My 150th Wine Grape

[Mike Buckley]

As part of my wine hobby, each time I drink wine made from a grape species that I had never previously tasted, I check that particular species off my list. I just had to make a photo of the three bottles of the Spanish wine shown below because the wine is made of 60% Grenache, 20% Carinena and 20% Vidadillo and the Vidadillo will be my 150th grape species.

If you know the price of this wine and think I normally drink wine that is this expensive, think again. I was very lucky to buy it at less than half the normal price.

[Stagecoach]

I can just feel the texture of the label Mike, very nice.

[pnodrog]

I don't know about you but I always expect my wine to be made from grapes I have never tasted previously! ... 150 seems a very small number even for a single bottle.

Maybe I need to revisit the English is a strange language thread that I think Kodiak started.

Mike have you set out to find and conquer wines made from different varieties of grapes or do you just tick them off as you come across them?

I trust you take a more conservative approach with women? Better not answer that or I may end up confusing you with James Bond......

The soft modeling lighting on the bottles is excellent but I find the background hue and saturation a bit distracting.

[deetheturk]

Another lovely capture Mike!

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[bnnrcn]

I agree with Grahame about the label, it looks very real and nice, I also like the light on it very much

[terrib]

I also like the way this is lit and how well the texture of the label is shown. I like the composition, how you didn't worry about showing the whole bottle and having the whole bottles in the background. I might not have lined the rear bottles up so nicely, being so careful not to cover up any of the label as we have the whole label in the front. But without seeing it differently, not sure which I'd really like better.

[swanseadave]

Mike,what the Spanish call carinena is actually carignan.I worked in the wine industry before retirement.Often well known varieties are known by a different name in other countries.{think shiraz and syrah}so it may be worth doing a little research when encountering an unfamiliar grape.

The Spanish grown vidadillo was known as crespiello as far back as the 12th century.

I`d like to try that Gran Viu of yours.I wonder if it`s available here in UK

I love your photo too.I like the lighting.Well done.

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you, everyone!

Several of you mentioned the texture of the wine label. Special thanks for noticing!

I might not have lined the rear bottles up so nicely, being so careful not to cover up any of the label as we have the whole label in the front.

I initially envisioned it as you describe but didn't like it upon seeing it set up that way. That's not to say that someone couldn't have come up with a different approach to the rear bottles that I wouldn't like more.

Mike,what the Spanish call carinena is actually carignan...it may be worth doing a little research when encountering an unfamiliar grape...The Spanish grown vidadillo was known as crespiello as far back as the 12th century.

Learning about the history and various names of a grape species is a very enjoyable part of the hobby for me. As an example, I found about six synonyms for Vidadillo. Considering that the wine is Spanish, I was a bit surprised to see the name Grenache rather than Garnacha used so often to mention that particular grape species.

I don't know about you but I always expect my wine to be made from grapes I have never tasted previously! ... 150 seems a very small number even for a single bottle. Maybe I need to revisit the English is a strange language thread that I think Kodiak started.

I always get a good laugh from your sense of humor, especially when it comes at my expense! You have no need to revisit that thread about the English language. Instead, you should take into account that I'm an American and that we Americans don't use the English language very effectively. I have now edited my first post in the thread, referring to grape species rather than grapes.

Mike have you set out to find and conquer wines made from different varieties of grapes or do you just tick them off as you come across them?

I don't remember ever conquering a wine. Given enough consumption, the wine always conquers me.

When I first started keeping track of the grape species in the wine I was drinking, there were so many readily available species I hadn't drunk that I didn't have to seek out species that were new to me. Once I had checked off about 50 species, I realized that I had to purposely look for them. As an example, I saw the wine shown above being advertised and looked to see which grape species were used to make it, just in case I might be so lucky as to stumble upon one that I had not yet checked off. If I sense that I'm speaking with a reasonably informed clerk in a wine store, I'll ask him or her to suggest a grape species in the store that might be new to me. When I eat in a restaurant (I do that rarely), I always check the wine list hoping to find a grape species to check off, also hoping I can order it by the glass.

There are over 400 regulated grape species used in Italy alone; I have a long way to go.

I trust you take a more conservative approach with women? Better not answer that or I may end up confusing you with James Bond......

Nah. I've been happily married for more than three decades...all to the same woman.

The soft modeling lighting on the bottles is excellent but I find the background hue and saturation a bit distracting.

Interesting and thanks for mentioning both!

[Brownbear]

Absolutely gorgeous. I love the soft light, warm tones and the soft focus on the bottles in the background.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, Christina!

You mentioned the soft focus on the rear bottles. Much to my surprise, I had to use f/22 to achieve that degree of softness; any larger aperture rendered the rear bottles too out of focus for my taste. I began shooting at f/8, guessing (wrongly) that that would be about right. I took several shots made at progressively smaller apertures. In the end, I was very lucky that the rear bottles were finally as I wanted them at f/22 because that's the smallest aperture on the lens I was using.

While "that other thread" about XMP data is still fresh in your mind, I'll save you the trouble of looking up this photo's metadata: "Tabletop and background are burlap. Background lit from below with small lamp with yellow and pink gels, diffuser sock and diffuser material to reduce brightness. Medium size lamp positioned to the right and front of the subjects pointed upward allowing light to spill onto scene. Gobo with rectangular opening in front of it to cast shadow on the main label. Handheld reflector to the left of the forward bottle to open up the shadow on the left side."

[bnnrcn]

Mike , may I ask how you add this data to your photos' metadata?

Thanks, Christina!

You mentioned the soft focus on the rear bottles. Much to my surprise, I had to use f/22 to achieve that degree of softness; any larger aperture rendered the rear bottles too out of focus for my taste. I began shooting at f/8, guessing (wrongly) that that would be about right. I took several shots made at progressively smaller apertures. In the end, I was very lucky that the rear bottles were finally as I wanted them at f/22 because that's the smallest aperture on the lens I was using.

While "that other thread" about XMP data is still fresh in your mind, I'll save you the trouble of looking up this photo's metadata: "Tabletop and background are burlap. Background lit from below with small lamp with yellow and pink gels, diffuser sock and diffuser material to reduce brightness. Medium size lamp positioned to the right and front of the subjects pointed upward allowing light to spill onto scene. Gobo with rectangular opening in front of it to cast shadow on the main label. Handheld reflector to the left of the forward bottle to open up the shadow on the left side."

[Brownbear]

Thank you Mike.

I was wondering about the aperture and the lighting. The set up sounds complicated but perhaps one day in the far future I'll try something like this.

Your sharing is truly appreciated.

Thanks, Christina!

You mentioned the soft focus on the rear bottles. Much to my surprise, I had to use f/22 to achieve that degree of softness; any larger aperture rendered the rear bottles too out of focus for my taste. I began shooting at f/8, guessing (wrongly) that that would be about right. I took several shots made at progressively smaller apertures. In the end, I was very lucky that the rear bottles were finally as I wanted them at f/22 because that's the smallest aperture on the lens I was using.

While "that other thread" about XMP data is still fresh in your mind, I'll save you the trouble of looking up this photo's metadata: "Tabletop and background are burlap. Background lit from below with small lamp with yellow and pink gels, diffuser sock and diffuser material to reduce brightness. Medium size lamp positioned to the right and front of the subjects pointed upward allowing light to spill onto scene. Gobo with rectangular opening in front of it to cast shadow on the main label. Handheld reflector to the left of the forward bottle to open up the shadow on the left side."

[Mike Buckley]

Mike , may I ask how you add this data to your photos' metadata?

I use IDimager PhotoSupreme cataloging software. I know there is considerable free software that reads metadata but I don't know if any that is free allows you to change it. I think ExifTool, which is widely regarded, allows you to change at least some of the metadata but I'm not sure. I think that software is free.

[Antonio Correia]

Indeed a grand view...
Window light I suppose

[Mike Buckley]

Window light I suppose

One continuous lamp on the background. One continuous lamp lighting the rest of the scene. One reflector on the left side of the forward bottle. No sunlight; the shooting environment was a black floor, black ceiling and black cloth on the sides required to avoid unwanted reflections.

[Suede]

It is a truly wonderful photograph. Above all, I love the ocher colour to complement others. Super, mate!

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you, Pritam!

I just now received my daily email from the local wine store that sold me the wine in the above photo. It included an offering of a wine made from 100% Mondeuse. I got really excited because I didn't remember coming across that name. Mondeuse could be grape species #151! Better yet, it didn't matter if I didn't like the wine because the bottle costs only $10. So, I went to my spreadsheet of wine grape species and...

Mondeuse is just another synonym for Syrah or Shiraz. Such a disappointment.

[KimC]

Makes me want to reach for it and pour myself a glass ;-) Love the lighting in this Mike.

[Donald]

Okay, okay! The picture's fine ............ But what about the wine? What was it like?