19 Crimes calls out wine snobbery with ‘whine list’

Treasury Wine Estates’ 19 Crimes brand has called out wine snobbery with a ‘whine list’, as it announces the release of a canned wine range. 

The brand has released a ‘whine list’ which “calls out” what it describes as “the absurdity” of “old-fashioned practices” and encourages drinkers to “do away with them”. It said the list was a “critique of snobby and outdated wine-drinking practices”, and includes “stuffy traditions like drinking wine from specific glassware, sniffing before sipping, swirling, and scrutinising labels – practices which can make wine drinking seem complicated and overwhelming, especially for newcomers”.

The list was created by 19 Crime’s in-house winemaker, Isaure Blouet, with the brand adding that experts believe “many of the outdated rules that have become mainstays in wine circles are essentially old wives’ tales which have spread across the world over time”.

The whine list includes:

• Seeking out wines with ‘legs’ is a largely fruitless task. If a glass of wine has legs, it speaks to the alcohol content of the wine rather than the quality of it.
• A wine being aged doesn’t automatically make it better – in fact, white wines are much better enjoyed while they’re young and fresh
• A cork vs a screw top has no bearing on a wine’s quality, and in many cases, a screw top is a superior method of storing wine as the risk of cork contamination is eliminated
• There’s no ‘right’ temperature to serve your wine at, and actually, both reds and whites can be great at  a little below room temperature. Ultimately, it’s about personal preference and which tastes more enjoyable to you

It also included a list of wine people to “avoid” at a party:

• The Wine Bro: Clapton resident and proud owner of a very small beanie. You can find him working at your local ‘natty wine’ bar, sitting backwards on a chair with a tea towel over his shoulder while he talks you through the list, so you know that he’s not like the other wine waiters.
• The Tablescaper: Although she isn’t as snooty about the liquid itself, she has feelings about the way wine should be consumed. Don’t come to her dinner party with boxed or canned wine, and don’t even think about drinking your white in a stemless glass around her. Her glassware will be painstakingly chosen to ensure she can snap the best Story fodder and project picture-perfect hosting skills.
• The Classic: Tweed jacket, salmon trousers, ruddy nose and face. Owns dogs that have jobs (such as ‘gundog’). Believes any wine innovation to be bad, and is only interested in drinking the biggest, boldest reds he can get his hands on. Has a cellar which he will gladly take you into so that he can talk at you for hours about all the different times he drove to France to purchase wine.

Snobs “everywhere”

Chantal McDowell, senior brand manager at 19 Crimes, said: “Unfortunately, wine snobs are everywhere. However, they’ve got better at concealing themselves in recent years – they take many forms outside of overly-snooty sommeliers.”

The list was announced as the brand released its rosé and Chardonnay wines in 187ml cans with the aim of reaching out to consumers who are hitting festivals, parks and other outdoor events in the late summer.

It said that it was releasing the packaging as part of its “continued efforts to oust wine snobbery and democratise the wine industry”.

Russell Kirkham, head of regional marketing (EMEA) at Treasury Wine Estates, said the brand was aiming to “challenge the notion that quality wine has to come from a glass.”

“Drinkers should feel empowered to create their own set of rules for savouring wine — and not be afraid to break them. Curiosity and adventure are at the heart of what we do at 19 Crimes.”

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