Collecting Bird-Themed Wine Corks

I've been doing this for ages, and I'm quite proud of my odd little collection. I know the winery and vintage of almost all of my corks, but every now and then I run across a mystery. This is one. I created a flat picture of it. The inscription is a common French one meaning "bottled at the estate".

I occasionally visit an online wine society to ask for their help. They drew a blank on this cork, so I'm guessing and Googling. It might might help if I could identify the bird.

It has the shortish round beak and erect head of an ostrich, the breast of a duck, and the body of a pigeon or similar. And what in the world is going on with this poor bird? Is its head spinning, or is it getting buzzed by a fly?????

Guesses, please???????????????? Thanks for pondering, friends.

I have no idea, in fairness though, mystery's of this kind are best pondered over a glass of wine, maybe you'll luck into another similarly corked bottle.

Nothing like starting us out with a difficult challenge.

As your friends on the wine society's forums likely stated. The wine is likely not sold on the market but only on the estate and if very exclusive only in their restaurant.

There does not appear to be any staining around the bottom, so it is likely a white wine. And that would explain the age (date 2014) as white wines are commonly severed within a couple of years of harvest where a red (especially an exclusive red) would just begin being seen about 2018 and would clearly have a red stain on the corks bottom.

The bird is likely a land bird and based on the high likelihood of it being a French estate, the bird would be common to the estate -or- its an artist interpretation of such a bird.

French white wines are, IMHO, no match for German white wines, so that is above is as much as I know of the French white wine crafters.

Hmmm, just noted that your photo chops the bottom of the cork off, so, is it stained?

Wheelsie, I agree. One good thing about my little hobby... when it frustrates me, there's usually a source of sorrow-drowning close at hand.

Thank you, Detective Boats! Good, good, okay, I'll just hit the Googles again using those ideas as keywords. I checked the cork again just now, and it is indeed unstained. Okay, back to Google...
French pigeons
Ground birds of France
Bird wine label
Winery mis en boteille bird
Wine land bird vin
And I may as well look up the French translations.

Most wineries, even tiny ones, usually have a website, so where there's Google, there's hope.

Thank you, gentlemen!

Looks like a hermit thrush, or a Brown Thrasher
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Thrasher/overview

Oh, and, any thoughts about the bird's "situation"? Is it dizzy, confused... hung over?? Stinky? lol

I'm searching (in French and English) for adjectives like those in hopes it may be part of the name.

Detective Boats, I forgot to add: I have little sophistication in wine. I like a sweet white, like a Riesling.

Laura! You're such trooper. Thank you!

Alrighty then... adding to the Google parade...

"Thrush", "Thrasher"...

They both have the head carriage, the speckled chests, the eyes...
I wonder if either are known to have hangovers or episodes of dementia or if perhaps they attract flies... kidding!

Laurasea’s guess at a thrush may be right - I was thinking an oriole...? And I’m also thinking he’s “buzzed”, either by insects or from imbibing the contents of the bottle. As you may know it’s not uncommon for whole flocks of Aussie lorikeets to get quite drunk from feeding on fermented fruit and nectar particularly in hot weather, they literally fall out of the trees and stagger around on the ground quite inebriated. Good for them I say!

We used to collect wine corks too until we just got too darn many of them! And now most Australian wine producers use the screw cap which we originally thought was sacreligious but we are no longer concerned about “cork taint” spoiling our Barossa Valley beauties We are not connoisseurs by any stretch and we’ve found (through years of painstaking research) that if a wine label has a bird on it it’s invariably delicious. But beware of any label depicting a horse - the contents taste like they’ve passed through the excretory system of said horse - not that I’d know what that tastes like!

Martina,

Oriole... I like it, yeah could be. Added to my list.

Ill tell ya what I just realized: I was interpreting that beak to be quite rounded, whereas y'all have shown me that it's actually the upper and lower mandibles, slightly curved, meeting, if that makes sense. That's a hugs step, actually --- I was totally misleading myself.

Yeah, I have friends whose cork collections got wayyyyy out of hand. So I limited myself to birds, and I have a total of 75-ish. I have them OCD-ish-ly organized in little net bags... foreign, domestic, multiples, mysteries. Hey, Cleveland has a lot of dark, rainy-or-snowy days; a girl needs a good fireside hobby.

My corks range from $3 Walmart brands upwards. I rarely spend more than ten bucks on a bottle, and I've never spent more than 25 bucks, buttt...

See that modest-looking little "Screaming Eagle" cork? It's a rare, prized 'cult' wine. The bottle to which it belonged was a $12,000 value. You KNOW *I* didn't buy or drink it. It was given to me by a famous blogger on the big online winery forum.

Well! I am informed by my world-traveling, bird-watching neighbor that this bird looks to her like a European Spotted FLYCATCHER (which might explain the little "buzzing" thingie).

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HcvpaZ1dz0"]Spotted Flycatcher in My Garden in Cornwall - YouTube[/ame]


So let's see...
Googling...

LaManuka said:

Laurasea’s guess at a thrush may be right - I was thinking an oriole...? And I’m also thinking he’s “buzzed”, either by insects or from imbibing the contents of the bottle. As you may know it’s not uncommon for whole flocks of Aussie lorikeets to get quite drunk from feeding on fermented fruit and nectar particularly in hot weather, they literally fall out of the trees and stagger around on the ground quite inebriated. Good for them I say!

We used to collect wine corks too until we just got too darn many of them! And now most Australian wine producers use the screw cap which we originally thought was sacreligious but we are no longer concerned about “cork taint” spoiling our Barossa Valley beauties We are not connoisseurs by any stretch and we’ve found (through years of painstaking research) that if a wine label has a bird on it it’s invariably delicious. But beware of any label depicting a horse - the contents taste like they’ve passed through the excretory system of said horse - not that I’d know what that tastes like!

Click to expand...

How very true Lady!!!
Now, as a matter of kindness!!! PLEASE provide a warning when you are about to drop a line like that one. Some of us tend to have a drink at hand with some in month... BUT a very KIND Thank You for a much need early afternoon SMILE!!!

Also love your statement on the method of stilling a Horse Pictured wine...

Warning on Wine Tasting Shops!!! If they serve you a wine that is very cold (at or barely above 32 F (sorry do not have my conversion chart at hand) especially white wines. The Snob trick for such shops is to place the glass between your hands and twist (turn) it slowly until the glass begins to warm. All white wines will become ever more bitter as they warm. The bad ones will bitter quickly, the great ones hold flavor well into the the 50's. Never buy from a tasting shop that cools their red wines!!!

GaleriaGila said:

Oh, and, any thoughts about the bird's "situation"? Is it dizzy, confused... hung over?? Stinky? lol

I'm searching (in French and English) for adjectives like those in hopes it may be part of the name.

Detective Boats, I forgot to add: I have little sophistication in wine. I like a sweet white, like a Riesling.

Click to expand...

Sadly, the great German Rieslings rarely make it to the North American Market. Those rare bottles commonly start well above 150 USD. Whereas, the same high-end German Riesling (in Germany) cost about 35 USD.
A short story, if you will allow; Was sitting with German Friends along one of the German rivers in a town known for truly great German Rieslings. It was easily 85 F and in the Sun. The Riesling held its flavor to the very last drop though lunch. Searched for that German Riesling in North America, found it at a California distributor, a mire 220 USD, not including shipping.

Regarding the possible buzzed bird... That's a great lead and says much about the Estate. Likely a smaller, younger Estate, one that still has a bit of humor about life... Let's see how many can read between those lines. Clue: Think High End French Estate's...

I learned my Wine Snobbery years ago while serving in the US Military. Spent near two years roaming the back-county's of most all Europe with to two guys that had a full years start on me. The last year mostly on my own...

If you are out to dinner at a nice place that has a nice wine list ask for their wine expert to stop by the table to help in the selection. Let the individual know what you like, but that you are open. You are most likely going to have a truly wonderful eventing. Especially, if you ask for a bit of background of the wine.

Short line on Wine Snobbery:
Alway ask for your White Wind Select to be pre-cooled and served in ice with a towel around the top.
Why the Towel for White Wines; You alway want the bottle handle at the widest part of the bottle (by the bottom is best), never at the neck. A server that holds the bottle at the neck will warm that area and a Great White Wine Flavor has been greatly lessened. At least, if they have the towel around the neck you can save the wine and correct your server.
Never allow the wine to be opened prior to arrival at the table (if you are ordering a bottle).
Red Wines Want to Breath before tasting. Reds are commonly served in a wide goblet, which allows the quicker 'breathing' prior to tasting. A small amount poured into a goblet and allow to sit for a few minutes will enhance a Great Red.
Great Wines and Great Foods should always be pared!!! There are very specific choices of wines that will expand on the flavor of the food. Take a bit to eat first and ad a sip of the wine, the correct pairing will be noted as soon as the wine mixes with the food. Your flavor buds will love it.
FYI: If you like Chocolate, you will love a paired Red Wine with It!!

Now you can act like Wine Snobs! (just remember to call the wine expert over)

For my Beer Loving Friends. It is truly sad that the Micro-Brewers have not figured this out!!! In Michigan, they must serve food... The vast selection of beer flavors are a perfect opportunity to Pair Food With Speciality Beers. Yes, I do like Beer! German and England have truly excellent Beer, plus, North America, Micro Brewers are coming along quick well...

Sorry, after Parrots, Wines and Paired Foods are favored topics...

Ok, yes, I'm enjoy a wonderful white wine while doing this - hence the errors...
Enjoy!

Wine is best served at room temperature - and whoever made that statement was talking about average room temperature in a chateau in France, not high summer in Brisbane where today we are expecting 39C (or 102F!!) When I am sipping my Hunter Valley semillon this evening it will have either a frozen strawberry or lychee in it to keep it cool. Happily once I finish the glass I can then eat the fruit which has by then absorbed quite a bit of vino

It may interest you Mr Boats to know, if you didn't already, that one of our largest wine producing regions, the Barossa Valley in South Australia, was founded largely by Germans who emigrated prior to WW1. One of our very favourite vineyards in the Barossa is a little place called Langmeil so if you happen to come across anything by them in your part of the world it's well worth investigating!

Today's video offering is a snipped from a British TV series called "Black Books". It sees our hero Bernard and his employee/sidekick Manny being asked to house-sit for a wealthy friend who foolishly tells them they can drink anything from his wine cellar EXCEPT for his premium stuff, one of which is a 100 year old bottle of Bordeaux worth £7000 which the homeowner had planned to gift to the Pope. Naturally Bernard and Manny think the dusty old bottles in the corner of the cellar must be the cheap throw-downs and indulge themselves. It kinda resembles what I would look like if I was given that rare $12000 Screaming Eagles vintage that Gail mentioned. Unfortunately the video is of poor quality and looks like the guy set up his camera in front of the telly to record it. Strangely it was the only version of this clip i could find!


(And yes, Bernard did remove the cork from that bottle with a power drill )

Boats, old sport, I agree with your plea for warnings about hilarity content for those of us who tend to enjoy beverages (in my case, 'adult') whilst browsing the scholarly posts of these forums............................ the impending burst of good humor can result in similar beverage founts.
The missus' vintage intrigue is purely corky. I don't think she cares what wine she drinks if there may be a cork involved.
Me? I bypass the whole Matrix in favor of beer or bourbon. I think it's an inspiration for the world that an Amazon/wine snob can be on chummy terms with a Patagonian Rival who drinks lackluster American beers on sale.

LaMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...................................................
That video needs a hilarity warning for sure. The pigtails in particular almost gave me a stroke. We do have a couple of wine snobs in my floating tv sports watching group, and I suspect that when it comes to wine, that's what they would see (minus the pigtails of course) if they watched the rest of us trying to appreciate a fine vintage.

But I'll give it a shot, friends. Okay, let's take the Scrapbook. I think it has a bright opening note reflecting the missus' sparkling smile, then matures into a full bodied mouthful of sentiment-forward satisfaction, becoming persistently acidic, finishing with a lively and forceful palette revealing itself fully in its final volatile notes which settle in a lingering ringing of the ears. Best paired with a couple of aspirin. Cheers.

I knew you’d understand Rival, you are a true connoisseur who also happens to be married to one of the finest things in life after all

I am aware of the Barossa Valley wine region in Southern Australia, but sadly have not had the opportunity to enjoy wines from that region. Not sure why Australia wines rarely make it past the Rocky Mountains in North America, but they just don't. I'll need to return to the offering of that California Distributor. Thank you for the reminder and heads-up.

Mrs. Boats has a love for frozen wine drinks, but they seem to freeze my sinuses, likely a problem with the straw.

Thanks for the early morning smile of a relatable moment in life. Loved the power drill as a method of extracting the cork! I have encountered corks that such a method would have had merit...

LaManuka said:

Wine is best served at room temperature - and whoever made that statement was talking about average room temperature in a chateau in France, not high summer in Brisbane where today we are expecting 39C (or 102F!!) When I am sipping my Hunter Valley semillon this evening it will have either a frozen strawberry or lychee in it to keep it cool. Happily once I finish the glass I can then eat the fruit which has by then absorbed quite a bit of vino

It may interest you Mr Boats to know, if you didn't already, that one of our largest wine producing regions, the Barossa Valley in South Australia, was founded largely by Germans who emigrated prior to WW1. One of our very favourite vineyards in the Barossa is a little place called Langmeil so if you happen to come across anything by them in your part of the world it's well worth investigating!

Today's video offering is a snipped from a British TV series called "Black Books". It sees our hero Bernard and his employee/sidekick Manny being asked to house-sit for a wealthy friend who foolishly tells them they can drink anything from his wine cellar EXCEPT for his premium stuff, one of which is a 100 year old bottle of Bordeaux worth £7000 which the homeowner had planned to gift to the Pope. Naturally Bernard and Manny think the dusty old bottles in the corner of the cellar must be the cheap throw-downs and indulge themselves. It kinda resembles what I would look like if I was given that rare $12000 Screaming Eagles vintage that Gail mentioned. Unfortunately the video is of poor quality and looks like the guy set up his camera in front of the telly to record it. Strangely it was the only version of this clip i could find!

https://youtu.be/YqaD0jiY8Sg

(And yes, Bernard did remove the cork from that bottle with a power drill )

Click to expand...

Bravo Dear Friend...
A better review not found in Wine Magazine's Wine of the Month review...

Rival_of_the_Rickeybird said:

Boats, old sport, I agree with your plea for warnings about hilarity content for those of us who tend to enjoy beverages (in my case, 'adult') whilst browsing the scholarly posts of these forums............................ the impending burst of good humor can result in similar beverage founts.
The missus' vintage intrigue is purely corky. I don't think she cares what wine she drinks if there may be a cork involved.
Me? I bypass the whole Matrix in favor of beer or bourbon. I think it's an inspiration for the world that an Amazon/wine snob can be on chummy terms with a Patagonian Rival who drinks lackluster American beers on sale.

LaMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...................................................
That video needs a hilarity warning for sure. The pigtails in particular almost gave me a stroke. We do have a couple of wine snobs in my floating tv sports watching group, and I suspect that when it comes to wine, that's what they would see (minus the pigtails of course) if they watched the rest of us trying to appreciate a fine vintage.

But I'll give it a shot, friends. Okay, let's take the Scrapbook. I think it has a bright opening note reflecting the missus' sparkling smile, then matures into a full bodied mouthful of sentiment-forward satisfaction, becoming persistently acidic, finishing with a lively and forceful palette revealing itself fully in its final volatile notes which settle in a lingering ringing of the ears. Best paired with a couple of aspirin. Cheers.

Click to expand...

Oh, Rickeybird!

Well, no identification on the little buzz-headed fellow in Mystery #1 above.

Here is a flat picture of Mystery #2. It seems to be a finch, maybe a canary, perched on a barrel. There is a tiny trident shape in the lower right corner...
Good glory, why would somebody go to the trouble to put a cute logo on a cork but not include the name??

Recognize this little guy?



This is a group shot of my four remaining mysteries. I will construct a nice flat picture of #3 and #4.