Tell the truth; the first time you purchased a bottle of Mollydooker Shiraz “Carnival of Love,” the name was part of the attraction. Wines have traditionally been labeled with the family name followed by the word winery. To celebrate real creativity, let’s look at and rate five more of the coolest names in the wine world and what inspired them.
No. 5: Ménage à Trois | Cool rating: 8
A bit obvious on the innuendo side, but also a great double entendre because the original blends usually featured three-grape varietals. Bonus points were given for being one of the first to the name game and for delivering yummy wines at bargain prices.
A bit obvious on the innuendo side, but also a great double entendre because the original blends usually featured three-grape varietals.
No. 4: Coupe de Foudre | Cool rating: 8.5
This means “when lightning strikes,” but the French use it to describe love at first sight. The hope is that you will experience the latter with the wine itself. Bonus points were given for the peel-off label section that contains a love poem the owner wrote for his wife. The back is blank so the buyer can write his or her own love poem.
No. 3: Sine Qua Non | Cool rating: 9
Bonus points were given for using Latin to mean “cannot do without.” Amazing wines at amazing prices — along with Screaming Eagle — these are the most costly and collectable of California wines. If that is not chic enough, these blockbusters come in unique bottles with original label art by owner and winemaker Manfred Krankl. Creative wine names include Syrah called Eleventh Nail in My Cranium.
No. 2: Dark Star Cellars | Cool rating: 9.5
Multi-Tahoe connections bring this Paso Robles Winery up the ladder. Incline Village, Nev., residents and community philanthropists Kirk and Melissa Hankla own this winery that specializes in stout, yet sophisticated, reds from Paso’s cooler west side. Their Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc won “Best in Show” for the both the red and white categories at the 2016 4th of July Tahoe Wine Festival. The second connection is the name, Dark Star, the Grateful Dead song that is No. 57 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.
Mayacamas Winery | Cool Rating: 10+
Bonus points were given for the historical reference to the Wappo Tribe that settled and named the valley of Napa, meaning “the land of plenty,” and the Mayacamas Mountains that form Napa’s western border. Mayacamas means “cry of the mountain lion,” which even the most jaded reader will have to admit is tres froid. Extra bonus points were given for Mayacamas offering some of the best values in Napa wines that age and improve for decades.
Send me your favorite cool wine or winery name and maybe you’ll see their story in a future column.
