Five Quirky, Romantic Wine Labels

by Kristine Hansen, Posted Feb 11th 2011 @ 5:00PM

Cycles Gladiator romantic wine label Photo: Andy Field (Hubmedia), Flickr

For Valentine's Day this year you could give your sweetheart one of our favorite boxes of chocolates or take our advice on a bottle of great sparkling wine. Or, you can celebrate humor and wit with one of these bottles. Each of the five labels we've selected is tongue-in-cheek, funny or downright obnoxious. But they're romantic all the same.

Without further ado, here are five of our favorite quirky, romantic wine labels.

Cycles Gladiator 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, California ($10)
The red-haired woman cycling naked through a midnight sky is borrowed from a vintage (1895) French poster by G. Massias. In 2009 the state of Alabama deemed this logo -- from Hahn Family Wines -- pornographic and consequently banned its sale there. (Note, you can also purchase a Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Grigio with the same label.)

Naughty Cellars 2004 "Racy Red" Blend, Napa Valley, California ($50)
Is the cherub on the label creepy or naughty? You decide. Since it's Napa Valley red fruit you probably can't go wrong with this wine. Buddies Steve Reynolds (owns Reynolds Family Winery) and Oscar Renteria (a seasoned member of Renteria Vineyard Management) teamed up to create this juicy blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc, as well as its very suggestive label. And it doesn't stop with "Racy": the collection also includes "Sticky" (Semilion and Sauvignon Blanc), "Inky" (Petite Sirah and Syrah) and two "Naughty Bubblies" (Rose and Brut).

PinUp Wine 2007 "Cabaret," California ($37.50)
If thigh-high, lace-edged stockings aren't sexy, then what is? This label, from Russian River Valley wine producer De La Montanya Estate Vineyards & Winery, is slapped onto not only the Cabaret (a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel), but another 2007 vintage: "Desire" (a Bordeaux-style blend). Various blends created over the years, and with a pin-up label, are also sold.

Some Young Punks 2007 "Quickie" ($20)
This blend of Barossa Nebbiolo and Clare Valley Shiraz -- from the producer's Pulp series, which includes three other wines -- is an amazing Aussie bottling. But it's also an ode to pulp fiction, with a label borrowed from the pulp-fiction book Quickie! Available in very limited amounts -- just 144 cases were made -- this is a wine you want to treat like you would a new flame. Snap it up quickly.

Marilyn Wines 2007 The Velvet Collection "Pose 8" ($200)
Without question, Marilyn Monroe is the ultimate sex symbol of the last century. But honestly, is she going to get your guy as excited as today's sex symbols (hello, Angelina and Scarlett!)? Poke fun at retro icons such as Marilyn as you sip one of the bottles -- we vote for this one, in which she is totally naked and the graphic art is, uh, strategically placed over the nude photo-portrait taken by Tom Kelly, Sr., in 1949. he wine is a blend of Bordeaux varietals: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. But if you're balking at the $200 price-tag, know this: It's actually a 1.5-liter bottle, not the typical 750mL.

Filed Under: Holidays, Drinks
Tags: valentines day, ValentinesDay, wine, wine labels