Every producer knows the importance of the packaging of their wine, especially the label. It is well known that many, if not most, consumers judge a wine – and often buy a wine – based on the attractiveness of its labelling.
Australia made a huge success of attracting
the buyer with cute ‘critter’ labelling and South Africa is not averse to using
the occasional amusing or cuddly animal on its labels.
But what do you notice before the label? An
even stronger signal; that of the shape of the bottle. Some bottles look sexier
than others, some are taller, fatter, or heavier. Each is saying something to
the consumer. South Africa is not shy of the exotic bottle shape either,
designed to woo the consumer’s eye away from the plethora of anonymous other
bottles alongside it. I have yet to find any wine in one of these curvy-shaped
bottles offering as much appeal as the shape suggests (with the exception of
Vin de Constance, if you consider its gorgeously historic curves as exotic in
the 21st Century).
The really important message, if less
obvious, is being given out by the bottle shoulders. There are many variations,
but basically if the shoulders are flat or square then you can expect something
of a Bordeaux style. If the shoulders are sloping, expect something along Burgundy
lines, and if the bottle is flute shaped (tall, thin and very sexy) expect
something akin to Alsace or the Rhine.
It used to be simple. Square shoulders for a
red wine indicated Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec or less likely, another
of the Bordeaux varieties from the Medoc, including Sauvignon Blanc and
Semillon for whites. Or, of course, a blend of the above. Square shoulders would
also tell you the style of the red wine, in this case, structured, tannic and
serious; a food wine. Possibly a wine to save up for and put away for a special
occasion. Sloping shoulders suggested something along Burgundy lines or the Rhone,
perhaps a silky Côte Rôtie, an ethereal Pinot Noir, an intense Hermitage, or
maybe a classy Chardonnay. Fluted bottles meant a fragrant, aromatic wine from
the German/French borders; Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris or Gerwürztraminer.
Your choice was Western France (square
shoulders) or Central/Eastern France (sloping shoulders) or the Rhine basin
(flute) and thus a wine from a smart-sounding Chateau for Sunday lunch
(Bordeaux) or one from an unknown family producer to enjoy beside a log fire
(Burgundy) or something differently fruity and white (Alsace/Germany).
Sloping shoulder styles were harder to guess,
someone looking for something easy-going and juicy for easy drinking might be
happy with a St-Joseph or Côtes Du Rhône, but might end up with a firm and
tannic Crozes-Hermitage. Unless you knew that the Northern Rhône used Syrah and
the Southern Grenache, you could be very surprised. And further North in Burgundy
– despite being single varietal based for reds – quality was widely variable,
as well as style. Throw in Beaujolais, same bottle, different grape, and
confusion mounts.
At least, though, your choice was clearer,
classic Cabernet/Merlot dark fruited precision and aristocracy (square) or red
fruited, sumptuous palatable rusticity or, if you were lucky, elegance
(sloping) or intense perfumed hedonism (flute).
Then the New World entered the market.
Cabernets and Sauvignon Blancs came in the same shaped bottle, but the styles
were markedly different than their Old World cousins. A Chilean Cabernet is a
fruit pastille away from Bordeaux, the tannins are riper, the alcohol bigger,
the body fuller. Not only this, but square shouldered bottles are now used for Tempranillo,
Mourvedre, Touriga Nacional, Sangiovese and Carmenere. And for whites; Sémillon,
Chenin, Sauvignon, Muscat, Marsanne and
many more.
New World sloping shouldered bottles still
follow the Rhône pattern, largely, and centre around Syrah, Viognier, Chardonnay,
Gamay and Pinot Noir. Though Nebbiolo is included here (largely because Barolo
producers were inspired to imitate Burgundy). Of course, being the New World
means rules are optional. You might find a Pinot Noir now in sloping or square
shoulders, a Muscat in square or fluted, a Sauvignon Blanc or Sémillon in
square or sloping.
Why the different shapes? It is all about style and the subliminal
message to consumers. If I make a New World Shiraz in an Old World style (ie
less fruit attack, more restraint and elegance) then I might label it Syrah and
chose a Rhône bottle. If my Chardonnay is a nod to Burgundy then it is sloping
shoulders every time. If my Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon owes its heritage to
Bordeaux then it is square shoulders.
Being the New World there are no guarantees,
but at least the bottle shoulders will give you a hint as to what you can
expect on opening.