Woman on Wine

by Amy Reiley

In honor of Feb. 14, I’ve decided to explore an area of wine from which I used to steer clear: wines with suggestive names and/or sexy labels. I’m not one to fall prey to the marketing machine. Yes, I admit it; I did it in my more innocent year. (Usually getting burned). But there seems to be a turning of the tide in the industry with more and more reputable wineries dabbling in marketing to our sinful sides. So this February I bring you wines with sexy labels that are worth a swirl and sip. Bottoms up!

2005 Escort, Willamette Valley Pinot Gris
Naked Winery
Pinot Gris might be the best undiscovered white wine in America. And this PG exemplifies the qualities of the grape I most admire: light, crisp, floral and friendly to most every food. Maybe not as sexy as Pinot Noir, but this Pinot Gris is a very romantic wine. 

2006 Dominatrix, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Naked Winery
A light but expressive Pinot, this Willamette winner offers flirty aromas and a lovely clove note teasing the tip of the tongue, followed by hints of cherry and blackberry. And the finish? Soft and easy.

2005 Exuberance, Sonoma County Pinot Noir
Canihan Family Wines
As the name implies, this is a full-on, serious American Pinot. No, not another overripe fruit bomb; this is the real deal with dark cherries and spice weighted by earthy hints of truffle and bark.

2006 Flirtation, Napa Valley Dry Rose
O’Brien Estates
Flirtatious cranberry pink in color, this dry rose teases the senses with aromas and flavors of rose petals. All cuteness aside, this is a serious wine with good balance and weight. (Not to mention the romance of drinking roses.)

2005 Seduction, Napa Valley Red Blend
O’Brien Estates
A big, bold, wild woman of a wine, Seduction offers classic black cherry, cocoa and coffee flavors and aromas. Fine-grain tannins and a lingering finish add refinement to what is one hot red wine.

2004 Velvet Collection, Napa Valley Red Blend
Marilyn Wines
Surprisingly subtle for a wine with a steamy label of Marilyn Monroe posing on a red velvet drape, this well-structured Cab blend is the perfect food wine for a night of seduction. Blackberry and plum flavors and hints of spice bring to the wine even more layers that the wine’s label boasts. (To enjoy the label’s peel-off peep show, purchase is required!)