The Little Penguin: A classier alternative to that corny kangaroo

I'm sure you're very familiar with the ever-popular kangaroo labels that are synonymous with the Australian brand Yellow Tail. But in my circle of friends we cringe when we spot that marsupial leaping onto the table. It's not that it's such a terrible wine -- it can, in fact, be quite acceptable. But it's more that it signifies one or more of the following: (a) you're cheap, (b) you have no interest in or knowledge of wine, (c) you're regifting a bottle. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be super proud of any of these.

Enter the kangaroo's well-dressed neighbor, The Little Penguin. As this brand is also Australian, the two are often found next to each other on the shelf. Closely mirroring Yellow Tail's price range and selection, Little Penguin offers only a few less varieties. I've found that Pennsylvania tends not to carry much in the way of Little Penguin, whereas Delaware boasts a much fuller array. The beauty of it is that since it's lesser known and harder to find, Little Penguin is not as cliche as Yellow Tail. I can feel at ease bringing a bottle of Little Penguin to a party. This comes in handy when you know it will be a large party where people won't necessarily care what wine they're drinking. Why waste expensive wine on people that are happy drinking boxed wine? (Boxed wine -- that just sent a shiver up my spine.) As an added bonus, I often get the reaction, "Ah, there's a little penguin on the bottle. That's so cute." This proves that branding is half the battle.

So far my top Little Penguin pick is the shiraz cabernet (orange label), although it's sometimes difficult to find in stock. It's very smooth and is therefore quite easy to drink on its own as well as with a meal. My other recommendations would be the cabernet merlot (magenta label) or the shiraz (red label), this last one being the most common in stores around here. I have yet to try the whites, but I have a feeling I'd be disappointed.

So ... have I convinced you to lay off the 'roo and try the penguin for a change?

Note: If you simply must buy the 'roo, I would suggest staying away from the whites. I once was brave enough to try a bottle of the reisling (bright yellow label), but found it so putrid and completely not worth my while to drink that I poured it out. The pinot grigio (green label) is equally shaky. Rather, the red blends like the shiraz cabernet (purple label) and the shiraz grenache (magenta label) are always safe bets -- the shiraz grenache was surprisingly decent. And it seems like the straight shiraz (deep yellow label) is many people's default purchase as far as Yellow Tail goes. I have yet to try Yellow Tail's "Reserve" varieties, but to me that kind of defeats the purpose of a bargain brand. That's like buying a Geo Metro fully loaded with navigation. Yes, yes, I realize they no longer make Geo Metros, but you get the idea.