Our little Hello Kitty has grown up. Hello Kitty wine, produced by a major Italian vineyard, is hitting North American shelves as we purr with pleasure. And apparently, according to Larry Windsor, general manager of Hello Kitty Wines LLC in Newport Beach, CA., it’s flying off distributors’ showcases as fast as a cat chasing a bird up a tree.
The family-run Tenimenti Castelrotto or “Torti” vineyards, founded in 1910, produces the wine in the Lombardy region, which is known for the cultivation of the Pinot Noir grape.
They are producing four wines for Hello Kitty, including the Hello Kitty Sweet Pink, which is a sparkling demi-sec and not nearly as sweet as Hello Kitty herself. The Connoisseurs found it on the dry side, said it poured well and had a nice rose coloring. The 375 ml bottle has a heart-shaped neck and a gold heart label embedded within the glass. Most uncharitably, the Connoisseurs wrote: “Something about Hello Kitty just makes me think of the dump truck load of saccharine that it takes to give a lab rat cancer. The wine is actually quite pleasant, with hints of red fruits and a nice floral bouquet. It is not cloying at all, as some sweet sparklers can be.” I think The Connoisseurs need to use their indoor voices when it comes to Hello Kitty. Her fans have some mighty sharp claws.
All four wines, which include two stills and two spumantes, are made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes. The Brut Rose comes with a special Hello Kitty pendant sporting a ribbon in the colors of the Italian flag. Rounding out the collection — and what is Hello Kitty if not a collection? — also offers Angel White and Devil Red. The wines retail for about $30 a bottle; $20 for the sweet pink.
Windsor said the wine has been well-received by knowledegable wine drinkers and reviewers and he believes it will appeal to wine enthusiasts beyond the Hello Kitty brand’s fan base. In other words, it’s one cup of sweet milk regardless of the feline on the label.