Collectible corks? Talking labels? How the wine industry trick millennial males to buy their wine

Ahead of Father’s Day, our wine expert picks the perfect reds for the man in your life

A selection of wines that would make a great gift this Father's Day

Mr Francois-L Vuitton Cuvée Privée du Château La Gaffeliére, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2014

A selection of wines that would make a great gift this Father's Day

Finca Flichman Gestos Malbec 2020

Bodega Matsu El Recio 2017

Mr Francois-L Vuitton Cuvée Privée du Château La Gaffeliére, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2014

19 Crimes Cabernet Sauvignon

Roquette e Cazes 2018

A selection of wines that would make a great gift this Father's Day

Aoife Carrigy

June 18 2022 02:30 AM

Impersonating an Egyptian. Stealing fish from a pond or river. Assault with intent to rob. Cutting or burning clothes. Just a few of the 19 crimes that could get a fella sent to Australia as a convict in the 18th and 19th centuries. The crimes are printed on the corks of the wildly successful 19 Crimes wines from one of the world’s largest wine companies, Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates.

These collectable corks are part of a battalion of unique marketing quirks designed to appeal to millennial males who need added incentive to choose wine over, say, beer or spirits. The most elaborate flourish is the AR-assisted talking labels which, when viewed via the 19 Crimes augmented reality app on a smartphone, bring to life the against-all-odds stories of some of those convicts.

Several of those featured were Irish Fenians, convicted to ‘punishment by transportation’ for membership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Once you get past the crimes against the Irish accent, it’s fascinating to get little snapshots of their true stories. Both John Boyle O’Reilly and Michael Harrington — who appear on the Red Blend and Cabernet Sauvignon respectively — were key players in the wildly elaborate Catalpa rescue that involved Harrington and five more of the Fremantle Six escaping Western Australia by rowing a small boat through a typhoon out to a waiting American whaling ship and onto the merchant ship Catalpa that had been commandeered by former felon-turned-escapee Boyle O’Reilly.

Gimmicky? For sure. Effective and original? Absolutely, judging from the resulting jump in sales (from 4 million to 18 million bottles in just 18 months) and the ensuing fleet of wine-brand imitators. If you’re after a novel gift for someone this Father’s Day, a bottle of 19 Crimes could be fun — though be warned that these medium-sweet red wines are designed for broader mass appeal with residual sugar levels akin to Dada, Ménage à Trois and Yellow Tail (typically 12-16g per litre).

For those who prefer their red wines drier, my wine of the week is one of a trio of well-crafted biodynamic old-vine Spanish wines. The handsome mugs on each label communicate the style within and how much ageing they have enjoyed (two months in concrete for the youngest, El Picara; 16 months in new French oak barrels for the oldest, El Viejo). Joining them are three solid gift choices to fit all budgets, two of which trade not on the story told by individual faces but the quality ensured by long-standing family names. Finally, a twist on the reliability of Argentinean Malbec, with a label that communicates the difference that altitude can make.

Wines of the week

Bodega Matsu El Recio 2017

Bodega Matsu El Recio 2017, Toro, Spain, 14.5pc, €23.95
If you had to pick just one from Bodega Matsu’s rock-solid trio of old-vine Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo), make it this robust but smooth-talking and surprisingly finessed fella. Aged for 14 months in second-use oak to guarantee those soft edges, with generous notes of ripe black fruits, chocolate, and a hint of vanilla, silky soft on the palate yet with mineral structure on the finish. Or treat someone this Father’s Day to a box of all three, for €85 in selected stores. Pinto Wines, 64 Wine, Green Man Wine, Mitchells, The Wine Centre, Bradleys Cork, theallotment.ie, thenudewineco.ie

19 Crimes Cabernet Sauvignon

19 Crimes Cabernet Sauvignon, South Eastern Australia, 14pc, €18
Its varietal character expressed as blackcurrant and blackberry jam with hints of cedar and eucalyptus, sweet spices and tannic structure, this is rich, round and full-bodied with a medium-sweet finish. Serve with barbecued steak, caramelised onion and blue cheese. Castle Off-Licence, Molloy’s stores; molloys.ie

Mr Francois-L Vuitton Cuvée Privée du Château La Gaffeliére, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2014

Mr Francois-L Vuitton Cuvée Privée du Château La Gaffeliére, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2014, Bordeaux, 13.5pc, €120
This intense Right Bank hero pairs understated bling and gastronomic luxe, headlining an exclusive selection hand-picked by charming serial entrepreneur and dedicated epicurean FLV (to his pals). Think Morello cherries and cassis, leather and velvet. Brown Thomas; brownthomas.com

Finca Flichman Gestos Malbec 2020

Finca Flichman Gestos Malbec 2020, Mendoza, Argentina, 14.5pc, €11.99
A smart marriage of Malbec from two different altitudes, one offering ripe fruit (700m), the other fresh complexity (1,100m). The result: a full-bodied and balanced blend with red and black fruits, peppery spice notes, ripe tannins and dense texture — and a handy talking point while flipping those burgers. Lidl

Roquette e Cazes 2018

Roquette e Cazes 2018, Douro, Portugal, 13pc, €24.95
A collaboration between Jorge Roquette of Douro’s Quinta do Crasto and Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages fame, this blend of schist-soil Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz punches above its price point, offering power and complexity, balance and finesses. O’Briens Wine; obrienswine.ie