Winemakers don’t usually brag about insects in their vineyards, but Predator Wines is an exception. As natural and sustainable viticulture techniques gain more attention, even bugs are getting in on the action.
Predator Wines is one of 10 brands from the Rutherford Wine Company, headquartered in Napa. Predator Wines use “natural predation” via ladybugs as a pest management technique. Apparently, the vibrant red-and-black beetles have a symbiotic relationship with the vines. Releasing swarms of ladybugs is an Earth-friendly way to control harmful aphids and mites, reducing or eliminating the need for chemical pesticides. “What’s good for the vine is good for the wine,” boasts the label.
It’s an exciting concept, and the packaging is adorable–but how is the wine?
My first taste of Predator Wine was the Old Vine Zinfandel, as recommended by an eco-evangelist bartender. I enjoyed that glass immensely. It was a typical Lodi fruit bomb–not a bad thing, in my opinion–with a pronounced ripe blackberry scent and a smoky, savory finish.
And so, I snapped up the Predator Cabernet Sauvignon on my next trip to H-E-B. Based on those two examples only, I’ve gotta say the quality of this brand of wines is a little…well, spotty.
Predator Cabernet pours vibrant cranberry red in the glass. It’s got a bright fruit-punch, cherry-berry nose. The palate is the same Jolly-Rancher tart cherry with a little bit of wood shavings and vanilla. Medium body and tannins. It’s not at all sweet, but it smells like candy. Compared with the robust Zin, this is a juice-box wine, a sangria wine, a chill-able red.
We don’t finish the bottle (rare in this household). The next day, I pour another taste and find that it’s developed a little. I detect some softer and riper black fruit flavors, but not much else.
Contrast that with the winemaker’s description: “An intense, full-bodied wine with flavors of dark berries and spice. Vibrant aromas of blackberry, cherry and dark chocolate, with subtle notes of cinnamon and toasty oak.”
Are we drinking the same bottle? Predator Cab is better than drinkable, but intense and full-bodied it is not. This is a basic berries-‘n-oak wine–those copywriters must be buggin’.
Halfway into her first and only glass, my wife asks me if I think there’s any residual ladybugs in Predator Wine. A non-zero amount, I answer. There must be. I’ve seen videos of machine-harvesting and massive crush vats in California, and there’s no way someone’s turning over tons of grapes to retrieve all the ladybugs they released in the vineyard, right?
Unsatisfied with my speculation, we turn to Google and find out about a rare but recognizable wine flaw called “ladybug taint.” It turns out ladybugs can produce foul-smelling compounds (alkyl-methoxypyrazines) when they’re in mortal distress. If this substance ends up in wine it’s a very bad thing. Some naturally occurring pyrazines in wine grapes can be desirable, imparting green and herbaceous flavors–but bug-derived pyrazines are not.
In fact, while aphids can destroy vines, ladybugs can destroy wine. Predator Wines uses ladybugs deliberately for pest control, but uncontrolled beetles at harvest time can wreak havoc on a vineyard or even a region’s entire vintage.
It’s happening more and more, because there are invasive ladybug species from Asia that have made their way to Europe and North America. According to Wine Enthusiast, ladybug taint has affected areas as diverse as Ontario, Chianti, and Burgundy. Experienced tasters describe flavors of rancid peanuts, bitter walnut shells, and rotting green vegetables. Ladybug taint is so potent that even one or two insects per kilogram of grapes is enough to spoil the wine.
Having tasted Predator Cabernet, I can confidently say that ladybug taint is not responsible for the wine’s shortcomings. It’s candy-like, thin-tasting and simple. Maybe it needs more bugs? I’ll close this review with three thoughts:
- A lot of the organic, sustainable, and biodynamically farmed wines I’ve tried recently are underwhelming. What gives? I want to feel wholesome and drink delicious wine, dammit!
- I might order this by the glass if it was on happy hour, but there are way more interesting Cabs in the $15-$20 range.
- I’m going to start a rock band and name it Ladybug Taint.
Bottle: Predator Cabernet Sauvignon (2021)
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon (aged in 75% French oak and 25% American oak)
ABV: 13.5%
Average retail: $18
My rating: 6.0 (out of 10)
Further reading:
Ever Wonder Wine?: Lady Bug Taint in Wine? Yes – It’s a Real Thing!
Wine Enthusiast How to Spot Ladybug Taint, a Downright Gross Wine Flaw
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
Leave a Comment