This wine label is sure to grab your attention. The head of a screaming woman with a bird’s nest mess of hair. A raven perched atop holding a bunch of grapes. Product name awkwardly hyphenated. The background split between bone white and burnt orange. What’s going on here?
It helps to translate the name of this wine. La Maldita means “little cursed one”. In Rioja, it is a reference to the Garnacha grape which is difficult to grow in the region. As explained on the back label, due to low yields and poor profitability, many producers have replaced their Garnacha vines with varietals that are less toilsome. This winemaker accepts the challenge and wears the curse as a badge of honour.
The story may account for the black-feathered symbol of jeopardy and tangle-tressed maiden of misfortune but how do these images communicate on their own? What’s the profile of the consumer targeted here? Do those who respond identify with this troubled soul?
The La Maldita label defies clinical analysis. It makes as much logical sense as growing Garnacha in Rioja. It damns the curse and vexation and meets them with defiance. Is it successful? Response and perspective are entirely personal. No generalizations apply.
The wine makes the determined effort worthwhile. The strife in the field yields to an easy-drinking wine in the glass. Vibrant, fresh and full-bodied. It leaves the label hysteria behind.
What’s your reaction? Please let me know in the comments below.
