An Odd Couple

Shannon's latest blog entry...

Beckham and Bordeaux: Palate Pleasers


Wine Spectator announced on Wednesday that David Beckham recently purchased a vineyard in Napa Valley for his wife, Victoria. Now, before going on, I must admit that I am a great fan of Posh Spice (for her beautiful wardrobe and fashion sense), and an even greater fan of David Beckham (for his god-like looks and fierce talent as a footballer.)

However, this little bit of gossip calls into mind the increasingly branded and commercial route that the world of wine has taken. Sure, celebrities marketing their own name on a bottle of wine is hardly original (look at Francis Ford Coppola; Greg Norman; Marilyn Monroe), but at what point does this become mundane, and what is it doing to the stature of wine?

On an opposite note, here at Liquor Direct we are abuzz with our delivery of 2005 Bordeaux. Ranging from $9.99 to $110.00, these austere bottles are a bit of celebrities themselves. I found myself Thursday evening tenderly wiping away the bits of dust that collected on their labels, gingerly stacking their heavy wood sleeping cases, and finding a cool dark space for them to rest until their new owner comes for them. Why do we baby Bordeaux?

Now, as I compare the Beckham’s vineyard in Napa and Bordeaux right and left banks, (an old world vs. new world styled sentence if I’ve ever read one!), I’m left thinking about who these two ‘brands’ are targeting. People opposite each other on the demographic totem pole?

I think that the Beckham’s purchase and the prestige of Bordeaux compared side by side reveal one thing: the ever changing, ever growing market for wine. As more and more young people in the U.S. become interested in the grape, it is only natural that they gravitate towards brands that they recognize and aren’t intimidated by. Instead of turning up our nose at the choices of these new oenophiles, we must embrace them with open arms, and more, we must learn something from them: that wine was intended to be fun, to be enjoyed, and shared together.

So next time you’re at your favorite wine store and perusing the shelves and happen to come by the ‘Posh Spice Zinfandel’, at the risk of sounding “silly”, try it!