Every Wine Needs A Bachelor - Ask Firestone

The enjoyment of wine is truly a love affair. To fully appreciate it one should treat wine as if it is a woman. From the moment her label catches your eye, to the manner by which you get to the juice, wine should be romanced. Unlike cracking open another brew, wine has a delicate ritual which builds the anticipation. The romance only grows once wine enters the glass. We don’t shoot, or pound or shotgun wine. No, like courting a woman we take a moment to drink her in mentally. We, see, swirl and smell, pausing to enjoy all she has to offer, and only then do we attempt our first sip.

In fact, the whole yin vs. yang, male vs. female sense of the word, wine is definitely a she, (Beer is a man as wine is a woman and hard alcohol is bisexual but that is a whole other story) and why not, the sensibilities of wine are best described as feminine. Women and wine have much in common, and in fact women love wine. More than fifty percent of all wine drinkers are woman. Marketers know this and many try to build their wine’s image with women in mind. One of the most widely known attempts was the Bachelor.

The advent of Reality TV brought us faux realities which draw on our deep desires, a marketers dream. One such reality was the Bachelor, a show driven by the Disney sensibility of finding prince charming (It’s no wonder ABC broadcast the show). In the second season ABC smartly merged feminine desire with feminine sensibilities in the wine producing Bachelor, Andrew Firestone.

Suddenly Firestone was more than tires, it was wine, and a little known winery placed its name in the nation’s conscious. Firestone is a good little winery; they make a great Estate Sauvignon Blanc. Located in Santa Ynez Valley, the growing conditions are optimal for showcasing the varietal's bright, expressive character. Firestone Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2005 begins with striking aromas of passion fruit, kiwi and lemongrass. Crisp flavors of grapefruit zest and guava unfold with appealing mineral accents. A clean, focused texture joins firm acidity for a long, quenching finish.

Firestone was able to embrace the feminine spirit of wine and pair that with feminine desires to create a way for their wine to stand-out from all the other labels. Still, it is important to remember that it was more marketing than wine making that made the Firestone winery name. I'm sure the Celebrity of it all had something to do with it as well. For my money though it isn’t how she’s dressed or what others think about her, wine appreciation is not a pageant it is something more personal. The only thing that matters with wine and women is what’s inside. So take some time to find "your" great wine. Every wine deserves a bachelor to sing her praises.