Seriously, it fits my definition for cheap - in the decent-wine market in the US right now - at a $15 price. I know the import chain is going to add price along the way. And without reference to other wines that I will never see here in the US, this is a darn nice Malbec. That's all I've got.
Funny this particular choice after discussing "cheap" wines and their labels, to pick this one. It's good, but Mosquita Muerta makes far better, this is their low-end supermarket wine, made exactly for the local equivalent of Yellow Tail drinkers. I'm actually a little shocked that it's around $15 in the States. Here in Argentina, let's see, at the grocery store down the block it's 6798 pesos... about $4.50 a bottle. Oh, and it's on sale this weekend, 3 for 2!
"Wisdom?" Hmmm. What anyone in their right mind should do is avoid paying attention to anyone dispensing advice based on nothing. Sure, animals are used on labels to help sell wine. Anything is fair game in the marketplace. The object is to stand out on the shelf, so obviously label design is more important than use of animals or any other illustration. Use of animals, however, is a time honored tradition used for thousands of years to make a point. Egyptians engraved cats, lions and all sorts of animal on their walls. The Greek gods loved to turn themselves into animals to do mischief. Families expressing their spirit and tradition used animals in their coat of arms. Animals are hugely important in Native American art and religion. Ergo, it makes sense, if you can do it tastefully, to put animals on your wine labels. You obviously pay big bucks for the brands associated with the Stags Leap District AVA. Frog's Leap makes some of the most serious low intervention, organic, dry farmed wines in the world. Respectable European brands employ everything from rhinos and birds to farm animals. Dogs are man's best friend, although cat people disagree, so of course you find dogs and cats on labels. If you don't like any of that, well then, you're just not... human!
Dan, I'm going to blame tariffs. :)
Seriously, it fits my definition for cheap - in the decent-wine market in the US right now - at a $15 price. I know the import chain is going to add price along the way. And without reference to other wines that I will never see here in the US, this is a darn nice Malbec. That's all I've got.
Funny this particular choice after discussing "cheap" wines and their labels, to pick this one. It's good, but Mosquita Muerta makes far better, this is their low-end supermarket wine, made exactly for the local equivalent of Yellow Tail drinkers. I'm actually a little shocked that it's around $15 in the States. Here in Argentina, let's see, at the grocery store down the block it's 6798 pesos... about $4.50 a bottle. Oh, and it's on sale this weekend, 3 for 2!
"Wisdom?" Hmmm. What anyone in their right mind should do is avoid paying attention to anyone dispensing advice based on nothing. Sure, animals are used on labels to help sell wine. Anything is fair game in the marketplace. The object is to stand out on the shelf, so obviously label design is more important than use of animals or any other illustration. Use of animals, however, is a time honored tradition used for thousands of years to make a point. Egyptians engraved cats, lions and all sorts of animal on their walls. The Greek gods loved to turn themselves into animals to do mischief. Families expressing their spirit and tradition used animals in their coat of arms. Animals are hugely important in Native American art and religion. Ergo, it makes sense, if you can do it tastefully, to put animals on your wine labels. You obviously pay big bucks for the brands associated with the Stags Leap District AVA. Frog's Leap makes some of the most serious low intervention, organic, dry farmed wines in the world. Respectable European brands employ everything from rhinos and birds to farm animals. Dogs are man's best friend, although cat people disagree, so of course you find dogs and cats on labels. If you don't like any of that, well then, you're just not... human!
Excellent analysis as usual, Randy. Thanks! And here's your elevator speech summation, right here: "The object is to stand out on the shelf"!