Photo Credit @NkairoPhotography
I am excited to share what I have been working on! I have expanded beyond the theme of my book, ‘Searching for Cloves and Lilies, The Wine Edition’ where I pair wine and poetry. I am now exploring intersections where wine converges with other disciplines, including art, music, fashion, and food. I am calling this series “Exploring the Intersections.” It will be presented through video and in-person events. This is more than a traditional wine appreciation journey; it is an intimate exploration of how wine weaves its way into the fabric of our lives and how it interplays with various artistic and cultural spaces.
As part of this series, I have partnered with 21C Museum Hotel Chicago to pair Art + Wine. Wine is a common fixture at art gallery events. Typically, the choice of wines is driven by cost and the gallery’s inventory. But what if the curator selected wines with the same meticulous care they put into the exhibit? What if wine wasn’t merely an afterthought?
The wine served can significantly influence the atmosphere of your event. Having wine available at a gathering is different from thoughtfully pairing wines with the event itself. Pairing is a more intentional practice, where wines are chosen to accentuate, create, or balance a particular mood or theme. At the first Art + Wine event at Museum 21C (March 2023), I chose wines that reflected the entire body of work in the current exhibit, Offspring,New Generations. The two subsequent events paired wines with four specific artworks. In this blog, I will share the four pairings for the July 24, 2024 event and my reasoning behind them.
Photo Credit @NkairoPhotography
Strategies for Art + Wine Pairing
When creating these pairings, I leaned on some of the principles I learned as a Wine Spirits and Education Trust (WSET) 3 student. For example, three key principles used in food and wine pairing—complementary pairings, contrasting pairings, and balancing weight—were applied to pairing wines with art.
Complementary pairings match similar flavors and intensities. For example, a rich, buttery Chardonnay pairs well with lobster in a creamy sauce. In the context of art, think about substituting flavor with emotion. Match the emotions conveyed by the artwork with the intensity of the wine. For instance, a piece with bold, vibrant colors might pair well with a robust, full-bodied red wine that echoes its intensity.
Contrasting pairings use opposing flavors to balance each other. A crisp, acidic Sauvignon Blanc can cut through the richness of a fatty cheese like goat cheese. Similarly, in art and wine pairing, consider the emotional contrasts. A serene, delicate watercolor might be beautifully offset by a lively, effervescent sparkling wine, creating a balanced interplay between calm and vivacity.
Balancing Weight: When pairing food and wine, the weight or body of both should be considered. Light wines pair with lighter dishes, while robust wines complement heavier fare. Apply this concept to art by focusing on the visual weight and texture of the piece. If the artwork is light and airy, such as a delicate pastel painting, choose a wine that is equally light in body or color, like a crisp Pinot Gris. Conversely, a dramatic, heavily textured piece might pair well with a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon.
Other Elements to Consider
The Method of Creation
The method by which food is prepared can affect its pairing with wine. Grilled or barbecued meats with smoky, charred flavors pair well with bold, tannic wines like Zinfandel or Shiraz. In art, consider the materials and techniques used by the artist. For example, a labor-intensive piece could be paired with a traditional method sparkling wine, reflecting the meticulous process involved in both the artwork and winemaking.
Texture
The texture of both food and wine plays a crucial role in pairing. Wines with high tannin levels pair well with fatty, protein-rich foods, while sparkling wines can cleanse the palate and pair with a variety of textures. In art, think about the texture of the piece. Can you draw a comparison with the tannins or creaminess of the wine? A textured sculpture might pair beautifully with a wine that has a similarly rich, tactile quality.
Create Your Own Pairings
By applying these principles, you can create harmonious and memorable pairings between wine and art. Remember, just as a dish can have multiple wine soulmates, artworks can too. I invite you to create your own pairings and share why they work for you.
The Pairings: Art + Wine July 2024
Art: Ruth Owens, Schwanda, 2022, Acrylic on paper
Wine: Orin Swift’s You Go First California, Brut Sparkling $60
When pairing “You Go First California Brut Sparkling” with Ruth Owens’s “Schwanda,” I drew inspiration from Owens’s artist statement and Orin Swift’s winery’s description. “Schwanda” explores the interconnectedness of African and European cultures, using William Morris’s wallpaper to highlight cultural dominance and the sanitized view of nature brought by colonization. The mention of the link between African and European culture made me think of the influence of European culture on all aspects of winemaking. “You Go First” is a California sparkling wine that reflects the heritage of French sparkling methods.
Owens places a Black woman in a natural setting, challenging historical ambivalence toward Black bodies in nature. This invitation to reconnect with nature parallels the nostalgic and youthful exuberance of “You Go First,” encouraging enjoyment of the present and simple pleasures “like an evening stroll or a glass of bubbly.” Owens’s artwork, with its visual and emotional complexities, highlights the resilience of Black culture against a backdrop of historical dominance. “You Go First,” with its brilliant white gold complexion, floral nose and velvety mousse, offers a sensory journey that mirrors the layered nuances in Owens’s painting. Both the artwork and the wine promote taking time to appreciate nature and oneself, emphasizing leisure, defiance and freedom.
Art: Sam Taylor-Johnson, Pietà, 2001
Wine: Perilune 2022 Chardonnay $125
The artwork “Pietà” by Sam Taylor-Johnson and the Perilune Chardonnay share parallels in their exploration of expression, transformation, and the blending of traditional and contemporary elements. The Perilune Chardonnay is a result of meticulous exploration and a deliberate shift from customary methods of Brewer-Clifton winery. Winemaker Greg Brewer uses a singular concrete egg for fermentation to capture a unique “voice” of place. This approach contrasts with conventional techniques, similar to how Sam Taylor-Johnson “casts herself as the grieving Madonna and Robert Downey Jr. as the dead Christ” in a modern interpretation of Michelangelo’s sculpture (, installed at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome), highlighting the artificial nature of their roles and blending traditional religious imagery with contemporary celebrity culture. The concrete egg, according to winemaker Greg Brewer, is “confining yet liberating in its representation of incubation and birth.” The concrete egg is an old tradition that provides a new dimension to the winemaking process and emphasizes the purity and precision of the Chardonnay.
The textures and materials used in both the wine’s production and the artwork, designed by senior designer Tami Lovett-Brumfield, highlight a tactile, organic experience, with hand-crafted textures and backgrounds in the wine label design mirroring the tactile qualities of Taylor-Johnson’s chromogenic print. The calmness and quiet evoked by the lunar-themed wine label and the contemplative nature of the Perilune Chardonnay are mirrored in the emotional weight and stillness of “Pietà,” inviting reflection on life, death, reality, and representation.
Art: Frances Goodman, Relationships Made Simple, Chiffon, embroidery, lace, and wood
Wine: Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills 2022 Pinot Noir $50
This wine is elegant and striking, yet it isn’t showy. The contrast of the wine being both remarkable and subtle reflects Goodman’s use of contrasting materials: wood, chiffon, and lace. The mouthfeel of the wine is lush and glides with notes of earth and berries, complementing the tactile elements of wood and lace. There is a gentleness to the wine similar to the delicate and nuanced nature of Goodman’s embroidered Venn diagrams. But underneath the delicacy of the artwork lies a fury akin to the sharpness of the acidity in the wine. Lastly, I reflected on the title of this piece, “Relationships Made Simple.” There is nothing simple about relationships, although they should be. It’s the same with this wine. We are tasting something that is simple in theory: grapes are fermented, and wine is made. But the process is long and laborious, especially when working with a grape as delicate as Pinot Noir.
Art: Kelly Kristin Jones, A View from Home, 2022, Site-specific installation of resin, plaster, steel, sandbags
Wine: Orin Swift 2022 Papillon $90
I chose this pairing because Jones’s artwork is an exploration of power, transformation, and the use of traditional materials to create new meanings. In the wine world, Bordeaux and its grape varieties are the ultimate symbol of power and dominance. Jones’s historical and cultural symbols in “A View from Home” are echoed by Papillon’s connection to Bordeaux winemaking traditions. Papillon transforms traditional Bordeaux varietals to create an opulent wine that expresses the strength and power of New World wines.
Both the artwork and the wine are layered with meaning and complexity. Jones’s visual impact and exploration of societal structures find a sensory parallel in Papillon’s intense aromas and flavors, such as currant, cassis, and mocha.
Regine T. Rousseau
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