Marilyn Merlot and the Naked Grape: Odd Wines from Around the World (Paperback)

by Peter F. May (Author) "Ancient law decreed that the only way to gaze upon Lake Funduzi, high up in the mountains was bent over and through your parted legs..." (more)
Key Phrases: Tasting Notes, South Africa, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Fat Bastard Chardonnay, Lazy Lizard Shiraz, White Trash White.

These three wines—and more than 100 others—can be found in Marilyn Merlot and the Naked Grape, a celebration of the oddest wines in the world. Some have strange names, like Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush. Others have bizarre artwork, like the Magritte-inspired UFO invasion. Still others have unusual production features (Braille typography, heat-sensitive inks, lenticular art, and more).

Along with brilliant reproductions of the original labels, we'll feature brief stories about the origins of the wines, plus tasting notes from the author. Readers will learn about unusual vineyards (like Cleavage Creek, which donates its proceeds to breast cancer research) as well as the most innovative artists working in the wine label medium. Finally, there's an appendix of resources that will help you buy these wines—so you can try them for yourself!

About the Author
Peter F. May is a wine enthusiast and the creator of www.winelabels.org. He lives in England.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Quirk Books (May 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594740992
• ISBN-13: 978-1594740992
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #516,619 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the true dionysian wine lover, June 10, 2006

By	Hannu Lehmusvuori "Hannu" (Finland, Espoo) - See all my reviews

From the very beginning: Peter May's, and Robin Garr's, introductions to this book are a piece of great work in broadening the horizon to a really enjoyable world of wine.
The looks of the book show that Peter's May's remarkable collection of unusual wine labels has been in the hands of very good people. And, I want to tell you what my wife said when I handed the book to her to see: "It feels like one wants to touch it!" - I believe that says everything on behalf of purchasing a copy of your own. It's great to see things in the web, but the same on real paper just gives you the best vibes.

The info Peter May gives about each label, and the wine behind it, is great reading. I truly believe that the world of wine lovers needs his kind of angles to make wine the fun it should be!

This book is an excellent gift to a wine lover with an open, dionysian mind!

In a way I consider this little book to be a classic already now.
- Hannu Lehmusvuori

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun for any wine lover, July 15, 2006

By	Lisa Shea "LisaShea.com" - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

Peter May has been writing about wine - and collecting wine labels - for many years. He's put his prodigious talent to good use by compiling this book, which includes over 100 fantastically funny labels from around the world. Now, we all know that we should buy wine based on its merits, on its quality and cost effectiveness. However - admit it. You've bought a wine based on the label, at least once. I know I have! "Fat Bastard" springs to mind. The name was just too funny to walk past. How about Goats do Roam from South Africa, which is a clever play on the Cotes du Rhone wines of France?

Each label is shown in full page high color, so you really feel like you have your own "label collection" without going through the mess and hassle of having scraped them off by yourself. It also makes it incredibly easy to identify these wines the next time you walk into the wine store. Peter gives a full description of each wine including what makes it special. He even provides tasting notes should you actually want to drink what's inside the bottle.

Many of the labels are quite inspiring. There is Rasteau, a Cotes du Rhone that has braille markings on its label. This allows those with vision problems to easily identify and organize their wine bottles. Why don't all manufacturers do this? Rude Boy and Rude Girl have color changing labels where the cover models actually "lose their clothes" when the bottle is at the right serving temperature. A number of the bottles are great for collectors who adore certain movie stars. There's the Marilyn Merlot as well as the Presley Pinot.

Sometimes the best wine to bring as a present for someone isn't the most expensive on the shelf - sometimes it's the bottle that is tasty and has a label that will be talked about all evening. Peter rounds those up for us, and makes the journey quite enjoyable.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Labels as enjoyable as wine, March 8, 2007

By	Jerrold Mitchell "jiwm" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an amusing book which should bring smiles to winelovers, graphic designers and those with a taste for the unusual and quirky. Many of the labels are striking in their originality, others recall sixth-grade humor and bad puns and some actually relate to the wine inside the bottle. The text is informative.