Unlike most selections for these reviews, I wasn’t searching for this wine. It found me. I was looking for some casual bubbles for a weekend afternoon and this sparkler popped off the shelf. The large G and shiny pink foil on the capsule caught my attention enough to make me pick up the bottle. Given the lack of information on the label you have to pick it up in order to discover anything about it. There’s no producer branding or country of origin upfront. To be honest, my expectations were low.
The back label is a bit of a throw together but if you’re familiar with French bubbles, there’s two things you’ll recognize immediately. The producer, Dopff, and Crémant d’Alsace. The Dopff family has been producing wine since the 1500s and are pioneers in the creation of Crémant d’Alsace—sparkling wine made in the traditional method outside of Champagne.
Back to the packaging. Overall, the design and execution isn’t exactly en point. In fact it’s so confusing I had to search the proper name to title this post. The main label reads G point. The hashtag on the capsule says #pointG. On the back label it’s spelled G-Point.
There’s another disparity in the finishing. The fuchsia foil on the capsule works well. Repeating the foil on the label would be natural. Instead, the G is printed and appears to be thermal engraved. The artificial glow around the G seems superfluous.
Despite the questionable design decisions, this package achieves its primary objectives. Get attention and entice the consumer to pick it up off the shelf. It has presence. It suggests itself for social events and would look dynamic in quantity behind a bar.
The wine? Outstanding for the price. The packaging may be novel but the product is refined. Better than most of the competitors in the category in my opinion. It’s dry, refreshing and pours with rich mousse and explosive bubbles. Champagne taste on a Crémant budget.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
