Impeccable taste: Sir Paul Smith
Author: Emily Miles
It was a good bit of fun to design these labels for Good Ordinary Claret and Good Ordinary White. I drink them on a regular basis and have done for many years. They’re really brilliant wines; I love that the Claret has such a strong Merlot base to it.
I’m probably just an old romantic but I’ve always taken Valentine’s Day seriously, with a nice card and a gift for my wife. These labels are a great bit of fun; a nice thing that you can give to a loved one.
My wife and I have spent many, many years socialising and being out and about, but these days we enjoy being at home and relaxing – sometimes with a glass of wine!
Many years ago my doctor said to me: “Paul, one or two good glasses of wine is a fantastic way to live, but the most important thing is that the wine is good.” So the fact that the Good Ordinary Claret has got the word “good” in it is a very good start!
You could probably call me a collector. When somebody said to me recently that I had a reputation as a collector I foolishly said, “No, I’m not a collector. But I do have a large quantity of the same thing.” And they said, “That is called a collector!”
I do have some nice wine stored in completely the incorrect place: it’s in the pantry at home. I’ve got some old Ch. Mouton Rothschild, some St Julien and some Margaux.
One of the nicest wines I’ve found is from the Piemonte area in northern Italy near Turin. I love a heavy Barolo wine, which is probably why I like the Good Ordinary Claret because it’s very full bodied.
The only thing about calling myself a collector is, yes, I used to collect a lot of wine but I also drink it!
Sir Paul Smith has worked with Berry Bros. & Rudd to produce just 5,000 bottles each of our Good Ordinary Claret and White, with slightly less ordinary clothes. Find out more about the collaboration here.
I fear that this is a commercial mistake: it reduces Berry Bros to the level of a High Street drinks shop. I would be much less likely to buy bottles so labelled; and I have to record that Smith has not in the least changed how I dress, even over four decades.
Many thanks for your comment Mr Clark. While we are absolutely delighted to be working with Sir Paul Smith, we appreciate that this collaboration won’t be to everyone’s taste. Our Good Ordinary Claret and Good Ordinary White are both available with their usual labels alongside the limited-edition bottling.
I couldn’t disagree more with Jonathan. This is a great idea. Fashion and wine have collided on many occasions – see Karl Lagerfeld’s label design for Chateau Rauzan-Segla in 2009 (owned by Chanel).
BBR should be applauded for this. Top notch!
I simply cannot believe this infantile co-operation. The last thing I would want is to purchase these labels! Surely, it is obvious that buyers from Berry Bros & Rudd do so for good old fashioned values of quality and tradition. Frankly, this is awful so I’m back to The Wine Society or Lidl.
A HUGE mistake.
I find it staggering that someone can be so enraged by this they’ve decided to shop elsewhere. Its not uncommon for me to share a bottle of GOC whilst wearing clothes designed by Sir Paul. Excellent idea BBR.
Wow! This has polarised opinion. Labels that catch the eye must be a good thing is all I can say. It’s a good job there are plenty of wines to choose from, so there is something for everybody. Once the label has been taken in though, it is all down to the wine in the bottle…
It seems ironic that the naysayers are complaining about a change in the branding (NOT the product) where Good Ordinary Claret is itself a brand.
The “quality and tradition” of BBR’s product is entirely unaffected by this change, and surely if those were the things you most ‘valued’ in your Bordeaux cellar you would surely only buy Chateaux labels!?!
Whether for good or bad BBR is running out of customers who buy only on the basis of ‘good old fashioned values’ and is looking for others who buy with a more modern attitude. Whether these labels help, only time will tell
I’ve got to agree with Colin… it’s what in the bottle not on it that counts. I buy from BBR and I buy from Lidl and I buy from any number of places in between… the label is a communication tool to tell you what’s on the inside… the end.