Unusual wine brands

Time for a bit of fun: as readers may know, there are more than one million wine brands worldwide, of which only about 25,000 find their way annually to the tasting rooms of a world-famous wine magazine like Wine Spectator.

With such fierce competition, it's not surprising that some wineries try to differentiate themselves through unusual or outrageous labels - anything to draw attention in a crowded marketplace, and here are some of the wackiest labels I've come across, many of which would probably be banned in India:

Fat Bastard: A range of wines produced by Thierry & Guy in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France. The hippo gives it a 'critter' feel and tones down the expletive's sting (although 'Fat Hippo' wouldn't have the same shock factor, would it?). A Franco-Anglo collaboration that remains in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Bitch Barossa Grenache: This 2006 vintage was rated 90 points by Robert Parker. The 2011 vintage (just released) sells at $17 in the US and is described as "complex, supple, and totally over-delivers for its price". Producers R Wines and winemaker Chris Ringland have cleverly packaged a terrific wine with innovative branding that is a sure conversation starter - and (if reviews are to be believed) helped many a score!

Arrogant Frog: The Brits used to call the French 'Froggies' because frogs' legs were a delicacy in France; in retaliation come these tongue-in-cheek wines (also from the Languedoc region) which combine quality, value-for-money pricing ($ 10), and a witty name to forge a winning combination. I mean, how could anyone not want to try such an interesting label?

Soffocone di Vincigliata: The Bibi Graetz winery is located on a hillock near Florence, Italy, and the road leading to the castle has been a lover's lane for generations. Soffocone means 'big suffocation' in Italian: wine maker and owner Bibi Graetz seems to have got inspired at some stage (we can't say how!), created this label - and hand-painted the dress to protect tender sensibilities in certain markets. Imported by Wine Park Mumbai, this blockbuster is expensive (Rs 5,450 in Bangalore) but the story is rather engaging.

Black Sheep: I've always wondered about the rationale for 'critter' wine labels (brands with animals) - are they more memorable? There's Yellow Tail, The Little Penguin, Dancing Bull, Goats do Roam (a take-off on Cotes du Rhone), Madfish, Wolftrap, Porcupine Ridge, Fat Cat, and so on. Here's one with a rather grumpy sheep, not at all happy to be on a wine label. From California, but not much else is known about the wine.

Last (but not least) is Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush! Produced by Cooper's Creek (New Zealand), the label takes an irreverent bow to tasting notes that compared the aroma of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to cat's pee! One could ask where the taster experienced that aroma, since prominent wines in this genre include Cloudy Bay, Saint Clair, and Dog Point. To me the aroma is more of ripe guava (a fruit Western writers are not familiar with), but there are hints of asparagus and cut grass as well as tropical fruits in the best wines.

Wines I've been drinking: Chandon, the made-in-India sparkling wines from Moet Hennessey India, launched in Bangalore at the Skyye rooftop bar earlier this week with a rocking party. I continue to be impressed by how they've crafted a very drinkable bubbly - balanced, aromatic, and well-produced.

Alok Chandra is a Bangalore-based wine consultant