What drives you to reach for your go-to bottle of Chardonnay? Sure, the security of pulling the cork and knowing you’ll be pleased is part of it, but what happens when you want to try something new? We’ve all been there, the dead stare and brain boggle while standing in the wine aisle. What do you gravitate toward and why?

Wine manufacturers have started a new trend to try and steal your glance from the competitor’s bottle next to it. Quirky, funny, off-the-wall labels that make us artsy types fall for our own craft. After these labels are made, they’re stuck on a bottle of (insert your drink of choice here). Never under-estimating the power of human curiosity, Wine companies have realized that we quickly correlate that which looks good to something that tastes good, and it is that belief that has formed a new cult of eccentric bottle labels.

Whether it’s a hand written bottle of house wine, or a mischievous upside-down written “Evil”, we each respond to something differently. It is that response which transmits a message to our brain, sending a signal to our arm, and ultimately selecting the bottle for purchase. But what happens when you pour a glass, does the taste live up to the packaging?

Sure, it looks great but how much does that look have to do with the way our taste-buds respond? Then furthermore, this bottle, which we selected strictly due to design, is left empty and where does it go? Wine bottle collection, garbage, recycling? You may have fallen in love with your new favorite Vino, or you may never buy the bottle again, but either way you’ve made the decision to consume something based on its aesthetic appeal.

Fun fact: Did you know that red wine spoils if exposed to light? Hence the tinted bottles.

Don’t let the fear of Merlot mouth stop you from experimenting, pour a glass a let us know!

• Why did you pick that specific bottle?
• Did it taste as good as it looked?
• Would you buy it again?