Leslie Cramer has worked in the fine wine industry for twenty- something years. Known in some circles as "The Wine Wizardess," she'll cover topics from wine education, to trends o' the day and how to properly propose a toast, to health benefits of the grape.

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Fun stuff Friday: wine, dancing, eye-catching labels, and the humorous side of racial profiling

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September 5, 7:01 PM

by Leslie Cramer, Wine Examiner

Dancing' the night away

You're at the front door to the weekend. With luck, at least some part of it will involve wine and dancing (as will mine). Live it up, kick up your heels, and make it a good one. And beware the eye-catching label...

BE SURE TO WATCH THE ATTACHED VIDEO, ONE FUNNY MAN'S TAKE ON RACIAL PROFILING. Come on, yuk it up, it's really funny!

Dancing label

I was surfing the wine shops the other day, looking for a good, affordable Malbec for this month's online Wine Focus feature, when suddenly a label jumped out at me.

I mean "jumped" literally here: This label was moving! A pair of legs - male in slacks, female in stockings and heels - were sliding around a dance floor in an Argentine tango, right there on the wine-shop shelf.

Closer examination revealed that the label on Lo Tengo Mendoza Malbec contains a holographic image, one of those special photos that break up an image into tiny dots in many layers, built in such a way that the picture looks vaguely three-dimensional and seems to go into action when you move your eyes across it.

Let's pause at this point for a basic reality check: Wild, wacky and creative labels don't tell us a thing about the quality of the wine in the bottle, and it's senseless to make a wine-buying choice just because of an unusually eye-catching label.

But for those of us who enjoy watching trends and developments in the wine business, new ideas in wine labeling are worth following. In the highly competitive international market for wine, with tens of thousands of labels fighting for the consumer's attention, just about anything that makes a wine stand out among its neighbors on the shelf.

A dancing hologram grabs your attention if only because it's innovative and eye-catching. It's the first I've seen, but will it be the last? I doubt that.

For more info: Check out one of my favorite sites,the 30 second wine advisor at wineloverspage.com. Enjoy the video!

Topics: malbec , labels

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Comments

The best wine/food match-up for Thanksgiving day

2 comments

November 24, 2:37 PM

Don't turn it into a dilemma. You're probably thinking 'white wine with white meat,' and generally that's a fairly good rule of thumb. But, now the dilemma-part... which white wine?And don't stop there. As mentioned in other recent... Read More

2008 Beaujolais Nouveau arrives

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November 21, 2:14 PM

In stock, now!Reviews are coming in slowly but surely. Read on to catch up on the fanfare and houpla surrounding the arrival of the first taste of the Beaujolais harvest. Kitchy? Yes. Worth the 10 bucks or so? Maybe. ... Read More

Beaujolais Nouveau the recipe for Thanksgiving success

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November 19, 12:25 PM

Think word association, along the lines of "What goes with what?" What's the beverage of choice at a hot, sweaty baseball game? Cerveza, of course. What comes to mind when you think of toasting for New Year's Eve? The... Read More

Beaujolais Nouveau's arrival- 4 days and counting! Facinating Facts!

1 comment

November 17, 10:41 AM

I found these facts both fun and interesting, as well as informative, along the lines of 'stuff you may not know, but always wondered about.' Get ready for midnight, this Thursday! 10 Fascinating Facts About Beaujolais NouveauBy Brad Prescott... Read More

Beaujolais Nouveau- throw a party!

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November 13, 8:12 AM

Celebrate the arrival of this year's Beaujolais nouveau with a fun and festive party.Want beaucoup fun? Kick off the holiday season by throwing a Beaujolais nouveau party. Beaujolais nouveau is a very young wine made from Gamay grapes in the Beaujolais... Read More

Sonoma Cutrer, Grace Cunnane, and www.inthehoodsf.com

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November 10, 12:30 PM

Call it fate, call it chance. Either way, things have a funny way of coming together, in the 'small world' sense. I was contacted by a lady from San Francisco who regularly reads my posts. What caught her eye was my postings on... Read More
Topics: Sonoma Cutrer

Beaujolais Nouveau; from a different perspective

1 comment

November 5, 2:29 PM

A 'fan' recently wrote me about the carbon footprint Beaujolais Nouveau will leave behind. It's always good to see and hear other perspectives as to their takes on certain issues of the day relating to wine. OK, fan, this one's for... Read More

Beaujolais Nouveau, part 1

2 comments

November 3, 2:17 PM

Most every one of my posts for the next couple weeks will be centered around Beaujolais Nouveau. Some will be serious and meant to educate, some humorous, and some will be facts and quizzes. But all are meant to entertain,... Read More
Topics: 101 Wines

Final Omar story; and wine in a coffin

1 comment

October 30, 1:31 PM

Wrapping up Omar, my final story is more about my Mom than anything else. On the eve of Omar two stray goats broke loose from their herd and wound up on my Mom's front porch; she lives close by on neighboring Tortola, in the BVI. They were... Read More
Topics: Egri Bikaver