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Chien Noir Wine Label
A custom label I created, inspired by the famous ‘Chat Noir’ poster.
December 2007
3.5″x5″ Acrylic.
*Prints of this image (for matting or to put on bottles are available - just note me if interested).
December 2007
3.5″x5″ Acrylic.
*Prints of this image (for matting or to put on bottles are available - just note me if interested).
Category Artwork (Traditional) / Animal related (non-anthro)
Species Dog (Other)
Size 488 x 556px
File Size 45.7 kB
Right now the biggest size I could print would be 20x15" - roughly small poster sized. I have an archival 12 ink system giclee printer that makes beautiful prints - the cost for a poster print that size would be $75+ shipping. I could also do 11x14" for $45+ shipping. These would be printed on your choice of glossy or semi-gloss photographic art paper, hand signed, and rolled in a tube for shipping. Shipping would be around $4-6 depending on where you live. The prints are on the more expensive end but the ink system is such that you can see absolutely no ink 'dots'. If you're interested, my paypal is foxfeather[at]foxloft.com or I can take any number of other payments (email foxfeather@foxloft.com).
Fair enough. XP I'd love to see what you'd come up with for say an imported German Reisling.
I don't know if you're much for wine drinking, but I'd have to say Leonard Kreush's Rheinhessen Spatlese, Rheinhessen Auslese, and Zeller Schwarze Katz are all quite delicious Reislings in their own right. :)
I love to serve this variety so chilly that it has ice crystals floating in it. Yummy.
I don't know if you're much for wine drinking, but I'd have to say Leonard Kreush's Rheinhessen Spatlese, Rheinhessen Auslese, and Zeller Schwarze Katz are all quite delicious Reislings in their own right. :)
I love to serve this variety so chilly that it has ice crystals floating in it. Yummy.
I'm not a big wine drinker, I've never been introduced to them in more than a sip-here sip-there sort of manner - I tend to prefer fruity junk like Arbor Mist or the like. :) I don't have a very refined palate. Though I do like Japanese plum wine! I will make a note of those and make sure to try them sometime - I'm sure I'd appreciate wines more if I had a little more exposure.
Yeah. Wine is a tricky wickett to be sure. I think that's why I like it so much. You never know what you're gonna get until you pop the cork. Makes things adventurous. Sure, you can come to love and trust a label or a varietal, but wine is like a living thing. It changes according to it's environment, growing seasons, and fermentational processes. Plus your bottle of 2005 may taste totally different in 2008 than it did in 2007 because of how it ages. So to me wine is just fun because it's ever-changing. And I love things that are never quite the same each time you try them. :)
I do recommend Leonard Kreush if you enjoy fruity sweet wines. Lacking the almost 'alcho-pop' sweetness of Arbor Mist, it makes up for it in the complexity of flavor. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'd push LK's Mosel-Saar-Ruwer before I'd suggest the others. It was highly drinkable and I enjoyed it very much with some sliced fruit, meats and cheeses. The others are good sipping wines and make excellent aperitifs, but can be overpowering to someone new to wine drinking.
The key to wine is appropriate temperature. Wine will taste completely different at varying temperatures. Reds are usually better drank warmer whereas whites are better cool. It has to do with balancing the acids and tannins and such. To me any Reisling is delish when served so frosty cold that it has ice crystals free-floating in the glass. I can drink the different varietals to varying degrees of warmth beyond that before they end up tasting stiff and even skunky.
So if you do decide to venture into vino, take some time to do a wee bit of research to make sure you get a good bottle with flavors and sweetness that will make you happy. Nothing worse than grabbing a $20-30 bottle of 'BLEGGHH!!' right? XD
Oh... and the nice thing about Leonard Kreush is it's affordability vs drinkability. It normally ranges from $8-12 a bottle according to where you buy from, so it's a value wine for it's quality and even shows up pricier brands... but this is all from personal perspective. The best way to know if you love a wine is to learn your own preferences. Besides, nothing feels quite so savvy as knowing your stuff when you waltz through the wine section at your local liquor store. ^_~
I do recommend Leonard Kreush if you enjoy fruity sweet wines. Lacking the almost 'alcho-pop' sweetness of Arbor Mist, it makes up for it in the complexity of flavor. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'd push LK's Mosel-Saar-Ruwer before I'd suggest the others. It was highly drinkable and I enjoyed it very much with some sliced fruit, meats and cheeses. The others are good sipping wines and make excellent aperitifs, but can be overpowering to someone new to wine drinking.
The key to wine is appropriate temperature. Wine will taste completely different at varying temperatures. Reds are usually better drank warmer whereas whites are better cool. It has to do with balancing the acids and tannins and such. To me any Reisling is delish when served so frosty cold that it has ice crystals free-floating in the glass. I can drink the different varietals to varying degrees of warmth beyond that before they end up tasting stiff and even skunky.
So if you do decide to venture into vino, take some time to do a wee bit of research to make sure you get a good bottle with flavors and sweetness that will make you happy. Nothing worse than grabbing a $20-30 bottle of 'BLEGGHH!!' right? XD
Oh... and the nice thing about Leonard Kreush is it's affordability vs drinkability. It normally ranges from $8-12 a bottle according to where you buy from, so it's a value wine for it's quality and even shows up pricier brands... but this is all from personal perspective. The best way to know if you love a wine is to learn your own preferences. Besides, nothing feels quite so savvy as knowing your stuff when you waltz through the wine section at your local liquor store. ^_~
I will definitely have to try out the Leonard Kreush! Thank you for your info. :) That's a really interesting (and appealing!) way to look at wine. My aunt and uncle are big enthusiasts of the drink and often have crazy imported wines from their adventures around the globe. Most of the time I can't really appreciate the flavor, I just kind of taste bitter alcohol and go 'bleh'. I figure since I haven't been exposed or walked through different flavors, etc, my palate is just not developed enough to appreciate most. :)
Well, a lot of that could be that your family has a specific wine preference that doesn't suit your own tastes. The funny thing about wine is that the price tag is usually no indication of how good the wine is. Wine is sampled and rated anonymously, so a $10 bottle could score higher and be considered far more appealing than a $25 bottle of a similar varietal. Likewise wine varies according to where it was made. For instance German wine tends to be sweeter than French wine, so if you had a dozen from each country sample the same bottle of wine the German testers may consider it a dry while the French would consider it sweet. So a wine one person may give accolades and praise may be considered so-so by one person or even horrid by the next.
I used to enjoy Arbor Mist before I learned wine had complexity and sampled as much myself. After that, I couldn't return to it because it seemed too one dimensional and sweet. But my best friend has yet to find anything else she will drink. My aunt studied wine sampling in college and is a great lover of wine. She even excavated a wine cellar into the basement of her house! Fortunately she and I have very similar tastes, though she can handle a much drier wine than I can. The stoutest I can comfortably drink is a semi-sweet Pinot Grigio and I don't enjoy champagne at all. But I can sit with her and she can pour me a glass and I can have confidence that it could be something I enjoy. She goes to a lot of wine parties and vinyard samplings and has a much larger budget than I do, so I have my own reliable source for good bottles to invest in. She's the whole reason I've become such an affectionado myself! ^__^
It could also be that you haven't learned how to properly taste wine too. Anyone can drink wine. It's as simple as fill mouth, swallow, repeat. Tasting wine is a bit different and it has stages to it that are supposed to help enhance your sensory awareness and prepare you to truly notice all the flavors wine can offer. Ever notice that flowery speech on the back of the labels that says things like 'Sultry cherry, plum, and berry flavors with shades of oak and rose' or somesuch? Well those aren't just 'buy me' words. It's been proven that wine, when fermenting, releases all sorts of chemical components that actually are molecules that compose these aromas and flavors. So they are there, you just have to open yourself to them.
Next time you open a bottle, try doing this. Fill the glass to about 1/3 full. Sit down at a table or counter and with your fingers on the stem of the glass, make small circular motions to agitate the wine in the glass and swirl it around. Let it leap around the edges of the glass for about a minute or two. It may seem silly at first, but this does serve a valuable purpose. Once you stop, you'll notice the wine on the walls of the glass beading in on itself and making little tracks down the glass. Those are called 'legs' or 'tears'. By splashing a thin layer of liquid over a large surface area, the alcohol will evaporate, releasing large quantities of those odor molecules I was talking about. So lean deep into the bowl of the glass with your nose and take 'em in. Some people like to take one big snort, others a couple of short, sharp sniffs. The whole point of it though is that since taste and smell are so interlinked in the human body it wakes up your tastebuds and scent receptors and has them 'thinking' and analyizing the wine long before you take the first sip.
After this stage, you'll take a mouthful of wine. Just enough that you can roll it and swish it around your mouth a few times comfortably. The longer it sits in your mouth, the more opportunity your senses have to absorb and understand what's in there. So let it work around in your mouth for a few minutes. Some people swish it almost like their using mouthwash, others with tilt forward, purse their lips, and suck air into their mouths with funny 'tweeting' noises to further oxidize the wine and make it release more molecules directly into their mouth and lower sinuses. Everyone has their own way of appreciating, of course. Once you're satisfied with this stage of the tasting, swallow the drink down and then take a slow deep breath afterward through your nose and mouth. You'll experience a wonderful punch of flavor and sensation all over your mouth and sinuses. That's the wine's finish. A good wine will leave that tongue-tingling final impression of complex flavor long after it's swallowed.
Now your tastebuds and scent glands know every flavor and nuance to that wine and when you taste it, you won't just taste alcohol and a bit of flavor. You will taste everything it has to offer. Sometimes the wine is better after this awakening experience, sometimes it's better as a sipping wine. This at least gives you a better profile of what you're drinking. See if maybe that helps. I know it definitely helped me to appreciate wine a lot more!!
To borrow a good quote from winespectator.com, wine is kind of like baseball game. Some people develop fierce loyalties to certain teams and get caught up in the drama that plays out with every pitch and strike while others just enjoy it as a pass time and just like getting out in the fresh air, having a hotdog, and cheering with the crowd. Both enjoyed the day, but to different extents. And neither is better than the other. That is wine drinking. :)
I used to enjoy Arbor Mist before I learned wine had complexity and sampled as much myself. After that, I couldn't return to it because it seemed too one dimensional and sweet. But my best friend has yet to find anything else she will drink. My aunt studied wine sampling in college and is a great lover of wine. She even excavated a wine cellar into the basement of her house! Fortunately she and I have very similar tastes, though she can handle a much drier wine than I can. The stoutest I can comfortably drink is a semi-sweet Pinot Grigio and I don't enjoy champagne at all. But I can sit with her and she can pour me a glass and I can have confidence that it could be something I enjoy. She goes to a lot of wine parties and vinyard samplings and has a much larger budget than I do, so I have my own reliable source for good bottles to invest in. She's the whole reason I've become such an affectionado myself! ^__^
It could also be that you haven't learned how to properly taste wine too. Anyone can drink wine. It's as simple as fill mouth, swallow, repeat. Tasting wine is a bit different and it has stages to it that are supposed to help enhance your sensory awareness and prepare you to truly notice all the flavors wine can offer. Ever notice that flowery speech on the back of the labels that says things like 'Sultry cherry, plum, and berry flavors with shades of oak and rose' or somesuch? Well those aren't just 'buy me' words. It's been proven that wine, when fermenting, releases all sorts of chemical components that actually are molecules that compose these aromas and flavors. So they are there, you just have to open yourself to them.
Next time you open a bottle, try doing this. Fill the glass to about 1/3 full. Sit down at a table or counter and with your fingers on the stem of the glass, make small circular motions to agitate the wine in the glass and swirl it around. Let it leap around the edges of the glass for about a minute or two. It may seem silly at first, but this does serve a valuable purpose. Once you stop, you'll notice the wine on the walls of the glass beading in on itself and making little tracks down the glass. Those are called 'legs' or 'tears'. By splashing a thin layer of liquid over a large surface area, the alcohol will evaporate, releasing large quantities of those odor molecules I was talking about. So lean deep into the bowl of the glass with your nose and take 'em in. Some people like to take one big snort, others a couple of short, sharp sniffs. The whole point of it though is that since taste and smell are so interlinked in the human body it wakes up your tastebuds and scent receptors and has them 'thinking' and analyizing the wine long before you take the first sip.
After this stage, you'll take a mouthful of wine. Just enough that you can roll it and swish it around your mouth a few times comfortably. The longer it sits in your mouth, the more opportunity your senses have to absorb and understand what's in there. So let it work around in your mouth for a few minutes. Some people swish it almost like their using mouthwash, others with tilt forward, purse their lips, and suck air into their mouths with funny 'tweeting' noises to further oxidize the wine and make it release more molecules directly into their mouth and lower sinuses. Everyone has their own way of appreciating, of course. Once you're satisfied with this stage of the tasting, swallow the drink down and then take a slow deep breath afterward through your nose and mouth. You'll experience a wonderful punch of flavor and sensation all over your mouth and sinuses. That's the wine's finish. A good wine will leave that tongue-tingling final impression of complex flavor long after it's swallowed.
Now your tastebuds and scent glands know every flavor and nuance to that wine and when you taste it, you won't just taste alcohol and a bit of flavor. You will taste everything it has to offer. Sometimes the wine is better after this awakening experience, sometimes it's better as a sipping wine. This at least gives you a better profile of what you're drinking. See if maybe that helps. I know it definitely helped me to appreciate wine a lot more!!
To borrow a good quote from winespectator.com, wine is kind of like baseball game. Some people develop fierce loyalties to certain teams and get caught up in the drama that plays out with every pitch and strike while others just enjoy it as a pass time and just like getting out in the fresh air, having a hotdog, and cheering with the crowd. Both enjoyed the day, but to different extents. And neither is better than the other. That is wine drinking. :)
You know rather a lot about wine! Color me impressed.
Just a suggestion, for the next time you're tasting a wine to decide whether to have it with dinner, I've discovered a technique you might want to try out that saves a lot of time:
After sampling the aroma of the wine, instead of swirling it around your mouth, breathe in and hold your breath. Then take a very very small sip, just enough to wet your mouth, and let it trickle down the back of your throat. Then, slowly, let your breath out through your nose, allowing the taste to fill your mouth as well. It gives a very full picture of the wine very quickly, and makes it easier to clear the palate should you decide you want to try a different wine.
I've also tried this as an added-on step to the traditional wine tasting technique, and it's surprising what new things one can discover about a wine. For instance, I never really used to like Chardonnay (ironic, since I was born in Napa Valley, CA, where some of the best Chardonnay comes from), but now I can really taste what people are talking about when they tell my why they like it.
This technique works for hard alcohol as well, particularly bourbon and scotch. Not so much with gin and vodka, though. They're too sharp edged, so it kind of hurts your nose.
But yes, wine is lovely stuff, and people don't realize how interesting its history and culture is!
Just a suggestion, for the next time you're tasting a wine to decide whether to have it with dinner, I've discovered a technique you might want to try out that saves a lot of time:
After sampling the aroma of the wine, instead of swirling it around your mouth, breathe in and hold your breath. Then take a very very small sip, just enough to wet your mouth, and let it trickle down the back of your throat. Then, slowly, let your breath out through your nose, allowing the taste to fill your mouth as well. It gives a very full picture of the wine very quickly, and makes it easier to clear the palate should you decide you want to try a different wine.
I've also tried this as an added-on step to the traditional wine tasting technique, and it's surprising what new things one can discover about a wine. For instance, I never really used to like Chardonnay (ironic, since I was born in Napa Valley, CA, where some of the best Chardonnay comes from), but now I can really taste what people are talking about when they tell my why they like it.
This technique works for hard alcohol as well, particularly bourbon and scotch. Not so much with gin and vodka, though. They're too sharp edged, so it kind of hurts your nose.
But yes, wine is lovely stuff, and people don't realize how interesting its history and culture is!
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