Though no one knows better than I that you can’t judge a wine by its looks, that hasn’t stopped me from being a closet fan of eye-catching labels.
Call me a sucker for anything bright and shiny. If a winery has put some effort into their front panel (and by effort I mean some ingenuity that doesn’t look like it was birthed by a team of business suits) I’m always curious to find out if the juice delivers the same wow factor.
That’s what initially intrigued me about Kilikanoon Wines’ 2007 ‘The Lackey’ Shiraz ($17.95 – $19.99). Now while I’m no fashion plate, I was drawn to the Aussie wine’s strikingly simple black and white label which displays its name in rustic bold letters and a haphazardly dropped pair of Blundstone boots — the same style of Blunnies I own and am wearing right now.
Like the nearly indestructible footwear, The Lackey keeps on trucking with a dark, thick, youthful black fruit flavour and a lingering licorice spice trail that sets it apart from all the cookie cutter shiraz out there.
If you really want to fill your boots, try matching it with something robust like game meats or a chunky beef stew.
Prices reflect the range across the country. Some products may not be available in all provinces.
Peter Rockwell is the everyman’s wine writer, working in the liquor industry for more than 25 years and travelling the globe looking for something to fill his glass and put into words.
