Greeks disagree on who invented wine, chances are they both breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that at least it was invented by someone.

Abreast of Invention: The Wine Glass
Typically, we probably don't concern ourselves with the history of the wine glass, being more focused on what's inside. But, according to legend, the invention of the wine glass was a bit more unique than the typical run-of-the-mill appearance at the US Patent Office.

Dating back to Greek Mythology, it is rumored that the first wine glass was molded from the breast of Helen of Troy. Because the Greeks believed that there was something very sensual in the essence of wine, they wanted the glass that held it molded from the breast of their culture's most beautiful woman.

However, in what may have been one of history's first cat fights, Marie Antoinette, centuries later, decided she would create a new glass, molded from her own breasts. But, because Marie Antoinette was better endowed than Helen of Troy, the wine glass went from the equivalent of an A-cup to a D-cup, changing the shape of the glass entirely and, ultimately, changing how much wine a glass would hold.

Red Bearded Emperor
We all know that red wine can stain. But, what we might not know is that its ability to stain ultimately led to the offspring of white wine in Burgundy. According to Burgundy legend, an Emperor by the name of Charlemagne was an avid red wine drinker for the majority of his life. However, the more red wine he drank the more red wine would fall into his beard, leaving his naturally white beard, well, burgundy. He felt that the look wasn't one an Emperor should possess and so he began to switch to white wine, demanding a portion of the vineyards of Corton Hill be replanted with white grapes. This, ultimately, is how Corton-Charlemagne found its way into the world of wine.

German Superstitions
Germany, a nation known for fine wines, also possesses fine wine superstitions, believing certain things can cause havoc on their vineyards and wineries. In a town called Varnhalt, located near the historical state of Baden in southwest Germany, a tradition that has been carried down by generations of wine makers perpetuates the belief that the last grape harvest of the growing season must be brought home in a cart pulled by an ox. If it is brought home in any other manner, the grape harvest will be filled with sour grapes, producing undrinkable wine.

In addition, the Germans also believe that when someone dies, the wine in the cellar must be shaken nearly immediately. If it's not shaken, the wine stored will all turn sour.

When in Rome, Don't Spill Wine
Everyone has always lived by the notion that there's no use crying over spilled milk. Spilled wine, on the other hand, is another story. The Romans possessed a belief that spilling wine inadvertently was an omen of disaster, as ominous as crossing paths with a black cat or having a snake fall from the roof into a yard. When wine fell to the ground or on a table, bad things - a storm, a plague, a betrayal by Brutus - were bound to be imminent.

In fact, this is a belief that many people generally possess. Perhaps it's because there is some validity to it or perhaps it's because spilling wine is wasting wine, and therefore bad luck in itself.

However, spilling wine, when done on purpose, is believed to bring luck. The breaking of a wine filled glass is typically thought of as a good omen when performed at marriages. A token for a happy life, this act will lead to unyielding love and affection.

Wine lore is undoubtedly a part of our culture. Because wine is essential to history, it's only natural that legends, stories, and superstitions come with it, packaged in the bottle of every vintage. Because wine is so magical, having its lore in our lives has the potential to replace other types of Folklore: who needs a Bloody Mary when you can have a glass of wine?

__________________________________________________

***FUN SITE***

Wine Gifts Under $60 (Click Here!)
Send an impressive gift of Gourmet & Wine classics for under $60!

_________________________________________________

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Jordan http://barworks.blogspot.com