There is an art to just about everything. Back labels are no exception. Most detail the flavors in the glass, the production method, the winemaking philosophy and the special attributes of the vineyard or growing region in informative and sometimes lyrical text.

Other winemakers use the back label as a creative canvas to paint the world as they see it, tinted and refracted through the prism of an etched crystal glass. Words, just words, capture the imagination, ensnare the senses, titillate the mind and adjust the mood. And the cork isn't even out of the bottle.

Red Bicyclette syrah transports the consumer back to the unhurried pace of the Old Country with its back label. The very verbiage is a picture postcard:

"Bonjour! Welcome to Red Bicyclette, from a little corner of the very best place in France. Wines from a place where the sheer joy of living is as easy as riding a bike. Wines from villages where the butcher, the baker and the candlestick-maker still exist. Wines that are meant to be shared, like magical moments pedaling together through the countryside. A field of flowers, a hillside of lavender, the scents ... captured in the bottle."

Grand Pacific Starliner Red rekindles the romantic days of train travel with its back-label text. It reads like a snapshot, capturing a moment in time when ladies traveled with hat boxes and men finished the evening with a glass of port and a cigar.

"In the spirit of the great streamliners that traversed the United States beginning in the 1930s, we created Grand Pacific. The Starliner Red ... the perfect complement for the white-linen and silver service that was proudly featured in every dining car from the 'Broadway Limited' to the 'California Zephyr.' As you light the candles and take that first sip, think about another era, when travel was unhurried and the experience was as important as the destination."

Sebeka sauvignon blanc from West Cape, South Africa, on the other hand, encourages a walk on the wild side. Why not leave the safe harbor of California chardonnay and sail into adventure and intrigue?

"South Africa. Where the cheetah hunts. Where nature reigns supreme. Pour a glass and experience the flavor of a primal land far from the everyday."

Seven Deadly Zins promises a journey of a different nature. The back label hints darkly of transporting the consumer into the spiritual realm where faith, temptation and redemption do battle within the hearts of man. It tells us that seven of Lodi's best growers gave their souls to produce said wine. Kevin Phillips chronicled his internal struggle in the form of a poem:

"I'm raging with ire, an ocean of fire/My wrath is the path to all I desire./Oh Lord, forgive me my Zins.

I'm inflated with pride, near-bursting inside/A self-centered repenter, vanity's' bride./Oh Lord, forgive me my Zins.

I'm mired in mud, inert as a slug,/sloth is the cloth that's woven my rug./Oh Lord, forgive me my Zins.

I eat day and night, consuming all in my sight,/A glutton with nothing but a huge appetite./Oh Lord, forgive me my Zins.

My will I ignore, my envy's a chore/Over-zealous and jealous, I want so much more./Oh Lord, forgive me my Zins.

I'm ravenous to feast, an insatiable beast/I concede to the greed demanding release./Oh Lord, forgive me my Zins.

I hunger for trust, my craving's a must/My sin is the Zin enslaving my lust./Oh Lord, forgive me my Zins."

Sokol Blosser's Evolution puts us back on the right path.

"Happenstance? Coincidence? Chaos? Not a chance. This bottle you hold is a deliberate, pre-meditated attempt to advance the entire wine universe a notch or two. Grandiose? Perhaps, but without evolution we'd be slime crawling in ooze and that doesn't sound too appetizing."

This bottling is definitely an attitude adjuster. It doesn't matter how the week ended, when you read this text, you gotta feel good about just walking upright, huh?

Red Bicyclette syrah 2005, Vin de Pays d'Oc, France, $10.99. Smoke...and lots of it. Look for campfire and leather, soft tannins and earth.

Grand Pacific Starliner Red 2005 (cellared and bottled by Rutherford Wine Co.), California, $5.99. Lots of red berry fruit with a sassafras finish. Light and spicy. Could take a slight chill as a nice summer-weight red.

Sebeka sauvignon blanc, West Cape South Africa, $8.99. Light and refreshing, with delicate grass and celery-stick flavors with faint citrus overtones.

Seven Deadly Zins 2006, Lodi, California, $17.99 Luscious dried raspberry fruit with capsicum accents and a dash of pepper. Smooth and delicious, but packs some heat!

Sokol Blosser's Evolution, $22.99, American White Wine. An amazingly delicate and aromatic white. Look for honeysuckle, rose, peach, lychee, jasmine and plumeria. The finish is wet stone. Just delightful!

Lisa Airey is a certified wine educator.

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