Wine literally sold by the glass

[Mike Buckley]

I couldn't believe it when I saw this wine in my local grocery store. Its cost by volume is about equal to buying a bottle that costs $16 but my guess is that the wine is probably more like the quality of an $8 bottle.

The plastic is so grungy that I made this photo only out of a sort of personal obligation to fulfill my hobby of photographing all things wine. I hate the way the plastic base treats light, so I cropped to eliminate most of it.

Setup
The background and tabletop are a single sheet of textured art paper. A small continuous-light lamp is above the glass in the front left area. The lamp is flagged with translucent material to create the diagonal shadow in the background area at the top of the scene.

[Manfred M]

Mike - I feel like I should make a comment, but can't think of any offhand.

My first impression is that you've probably given this product more attention than it deserved. Just out of principle...

The packaging industry appears to have hit a new low, but suspect that if you look through those trade magazines that various industries turn out, this company probably won an award for innovative design. You'll have to let us know if the contents have the same quality as the packaging.

[Digital]

Mike, IMHO this is not your finest work. For some reason the shadow on the left hand side bothers me. I find it very distracting.
Also, you are right on about the wine container.


Bruce

[Shadowman]

I think it's worthy of presentation; if only to display what people will pay for convenience or chicness.

[rpcrowe]

I have a hunch that they should have added a after the words "Premium Wine"

[Ziggy]

I buy California wine in a box. Works for me.

[IzzieK]

Our local supermarket carried wine by the glass, but not plastic...and nice packaging too...Your shot is good but you put so much hate in doing so and I think it reflects your feeling... just a thought...

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, everyone!

My wife and I sampled the wine tonight and we both had the same reaction: Much to our surprise, the quality of the wine is reasonable and acceptable considering the price and convenience. It's not good wine, but it's also not bad wine; I've had worse. In fact, I am drinking it as I write this post and I wouldn't be doing that if it was terrible.

It's perhaps helpful to know the context, that this wine is a chardonnay and that chardonnay is one of the few grapes that neither of us likes unless it is a fairly high-end wine. We're also not wine elitists. Though we drink $100 bottles of wine for very special occasions, the red wine we had with dinner tonight is an especially good value purchased at the price of only $9.

The aspect that was most disconcerting to both of us as wine enthusiasts is that the uppermost part of the closure on the glass is a twist-off top. As a result, when we lifted the glass to our lips, we felt the rings built into the glass that hold the closure in place during shipping and merchandising in the stores. Imagine drinking wine out of the jar that holds jelly or jam and you get the idea.

Despite my chagrin for the plastic and the way it handles light, I plan to photograph it tomorrow in a completely different style and also unadorned with the plastic wrapping it comes in. That's because I think it will be quite humorous to display those twist-off rings with the wine in the glass.

The design of the packaging requires removing the plastic top shown in the image. Having done that, it is to be snapped onto the base of the wine glass. I suppose the reasoning is that doing so eliminates the need to discard it until the entire glass is discarded. I don't understand that logic, considering that the plastic covering on the glass has to be discarded at that time.

Regardless, the top did not fit onto the base. It's as if the company has redesigned either the top or the base of the glass and the combination that I purchased are mismatched; there are some locking grooves in the base that don't lock onto anything in the top.

[Manfred M]

Instead of a series of broken wine glasses, I see an opportunity for a series of crushed and broken plastic stemware in your future...

[Digital]

+1 to Manfred's suggestion.



Bruce

[Mike Buckley]

Bruce and Manfred: Go to your room and sit in the corner with a dunce cap on your head.

[Manfred M]

Bruce and Manfred: Go to your room and sit in the corner with a dunce cap on your head.

[Digital]

-1 to Mike's suggestion.



Bruce

[rpcrowe]

As a result, when we lifted the glass to our lips, we felt the rings built into the glass that hold the closure in place during shipping and merchandising in the stores. Imagine drinking wine out of the jar that holds jelly or jam and you get the idea.

When I lived in Florida in the early 1960's a friend of mine had two quarts of moonshine (in fruit jars) delivered to his carport every week. Just like milk delivery but with more of a kick! We drank the shine from the fruit jars...

[george013]

Not about the photo but about the wine. What does it mean "premium wine anywhere"? To me it sounds something like "we don't know what's in it".
George

[Donald]

I'm amazed that is was drinkable. If there is a market for it over there, then you can be sure it'll start appearing on our shelves in the next year or so. They very thought of it is horrendous.

[pnodrog]

Beautifully photographed but although better than broken glass it is not the most elegant of your images. Actually the broken glass may even be better.

[John 2]

Anything "Premium" immediately raises a suspicion in my mind, particularly in this age of on line commerce - because it generally isn't. So nice to hear that the wine was drinkable but it is still sad to hear of another example of dumbing down. Never mind Mike, at least it wasn't supplied with a straw.

[Mike Buckley]

-1 to Mike's suggestion.

[Mike Buckley]

although better than broken glass it is not the most elegant of your images. Actually the broken glass may even be better.

This image isn't as good as my worst image of broken glass. I'm not even putting it on my website.