French winemakers have been more than a little embarrassed to discover that they have named this year’s rosé “crap”.
The St Tropez collective wine cellar chose the name “Mist” to their vintage which they thought was an interesting way to say Made in Saint-Tropez.
They even carefully placed the name on the label right next to the town’s patron saint.
But after all production was finished, they discovered that in German the word translates to “sh-t”, “crap”, “manure” and also “rubbish”. It is not considered to be a polite word.
Roll Royce was spared a similar humiliation several years ago when it narrowly escaped naming its latest auto “Silver Mist”.
A number of Germans have already been reported to have been “stunned and shocked” at the new name.
Some Brits may also wonder that the word mist was used to describe a clear, crisp rosé.
Rosé wines are becoming more popular, especially in the heat of summer, in France and elsewhere. In 2000, it accounted for 10% of all wines sold, but last year it reached 32%.
Saint Tropez, or Saint Torpes of Pisa, was an early Christian martyr and patron saint of sailors.
