From the time I was young, the words "small package" were used quite often to describe me. I would hear: "Better things come in small packages."

As I got older, I became more concerned with presentation of my package (i.e. shoes, clothes, hair) and what made a particular package appeal to me.

Today, as a wine specialist, discerning what is inside a wine bottle based on its exterior continues to intrigue me.

And while many a wine connoisseur is more interested in what is inside, most confess that the package is important too.

As with fashion, personal tastes run the gamut. Wines with interesting labels fascinate me, though I may not buy a wine based on its package.

We all know the old adage, "you can't judge a book by its cover," but presentation is a big part of life. The way we present ourselves can make or break us. The way a winery presents its wine is no different. Poor packaging may not break a wine, particularly if it tastes great or receives high scores from wine critics. However, wine packaging — from bottle size and shape to the artwork on the label — can make a wine, no matter the content.

Wineries aren't stuck with bad labels. They can change them, and many do. More often than not, a revamped label is at the directive of marketing companies. Of course my Picasso is someone else's Hopper. And the same goes for wine labels. Each time I walk down the aisle at Tamura's, R. Field or the HASR Wine Company downtown, I am drawn to certain bottles. The color, graphics and shape of certain wine labels draw me to them, much as the mannequins in a storefront window do. Of course, with wine you can't just try it on; you must purchase it to try it. A bold move, yes, but if nothing else, you can save the labels you love and use the wine for cooking.

Labels aren't just about fun. After Prohibition ended in 1933, wine-making was in dire straits. Decades later, California led the nation in designing a new system for wine production, quantity and quality. And now, believe it or not, the label on a bottle of wine goes through more scrutiny than perhaps any other commodity.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau mandates that seven things be on every wine label, domestic and imported. A few are obvious, such as the brand name (i.e. Kendall-Jackson), where the wine comes from (i.e. Napa Valley) and the type of wine (i.e. chardonnay). Others are not so apparent: the name and address of the bottler and a statement as to whether the wine has sulfites. Alcohol content also must be noted. Moscato d'Asti typically has the lowest alcohol content of any wine, about 6 percent, while a fortified wine like port is normally the highest at about 19 percent.

The law does not require that the wine be described on the label — information that many consumers would probably find helpful. Many wine labels do include adjectives and other buzz words, such as "reserve," but none of these are regulated.

Individual states also have rules, such as how much cabernet sauvignon has to be in the wine to call it cabernet sauvignon on the label. For California wines, the number is 75 percent. Australians are a bit more rigorous, insisting that every grape in the wine be listed.

So next time you're perusing a wine list or a wine store, remember that presentation can make an ordinary wine taste better but a poor package rarely ruins a great wine.

Here are a few wines with both great packaging and great content.