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A wine bottle label design that often puts off snobs could be the sign of a high-quality booze bargain
Wine snobs are being urged to look past their prejudices against 'critter wines' - bottles featuring cute animal images on the label.
A deep dive into the world of wine with animal mascots by the Wall Street Journal has uncovered a trove of high-quality, affordable bottles that 'oenophiles' may be dismissing as cheap.
The rise of the infamous 'Yellow Tail' wine, with its cheerful wallaby logo, two decades ago sparked a surge in so-called 'critter wines' - budget bottles aimed at casual drinkers rather than serious wine enthusiasts.
'Animals give consumers vibes of cheapness,' owner of Wolfe's Wine Shoppe in Coral Gables, Florida, Jeffrey Wolfe, told the Wall Street Journal.
Last summer, a British wine expert was slammed for criticizing the iconic' Australian wine, with many calling him a 'snob' for his high-brow taste.
A deep dive into the world of wine with animal mascots by the Wall Street Journal has uncovered a trove of high-quality, affordable bottles that 'oenophiles' may be dismissing as cheap
The rise of the infamous 'Yellow Tail' wine, with its cheerful wallaby logo, two decades ago sparked a surge in so-called 'critter wines' - budget bottles aimed at casual drinkers rather than serious wine enthusiasts
Luke Flunder, who has been in the wine industry for over a decade and is an independent wine merchant, tasted the Australian Yellow Tail Shiraz ($8) - which claims to be the 'world's most loved wine brand' and has won 'over 550 wine awards' according to its label.
'It tastes like it has been grown in a laboratory - it's like when you've left a packet of Skittles in your car on a hot day and it's a warm, sticky mess,' he said about the popular wine last year.
The wine connoisseur also boldly stated that it 'wasn't a representation of the Shiraz grape' - but it was nevertheless drinkable.
Luke settled on a low 3.8 out of ten for the Yellow Tail Shiraz.
But an investigation by wine columnist Lettie Teague has found many impressive wines with animal-themed labels - from a $10 Malbec featuring a black goat to a $20 Chilean País with wild pumas.
But an investigation by one wine lover has found many impressive wines with animal-themed labels - from a $10 Malbec featuring a black goat to a $20 Chilean País with wild pumas
Other 'quality' bottles also feature images of horses, sheep, and even a leaping frog - many of which reflect strong ties to the land and heritage of the winemakers as well as the landscapes where the wine was produced.
Other 'quality' bottles also feature images of horses, sheep, and even a leaping frog - many of which reflect strong ties to the land and heritage of the winemakers as well as the landscapes where the wine was produced.
The 2022 Black Cabra Malbec, a $10 red that pays homage to the black goats that roam the Argentine Andes where it's produced, the article explained.
According to the author, Winemaker Fabian Valenzuela has crafted a delicious, soft-tannin red that gives some bang for the buck.
And the author found several excellent horse-themed rosés and reds, including bottles from Long Island vineyards and a Malbec from Argentina that pays tribute to the 'Padrillo' - a 'strong yet playful' creature.
Surprisingly, the one animal the author struggled to find was man's best friend - with just a single, underwhelming dog-labeled bottle that came up in their search.