They say you shouldnt judge a book by its cover, yet when it comes to wine its the package and label that can make or break the sale. Theres an assumption in the wine world that if a label is brightly coloured and contains a cute lil critter (rabbit, kangaroo, turtle) its most likely pretty simple, over-oaked, fruity, too-sweet juice thats aimed at those not really interested in wines sense of place or terroir, much less its complexity or character. As the pendulum swings to conservative, image-free and text-dominant labels with plenty of clean space, we tend to think its more serious wine that may not be as immediately approachable, but will reward with intricate charm and a fine balance of acid, sugar, alcohol and overall structure. Rules to abide by? Absolutely not. Common assumptions that most of us adhere to? Probably.
In saying this, the first thing that gets discussed whenever I present, or simply mention a Moon Curser wine to anyone, are their labels. While the Osoyoos winery has only been active since 2006, theyd started out as Twisted Tree, a fairly generic name with ultra-plain label harbouring an image of a gnarled tree that doubled as the T in their winerys name.
Frankly, it looked like what youd print at home for wine-kit plonk. While their wine is quite good (well get there) the labels werent conveying much, so owners Beata and Chris Tolley felt it was time to switch things up.
They brought in Bernie Hadley-Beauregard for a re-brand, noting his success around the Okanagan with everyone from Blasted Church to Laughing Stock.
Twisted Tree became Moon Curser, an homage to cross-border gold smuggling under night skies in the late 1800s. Brightly coloured? Well, gold is pretty bright and shiny. Critters? Yup, there are silhouettes of an owl, a wolf and more.
While many are willing to give these wines a go based on their fun package, too often Ive known colleagues to be dismissive of them (without even given them a whirl) for the same reason.
So this week Im wholeheartedly endorsing Moon Curser wines, imploring those who may scoff at the pizazz to throw me a bone. Their Osoyoos desert property lends itself well to character-driven, multi-layered wines and (more importantly) Chris Tolley has a very capable hand in the winery.
While I dont adore absolutely everything they put out (Id love to see much less oak on the 2010 Malbec, $29) their classic varietals generally show strong, as do the quirkier ones they tend like the 2010 Tempranillo (plummy and gorgeous, $29) and their particularly kick-ass dark chocolate and espresso-laden 2010 Dead of Night Tannat-Syrah blend ($38.)
My two favourites:
Moon Curser 2011 Afraid of the Dark Marsanne/Roussanne/Chardonnay | $22
An abundance of stone-fruit, peaches, apricots and yellow plums all woven in with lemon zest, ginger and a fresh sprig of sage. Built for Asian-inspired dishes, make sure its not too cold or youll miss out on the subtler spice and herb flavours that mingle so nicely with the bright orchard fruit.
Moon Curser 2010 Border Vines | $25
One of the best value reds in the Okanagan, built from a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Malbec and Petit Verdot. All six grapes fall well into place, offering mulberries, currants, cocoa, licorice, tobacco and sage. Brilliantly structured, this puppy took home a Regional Trophy for Best Canadian Red at this years Decanter World Wine Awards. Not too shabby, uh? Pair this with any carnivorous fare and youll be a happy camper.
