Pretty In Pink, or Debbie Downer Stink?Italitans make everything pretty. The 2005 Folonari Pink Pinot Grigio is no exception. 100% pure Pinot Grigio grape, the pink hue comes from fermenting the juice with the darker-than-most wine producing grapes. It is slightly sweet, goes well with cheese or berries, and at $7.99, the price is great for people on a budget.
It truly pains me to get all Debbie Downer on this product but… what turns me off the Folonari Pink Pinot Grigio is not what’s in the bottle but the cliché and patronizing marketing language used on it. One of their selling points is the “fanciful pink label depicting a stylish young woman walking a perfectly coiffed pink poodle.” Um, are they trying to sell this to Paris Hilton wannabe’s? I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but most of her fans aren’t old enough to buy wine. (Besides, the Paris glamour-pooch is sooo two years ago…)
On the back of the bottle, it gets worse. The company claims the “juicy taste of Folonari Pink Pinot Grigio makes life a breeze. The easy screwcap does, too. So your pretty pink nails can stay that way.”
My reaction: (Gasp.) “What?!”
Maybe in Italy that quip inspires female wine enthusiasts to run out and buy a bottle (though I doubt it) but frankly, I think most American women would find that downright chauvinistic. The ironic thing is that I don’t consider myself to be “politically correct” or a hyper-feminist. However, as a consumer, if you want my money, give me the minimum of respect when marketing to me.
My opinion? If Folonari wants want to be taken seriously by the international female wine-consumers, it should stop talking down to its target demographic. Or our pretty pink nails will walk our perfectly-coiffed pink poodles on down the wine aisle…
5 comments:
Amen sister! I'm sure that if I'd come across that bottle, after a quick once over, would have kept on walkin! Unless it lands on some obscure 'must have/best buy' list, I'll leave it on the shelf for the next 20 year old celebrating the receipt of her fake I.D.
Hmmm...not sure how you'd chip a nail opening a bottle of vino.
I know... odd marketing decision. The wine itself really isn't bad, which is why I feel badly giving it a Debbie Downer... but I can't in good conscience recommend something that is unnecessarily patronizing...
It's that pink drinks for foreign women only? I mean not for Italian market, cause I've not never felt to speak about that pink wine. Can I have the link of that estate, I'm curious to know and taste
ciao Gabriella from Milano
Hi Gabriella,
I looked for the link on google but did not see it... but I did not look for too long, I have to admit. Perhaps Folonari is owned by a bigger wine company.
I would love to hear your opinion.
Post a Comment