So I know there is a huge debate between the "purist" winemakers and those that also participate in the marketing and branding game. Now this is just my opinion, we as wine drinkers, do not have to choose. I love the big name winemakers, the Stag's Leap, Robert Mondavi, Silver Oak, Caymus, etc, just like the other wine snobs out there. But seriously most of us can't afford to spend $100+ for a daily drinking wine. Plus I also love to walk into a store and pick up a random bottle of wine because the label is just friggin cute, sure sometimes it is nasty as hell and it ends up down the drain, but sometimes I get lucky and it is a decent wine.



Cupcake Winery is part of that debate. The winery was created as a result of the cupcake craze and they have been criticized for marketing to women. Oh wait a second, why is it a bad thing to market to women? When you think about it, it is actually pretty smart since it is usually the women who spend money? And a recent study showed that 59% of wine was bought by a woman. I would actually say marketing to women is pretty dang smart, just my opinion.

I for one, am a fan of their Red Velvet label. If you are a looking for a bold and intense wine like a Cab, this is not that wine, but if you are looking for a simple fruit forward smooth red blend this wine is perfect. It has a blend that is not extremely common, it is a Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet and Petite Sirah blend and the winery describes it as,"soft and elegant as red velvet." I agree with that, it is not a complex wine, but it is definitely soft. I also found it interesting that each of the wine varietals are fermented separately and then blended as adult wines, interesting technique.

This is the perfect wine for beginning red drinkers or for a casual girls night or if you want to do a pairing with something like a chocolate tart or chocolate ice cream. The wine notes describe this wine as having chocolate, blackberries and luscious red fruits. I am not really sure what "red fruits," are but it is definitely a fruit forward wine, I will give them that. They also describe the finish as coconut and creamy mocha, which I will be honest I have a harder time deciphering, but I do get the blackberries and the hint of chocolate.

Now if you want your wine to be "famous," this is the wine for you. This wine has been featured in the movie Bridesmaids, the show Glee and the reality show Mob Wives. Now seriously it does not get much better than that. I love a wine that can participate in raunchy chic humor comedies, sing a good melody and knock someone off if they have to. Now how is that for random wine label knowledge?

Unfortunately if you are a reader outside of California or Texas, I have been told Red Velvet is not available, however I do not know if you can get it on-line.The price point is also very reasonable as it can usually be purchased for around $8-13 a bottle.

Cupcake has been around since 2008. They are located in Central California, however they have a slightly different business model. They source and make their wines throughout the world. For example they do a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, a Proseco from Italy, Malbec from Argentina and other wines from Australia and Germany. They ship them to the United States in large plastic bags, the type that are used to ship wine that ends up in a box and it is bottled and distributed from California. Interesting, huh.

The Cupcake name came about well due to the food. They wanted to create wines that were easy to drink and approachable, just like the dessert.  However, the company does not make cupcakes, they do make flavored vodka in addition to wine, however I have not tried them and I can't vouch for them. They currently have 12 wines, including reds, whites and bubbly wines from different regions. The companies philosophy is to,"live deliciously," and so from a food blogger stand point I completely embrace that philosophy.

Adam Richardson is the winemaker for Cupcake and although he is originally from Australia he has said that he "studied" the American wine pallet. Considering how successful this label has been thus far, I would say he deserves an A, because he has done an incredible job making wine for the US. He was asked in a recent article if he made wines for women and his response was,"Wines have to work for both sexes once they reach the dinner table." Cheers to that!