Tall Poppy

I've mentioned in other posts before that sometimes you can find a very decent wine in the bargain bin. Such was the case with Tall Poppy. I found it in the $6 bin at Bottle Buys and bought a couple of bottles (because I liked the look of the label) with the intention of using them for Sangria... which I did. (And the Sangria was great -- but that's besides the point.) A leftover bottle of the Merlot was sitting in my wine fridge and one day we opened it on a whim and drank it straight. It was surprisingly good - rich, not thin, with a complex blend of fruit and a nice dry finish. We also had a Cab Sav that wasn't quite as good as the Merlot, but certainly worth the $6.

To me, one of the really interesting things here is that this is an Australian wine, and I found many references to the phrase "Tall Poppy" used in Australia. For example, check out this excerpt from Wikipedia "Tall poppy syndrome (TPS) is a pejorative term used in Australia and New Zealand to describe what is seen as a levelling social attitude. Someone is said to be suffering from tall poppy syndrome when his or her assumption of a higher economic, social or political position attracts criticism, being perceived as presumptuous, attention seeking or without merit."

Or here's another one -- The Tall Poppy Campaign -- "The Tall Poppy Campaign was created by the Australian Institute of Policy & Science to recognise and celebrate Australian scientific and intellectual excellence and to encourage younger Australians to follow in the footsteps of our outstanding achievers."

After reading these, I was kind of entertained at the choice of label name by this company. I wonder what they were thinking? Nevertheless, the wine is a good value and perfectly drinkable, so if you happen to see it, pick up a bottle.