The Anti Wine Snob's Wine
Wine snobs can stop reading now.A novel vino brand that debuted last year just hit the shelves in DC and Maryland. Aiming to make pairing wine with food at home less daunting, Wine That Loves takes five popular American foods and offers a wine that, well, loves each food.
The bottle names and simple graphics spell it out. The current line-up (above) includes Wine That Loves Roasted Chicken, Wine That Loves Pasta With Tomato Sauce, Wine That Loves Pizza, Wine That Loves Grilled Salmon, and Wine That Loves Grilled Steak. They sell for $12.99.
Noticeably absent from the labels are vintage, varietal and country — the point being simplicity, after all.
Varietals were recently added to the web site, but with a disclaimer from the wines' creator, Ralph Hersom, a former wine director for Le Cirque in New York City: "If you are familiar with the varietals in our wine, don’t necessarily expect our wine to taste the way wines from those varietals typically taste. But, do expect our wine to be great on its own and to work great with the dish it was designed for."
To find the wines in the area, check here.
So what do you think? Overly simple or simply brilliant?
Comments
I need the Wine That Loves Brie And Strawberries On Wheat Crackers For Dinner.
Shoot, wines with cute animals on them sell better than those without.
That said, I doubt the typical consumer of these wines would be the average reader of this blog. The readership is undoubtedly food savvy (i.e., foodies). They obviously spend an above average amount of time thinking about, and reading about, fine food. Such individuals should have no problem with basic food and wine pairing (and even more advanced pairings). If you have room in your head for details about, for example, 20 different types of cheese, the differences between beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes, and the differences between poaching and braising, you can surely do basic food and wine pairings!
I think if you talk with most wine enthusiasts, they are eager to share their knowledge and are not snobby about wine. In fact, most wine lovers want everyone to catch the bug and most of us (except those with low egos) are thrilled with anything that encourages those who might be intimidated by wine to try it, including these new offerings.
So please don't perpetuate the stereotype of wine lover as a wine snob....thanks.
And to winelover, you are absolutely right and I only use "snob" in a lighthearted way. I'm regularly called a "food snob" by my husband, friends and the occasional stranger, and if that means I care about food and feel passionate, then snob away! I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing.
And you're right that most oenophiles I know are eager to share and bring people in. But there are people out there who hold their wine knowledge over others and would dismiss a wine like this instantly.
I was at an event last night where a wine called Barefoot was the charity pour ... but the representative serving it was so aloof and so full of attitude, that I can't imagine why I would ever buy it.
I guess that's the old don't piss me off factor.