Exploration

Poetry Sweeter Than Wine

Ever notice that wine bottles have quite the flowery language on their labels? Although not poetry per se, they use the poetic convention of talking about one thing (wine) in terms of something else (flowers, bodily forms, and so on). This got me thinking: What if someone tried to make poetry from these building blocks?

When I posed this question to Writergrrls, two writers, Melissa Zimmermann and Diane Noasconi, joined me in answering it. My guidelines were simple: (1) Use all the words from the label description (varietal names and business information not necessary). (2) Add words as needed, but make sure that the final poems are comprised of new words by no more than half. (3) Copy the label, then chop up the words—sort of like you would for "magnetic poetry"—and experiment with them.

I thought it was great that we each came up with very distinct poems. I was the only one who took liberty with adding words, but I was aiming for sort of a humorous exaggeration. Zimmermann and Doasconi really shine with their sparse and evocative phrasing.

So kick back, relax and enjoy the fruits of our labors. (All puns intended!)

Up front
dry Malbec selects
a well-built red raspberry—
a ripe ruby—
and notes its marmalade body,
generous and aromatic.

His well-bodied wine
deeply colors the flavor,
grapes framing
the fruity sugars,
making clean
the long
residual
finish.

He remembers
the spicy blackberries
of Chile.

Melissa Zimmermann is a New Yorker who has gone native after eight years in Seattle. A sometime poet, she can recite the first stanza of "The Jabberwocky" or play Bach's "Solfigietto" at a moment's notice. Her poem for this series was inspired by a bottle of 1999 Malbec from Viu Manent in Colchagua, Chile.

A decade ago, I was not particularly interested
in wine, let alone a winemaker.
I complemented special meals
with the dull wines my family served,
attractively arranging place settings
to add distinctive flair to elemental dishes.

David, when you brought your fine vintages
from beyond the Columbia River
and made your signature on this land,
you marked in me a milestone.
Soon my dreams were filled with shining, red lakes
and I longed to be singled out to play
the supporting role to your star,
a mistress to your master series.

With your excellent tending, this willow,
sloping under the weight of thoughtless rules,
emerged with hidden, intoxicated strength.

Writergrrls' Web site Coordinator Annette Young works for the Experience Music Project as a researcher, cataloger and writer for their Digital Collection. You can read more about her on the Steering Committee biographies page. Her poem for this series was inspired by a bottle of 1996 Cabernet Franc—David Lake Signature Series—from Columbia Winery Red Willow Vineyard in Woodinville, Washington.

California's rich soil stretches
over elegant hills
vineyards inspired
by known sun
combining strength and temperate nature
selects this young fruit
to become
iridescent purple
dramatic indigo
velvet grapes
certain wine
Merlot
Any Bordeaux would
darken green
from lusty inspiration
no breezy subtlety
to temper layers upon layers
year after year of
dry
braised
aged memory
barreled in the oak of mind

Diane Noasconi writes for the commercial world full-time and has for a dozen years. Her background and degree are in Journalism. A desperate desire to express her creativity with fewer rules led her recently to begin dabbling in poetry. Her poem for this series was inspired by a bottle of Indigo Hills Merlot.