Armida Buys La Famiglia Brand

Armida winery has purchased La Famiglia (late of the Mondavi package that Constellation has now broken off).

This should bring quite a bit more production for them, but perhaps a bit too much, as in +300% ! (see the article here at the Press Democrat).

Armida introduced a Zinfandel labeled with a skull & crossbones a few years ago called "Poizin". I think it's the most questionable package design I've ever seen. In a time when the wine trade in the US is under more and more attacks centered on "irresponsible" use and image (especially when the discussion turns to interstate shipping), and potentially just adds more fuel to the neo-prohibitionists fire. But hey, people did start talking about their 10,000 case brand a bit more, and they did get on the cover of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine. I still feel strongly that they never should have used that design - regardless of what it did for their sales. It's just too far over the line of responsible marketing.

Name your Poizin?

The offending bottle dress in the picture is on the right side, complete with it's (clever) casket shaped wooden box, which is also branded with a skull & crossbones.

A better picture

Really though, I mean, what can you tell a kid who sees you drinking from a bottle that's clearly labeled like everything you've ever told them to avoid? The ATF/TTB never should have approved the design for use.

The wine itself will put you back $50/bottle, which is interesting when you look at their website and see it conspicuously missing from their 'accolades' page where they list their medals received over the past few years...strange for a wine they want to charge that much for...(they do also use the same 'Poizin' dress for their other $20 Zins, however those bottles are silk screened not etched and have red foils capsules in place of the red wax.)