Unlike top-end whisky or cognac, wine tends to be largely modest in presentation. Some producers, however, have started to trumpet its luxury status.
One says Bonnes Mares, the other says Beaune. In every other respect the labels look the same – there’s no gold-embossed lettering, no crystal-studded glass, not even a gift box. Both come from Burgundy. Both are made from the same variety, Pinot Noir.
Yet one is 20 times more expensive than the other. Wine is notoriously obtuse. Look closer at those labels and you’ll see grand cru written on the label of the Bonnes Mares. For wine lovers, those are the magic words indicating the highest-ranking Burgundies, coming from specific vineyards that imbue their grapes with heavenly levels of complexity – hence the sky-high price.
ALL BOTTLED UP
Perhaps it’s only what’s inside the bottle that matters, but as a luxury experience, wine often falls short. Wine bottles look essentially identical – there are only slight variations in shape, and labels generally follow the same standard conventions. When you browse endless shelves of wine in a shop, there are precious few clues as to which are the most prestigious bottles.
Compare that to top-end whisky or cognac. Glenrothes 1968 single malt arrives in its own hand-stitched leather suitcase with an oak display plinth like a Smithsonian artefact. Remy Martin’s Louis XIII comes in a bespoke bottle with a fleur de lys stopper, swaddled within a silk-lined red box fit for the Warrior King himself.
Even apparently humble goods such as scented candles are now nestled within crepe paper like bone china antiques. So why is premium wine so spartan by comparison?
WEIGHING UP LUXURY
One of the reasons is scale. Wine production is highly fragmented, and even some of the most prestigious wineries don’t even have a marketing department. In many parts of the world, winemaking remains an old-fashioned, artisanal craft, far removed from the three-star restaurants and boutique merchants that end up selling it.
However, luxury conglomerates have been creeping into the wine sector. The LVMH empire, whose portfolio includes Givenchy and Bulgari, also owns Château Cheval Blanc in St-Émilion and Château d’Yquem in Sauternes. In Burgundy, Clos de Tart and Domaine d’Eugénie belong to Groupe Artémis, who also own Château Latour in Pauillac, and whose founder owns Gucci and Balenciaga among others.
Even so, these wines remain largely unluxurious in presentation. The bottles give little indication of the rare elixirs lying beneath the corks. It’s as if wine adheres to an ancient code of modesty.
Not all wines, however, because some producers have started to trumpet their luxury status. Chief among them is Penfolds, whose ‘Grange’ Shiraz is Australia’s best-known fine wine. Top-end Penfolds reds have been packaged in all manner of elaborate gift boxes and limited-edition gift sets – but that’s just the beginning.
Their more eye-catching projects include the ampoule, a bespoke glass creation containing a bottle of rare Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon whose six-figure price includes the attendance of a winemaker to open the vessel. More recently, Penfolds released a record player console that offers a hand-crafted, hi-spec analogue audio experience – and a hidden drawer containing two vintages of Grange, of course.
For many in the wine world, such overt luxury might seem vulgar. But for one particular wine category, this sort of opulence is commonplace.
THE BLING OF BUBBLES
Champagne has always been a luxury drink, and part of that perception is the brand experience. Best-selling names such as Veuve Clicquot, Moët et Chandon and Ruinart are dab hands at inventive gift packaging that emphasise the luxury feel of the product. It’s no coincidence that all three of those brands are also part of the LVMH empire.
The higher up you go, the greater the luxuriance. With Champagnes such as Louis Roederer’s Cristal or Cattier’s Ace of Spades, heavyweight boxes and gold-plated bottles all build up the prestige of the brand. Furthermore, there is carefully curated celebrity endorsement, product placement and advertising to position the brand alongside other luxury goods.
Bling-bling Champagne remains the outlier, however. Most wine looks decidedly demure, and perhaps that does indeed focus our attention on the most important thing – because a glass of wine is one of life’s great everyday luxuries, at any price.
MAXIMISING THE WINE EXPERIENCE AT HOME
If you want to make the most out of a special bottle at home, it’s all about service. Invest in the best glassware – Zalto and Riedel are two top names to look out for – and have several different shapes to best complement different wine styles. Decanters can add dramatic flair, especially the more complicated designs, and most wines will benefit from the aeration. Playing some videos that give your wine some context can help – 67pallmall.tv is a great free resource for top-quality film – or go the extra mile and hire a sommelier to serve your guests to give the best bottles the full five-star treatment.