ThisIsDumb: "Rome" Promotional Wine is From California
From Ad Age:
- HBO will offer complimentary bottles of "Rome" cabernet sauvignon at more than 100 eateries in the three cities [LA, Chicago, New York] to promote the second-season launch of its sex-blood-and-togas series, debuting Jan. 14. But rather than have restaurant servers introduce the product by saying "And our house wine tonight is brought to you by HBO," consumers will be presented with a polite card at their tables: "A taste of 'Rome' awaits you. Ask server for details."
- Though intended to give diners an authentic taste of the show's premise, the "Rome" wine was not shipped in from Italy; it was produced in California. HBO's senior VP-consumer marketing, Courteney Monroe, was unable to secure an Italian wine vendor, but she doesn't believe the promotion fails logistically.
A Taste of 'Rome' [Ad Age via Dr. Vino]
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Comments:
This is easy to understand since these are the same morons who cancelled Deadwood and tried cancelling The Wire and then gave us that Dane Cook tripe.
Cost:
Its probably roughly equivelent to two-buck chuck, something which costs $2-3/bottle whosale.
The cost of SHIPPING an italian Red from Italy to the states would dwarf the cost of the wine itself at that price range.
What I find more offensive is that it is a Cabernet Souvingnon, a french varietal. The least they could have done would be to find a Sangiovese (the primary varietal in Chianti).
But then again, there is a lot less Sangiovese on the bulk wine market, so you couldn't get it at the super low cost.
You can't expect a marketing goon to know anything about Sangiovese, can you?
They should have distributed bottles of bull blood, instead.
Am I the only one that thought that scene from the first episode with the eviscerated bull was hot?
mmmm.... we like the 2 buck chuck. well, its 3 in minnesota.
I. Love. Rome.
re sangiovese: except for all the cheap chiantis
plenty of ital-cals they could have used, but probably used the cheap juice leftover from 04 or some other year.
Besides, Italian wine isn't any closer to Roman wine than california wine...nobody would want it.
I absolutely LOVE the series ROME. Its great.
As far as the promotional wine, its going to be cheap crappy wine anyway, since its for a promotion.
Who's going to really pay attention to a wine for a tv show promotion anyway?
They couldn't find a nice wine from Lazio like a Frascati? I'm still excited about the second season, bad wine choice and all.