USB Port is neither USB nor Port, just amazing

With the word "Port" now restricted to use by Portuguese wine makers and kin, California-based Peltier Station was forced to come up with this bit of inspirational naming for its dessert wine: USB. Look closely and you'll see that the binary tree actually translates to "Peltier Station" with roots sinking deep into the universally recognized symbol (in Nerdistan) of the USB port. Who cares how it tastes, the packaging from 6 West Design is pure genius. Backside front after the break.

[Via eRobertParker, thanks Paul M.]

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 30th 2008 3:39PM]

Just to clear some things up:

1) It is not Port. Port only comes from Portugal (and only the Douro Valley of Portugal). It is fortified wine from California. Nitpicky, yes, but it's still the case.

2) Port, and this USB stuff is still wine, unlike someone said above.They were right in that Port is a fortified wine (as a subset of wine), with distilled grape spirits (brandy) added to stop the fermentation process (yeast can't convert sugar to alcohol if the alcohol level of their environment gets too high) which leaves residual sugar (hence sweet wine) and boosts the overall alcohol content to higher than usual for wine.

3) ZInfandel is not a grape found in real Port from Portugal, they use Touriga Nacional (most important) as well as a few others (e.g. Tinta Roriz, known as Tempranillo in Spain).

4) A "10 year Tawny" or "20 year Tawny" is not actually made from grapes coming from a single vintage that's 10 or 20 years old. Rather, these age statements reflect a blend of vintages that together TASTE like the Port is 10 or 20 years old. Vintage Port is made from grapes from one vintage (or year's harvest) exclusively and will have the actual year in which the harvest was made on the bottle. Vintage Port is much more expensive than the blended stuff and more rare--there are years in which no vintage port is made at all, only the best years get turned into vintage port.

The above doesn't mean that this USB stuff is bad by any means, just different from Port. Hell, I've even had decent Port-style fortified wine made here in good ol' Illinois.

[jowie Posted Oct 30th 2008 4:30PM]

"Just amazing"? Clever yes, amazing no. I know I'm going to get voted down but My God Engadget, you really need to get out more. It's a drink. Heheh, clever label. Move on!

[indiecognition Posted Oct 30th 2008 4:37PM]

I call branding rights for .CAB Compressed & Stored Cabernet Grapes. And 1/8" Stereo Jack Daniel's. And Power Supply Energy Drinks. And Cook Coke Crack en-Crip-tion hard drugs.

[indiecognition Posted Oct 30th 2008 5:57PM]

I call branding rights for .CAB Compressed & Stored Cabernet Grapes. And 1/8" Stereo Jack Daniel's. And Power Supply Energy Drinks. And Cook Coke Crack en-Crip-tion hard drugs.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 31st 2008 10:56AM]

I thought it was Darth Vader at first glance also. Awesome design even if you aren't a cpm vintage geek.