2005 Wingnut Zinfandel, Amador County, Calif.

$13

Two Thumbs Up

Aromas of black cherry and holly bush with stark tastes black cherries, plums, stewed dark berries, mincemeat pie and cocoa.

Bully Hill Vineyards in upstate New York has always held a special place in my heart. The wines of the late Walter S. Taylor were the first I ever knew and appreciated. My fellow “connoisseurs” and I enjoyed the eclectic wines and the quirky labeling that reflected the eccentric owner-artist Taylor.

“Wine Without Guilt.” “Wine With Love.” “Wine With Integrity.” These were among the messages printed on Bully Hill corks. I still have several of these 20-year-old corks, mementos of many good times.

All these wonderful memories came flooding back as I came across Wingnut Zinfandel from Amador, Calif. The label was designed by Dave Whitling, a student at the Portfolio Center in Atlanta. In addition, Rachel Strubinger at the design school suggested putting quotes on the cork, such as Winston Churchill’s quip: “Eating words has never given me indigestion.”

Is the wine any good? It’s not bad. But I really like the spirit this wine puts forth. It’s fun and cheeky without being childish, reminiscent of Bully Hill. Much of our enjoyment of wine comes from our relationship with who makes it and their outlook on the world —- something we forget in this wine-rating obsessed time we live in.

Gil Kulers is a certified wine educator with the Society of Wine Educators and teaches in-home wine classes. You can reach him at .