I remember, in the olden days, long, long ago, when customers would judge your wine by pulling the cork, and tasting the contents of your bottle. True, a nice presentation would always help, and perhaps even add a bit of gravitas to your brand, but it now appears that this old-fashioned notion might have changed somewhat. There’s a new generation of rude, budget-priced wines that have forced their way into shops and supermarkets, not necessarily because of their quality, but possibly based more upon the shock value of their labels…..

For example, you can now buy any number of ‘Bitchin’ wines – Sassy Bitch, Jealous Bitch, Tasty Bitch, Sweet Bitch, Royal Bitch and Happy Bitch. Then of course there are the more ‘macho’ brands such as Big-Ass Red, Ball Buster and Fat Bastard Shiraz (the latter actually made by an old friend of mine!)

These labels might go down well at a stag or hen party, but can you seriously imagine presenting one of these wines as a gift to you mother on Mother’s Day? They are quite obviously targeted at a certain type of consumer, and I am reliably informed that “this irreverence reflects an evolution in the cultural presentation of wine”. Casual apparently became cheeky, and cheeky has now given way to saucy, or perhaps even downright rude.

In an increasingly competitive market it’s quite clear that some winemakers have been frantically trying to popularise their products, and have been discovering new ways to move their bottles from the shelf without necessarily changing the contents!

Now, if only I could think of a good name for our b*@!$* Albariño.

I remember, in the olden days, long, long ago, when customers would judge your wine by pulling the cork, and tasting the contents of your bottle. True, a nice presentation would always help, and perhaps even add a bit of gravitas to your brand, but it now appears that this old-fashioned notion might have changed somewhat. There’s a new generation of rude, budget-priced wines that have forced their way into shops and supermarkets, not necessarily because of their quality, but possibly based more upon the shock value of their labels…..

For example, you can now buy any number of ‘Bitchin’ wines – Sassy Bitch, Jealous Bitch, Tasty Bitch, Sweet Bitch, Royal Bitch and Happy Bitch. Then of course there are the more ‘macho’ brands such as Big-Ass Red, Ball Buster and Fat Bastard Shiraz (the latter actually made by an old friend of mine!)

These labels might go down well at a stag or hen party, but can you seriously imagine presenting one of these wines as a gift to you mother on Mother’s Day? They are quite obviously targeted at a certain type of consumer, and I am reliably informed that “this irreverence reflects an evolution in the cultural presentation of wine”. Casual apparently became cheeky, and cheeky has now given way to saucy, or perhaps even downright rude.

In an increasingly competitive market it’s quite clear that some winemakers have been frantically trying to popularise their products, and have been discovering new ways to move their bottles from the shelf without necessarily changing the contents!

Now, if only I could think of a good name for our b*@!$* Albariño.