Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Labels

As The Gurgling Cod noticed the other day, this week's NYT mag Consumed column explores the phenomenon of the adorable wine bottle. Megamarts now sell lots of fermented grape juice and much of it appeals to its prospective drinker with cute critters on the label. The best example is Yellow Tail, the Australian brand with the hopping wallaby (right). Aside from the critters, there are assorted other items that catch our eyes, from curvy women to French chateaux.

It occurred to me at the supermarket today that it's not only wine bottles that woo us with their little pictures. Bottles of beer and spirits (not to mention boxes of breakfast cereal and bags of rice) offer up mascots too. Many of them make you go, "Awww," but some of them aren't at all adorable. Can you tell the wines from the other potent potables? Of the following eleven images, at least five are wine and at least five are beer; some are domestic and some are imported. Bonus points for naming the wine or beer, and even more bonus points for identifying the place where it is made. Answer (or just guess) in the comments.



A.


B.


C.


D.


E.


F.


G.


H.


I.


J.


K.

8 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

B and I are wine-don't recognize the rest.

B is David Lance Goines' design for a wine company that does a zinfandel-Ravenswood, is it?
What does it mean that I recognize the artist, but not the product?

That bear thing in I is a chardonnay done in some very toasty oak.Don't remember that name either. Senility, no doubt.

Cute animals are now all over aussie wines, I guess due to runaway success of Yellowtail?

I like pretty wine labels, myself...

12:14 PM  
Blogger mzn said...

Lindy and BNA are both right about B and I. Toasted Head is a California Chardonnay. And BNA is right about C and G. Fat Bastard is French, by the way.

I'm going to keep quiet about the other guesses for now.

5:34 PM  
Blogger zoe p. said...

i've heard about this craze. but buying wine in PA is sort of soviet-era . . .

and in the spirit of utopian potlach, how about this old goat? my parents love it, but my cousin says it tastes like lighter fluid . . .

11:38 AM  
Blogger mzn said...

I have no idea what that goat is, but I'll guess California red.

In general, I think wine labels are more cutesy and beer labels are more macho, but it's not a strict rule.

Now a big hint for those still playing along: BNA was right about all but one.

11:47 AM  
Blogger Jocelyn:McAuliflower said...

arriving late to the party...
This is a fun game!

The Ravenswood (one of the most celebrated tattoos to come off of a wine label) and the Dead Guy Ale are the only beverages I recognize. I remember the Steadman art being on a beer, but I can't remember which!

I swear the Ram (K) is a beer, maybe even a Pilsner?

11:44 PM  
Blogger Drew Rosielle MD said...

A. Cattail Ale, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee
H. ?pale ale, Flying Dog Brewery, Colorado

9:52 PM  
Blogger mzn said...

Here are your answers:

A. Cattail Ale, Lakefront, Milwaukee.
B. Ravenswood, as many of you got.
C. Red Truck, California.
D. New Glarus Brewery (this image is on the cardboard sixpack, not on any one bottle), New Glarus, WI.
E. Moretti beer, Italy. I thought someone would get this one.
F. Duckhorn Vinyards, Napa.
G. Fat Bastard, France.
H. Flying Dog, Colorado.
I. Toasted Head, California.
J. Dead Guy Ale, Rogue Brewery, Oregon.
K. Shiner Bock, Texas.

Thanks for playing!

2:13 PM  
Blogger zoe p. said...

Z. Old Goat is Bully Hill, Upstate NY

10:02 PM  

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