Wine Pairing with Art

Layne’s Wine Gig Presents

WINE PAIRING WITH ART

By Layne V. Witherell

Judy and I have assembled several pieces for our collection from favorite local artists discovered and gleaned over our nineteen years of living in the West End. We hope you enjoy this pairing with both the wines and the work of our friends.

RELAXATION

SHEEP JONES, “How Much is that Owl in the Window”, 8”x6” oil on board. 

Her college degree was at the University of Southern Maine, with gallery exhibits in Portland, 153 High Street, Belfast, and the Torpedo Factory, Virginia (artist of the year). She is known for her vision of the lives of small houses, occasionally with plants sprouting both in and from the ground, together with creatures peeking from doors or windows. She adds layers of colors with the work acting as a narrative for her specialty. Quirky little people, birds, and animals will appear as additional guests in her work. Her texturing with light encaustic style scratches of pigment encourages both you and the wine to relax just a bit more.

“All people have stories… their past, present and their dreams…. these are perfect tidbits for the imagination.” -Sheep Jones

MACON-VILLAGES, 2023.

A White Burgundy from Chardonnay grapes. No oak aged, light, delicate, dry white. A delicious wine to sip young and fresh. This is an area of small vineyard holders with an international reputation for their wines. Like the art of Sheep Jones, they are individual characters who may appear on one level as peasant like, but on another level can converse on equal terms with the most astute artisan. Their soil is pure limestone, adding to the wine’s complexity and refreshment.

The ultimate undemanding wine for a light fish dish and relaxation.

POP SONG ENERGY

PAT CORRIGAN, Untitled (a little wasp out for a walk while snacking at the beehive), Portland, Maine, 4”x6”.

Speaking of walks, there are Portland history walks, foodie walks, mystery walks, beer walks, etc. I propose a Pat Corrigan Art Walk. He is an astonishingly prolific and uniquely talented artist in this town. The mural at the Greyhound Bus Station on St John Street for starters, followed by the (now closed) Freedom’s Edge tasting room apple tree mural, and the entire interior of the late, great Local 188 restaurant on Congress St. (especially the bar mural), and let’s not forget the Apohadion Theatre, 107 Hanover Street, Portland. Keep your eyes open for the occasional pop up at Mayo Street Arts, 10 Mayo Street, Portland.  Art, swag and tee shirts appear at random gatherings.

The ‘little wasp’ is a classic Pat Corrigan small work. He just makes you smile and chuckle with his carefree style and single hair brushwork for the arms, legs and antennae of our little friend, not to forget that quirky little facial chuckle. The hive literally buzzes with feverish activity behind him, while he strolls with his dipper of honey.

CLETO CHIARLI SPARKLING LAMBRUSCO DE SORBARA SECCO. 

While dancing around with the little wasp picture, there is no better wine than a cool sparkling Lambrusco. Now, there is Lambrusco and there is Lambrusco! The ordinary stuff shipped in oil tankers and tasting of “raspberry motor oil”  per Randall Grahm, versus the estate bottlings from Emilia-Romagna redolent of violets, black cherries, a touch of earth and flowers. It is refreshingly light, round, semi-sweet and soft. Serve it iced. A bit of salumi on the plate alongside a nutty Parmesan is heaven and pop song energy.

SURREALISM

DR. ANASTASIA S. VERNALIS- WEIGLE, “Queen Bee” (homage to a Chinese New Year’s party),16”x10”.

 A collage with bees, her signature antique doll head, cut outs, serving tray, Chinese fan, and various dried plants. In Bind Studio, Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Her studio is loaded with boxes of bits and pieces ready and waiting to be turned into delectable collages per her surrealist vision.

In an era when women surrealist artists from the past like Leonora Carrington (1917-2011) and Remedios Varo (1908-1963) are hailed as superstars today, and are fetching big auction prices for their work; she is still active and kicking. Anastasia Weigle will one day join their ranks.

Her PhD. is in Information Sciences with deep plunges into book binding and restoration together with a vast knowledge of the collage masters from the past like Joseph Cornell. She has exhibited in Maine, New Hampshire, Iowa, Chicago, and Pennsylvania.

BIRICHINO SCYLLA, SALINAS, CALIFORNIA, A CARIGNANE, MOUVEDRE BLEND, 2022, 750ml. 

In keeping with our surrealist theme, Birichino both translates into “mischievous” or a “cheeky youngster”, and contains a quest for ancient vineyard sites akin to the way Anastasia searches for materials for her art. They are one of my favorite wineries for lots of reasons. John Locke co-owner has been practicing his craft for countless decades – many alongside the supremely idiosyncratic Randall Grahm of Bonny Doone – together with his relentless quest for the most ancient of vines to weave his surrealist wine magic. Scylla is partly soft gamey, as well as earthy with flavors of fresh cut cranberries.

Another favorite BIRICHINO wine is available at BLUE, 650 Congress Street, Portland. It is the BESSON VINEYARDS, 2022, (1910 old vines), GRENACHE masterpiece at $45.00 a bottle. “Dark berry and cluster spice… a savory finish like a tea made with vine bark.” In a world of innocuous tutti fruit industrially churned out mediocrity, BIRICHINO is the best – Leonora and Remedios would both be proud.

SERIOUSNESS

BEN COOMBS, Handblown Glass Lobster Buoy, 24”x4”, Casco Bay Glassworks, Woolwich, Maine. 

We remember him from more than a dozen years ago when he was running The Portland Glassblowing Studio with his wife Molly Coombs on Munjoy Hill in Portland, Maine. It was an area dense with local artisan crafts people prior to the arrival of today’s numerous fashionable coffee shops. We purchased several of his iconic pieces, some of which are no longer made or sold.

The current shop in Woolrich, as well as galleries and museums statewide, feature his wine glasses, together with small items such as Christmas tree lobster buoy hangings. You can see examples of this piece in larger format at hotel front desks throughout Portland, including at the Hyatt Place on Fore Street. They literally announce, “Welcome to Portland.”

CHATEAU LAROSE PERGASON, RED BORDEAUX, HAUT MEDOC, 2017. 

Why Bordeaux? The inside of a glass blowing space is hot, dangerous, and serious work. Bordeaux is an ideal comparison because it exists on varied levels of quality and price just like the works of glass. Unlike a light, fruity red or white wine it has weight and depth. And like the lobster buoy it is a wine that you contemplate. It ages well and can cost from tens of dollars to tens of thousands – just like art itself.

Bordeaux, with its high tannin gives tension to the wine; similar, I surmise, to being near the glass blower turning the molten glass to get it just right. A rich Gouda cheese or grilled steak is perfect here.

A Final Question

I guess that I need to close with the ages old question: Is wine an art or a craft? Both wine and art require imagination, but at the end of the day art requires a “leap of the imagination”. It’s about the artist’s personal vision.

We have known a whole lot of artists as well as winemakers throughout our journey on this planet and both refer to themselves as artists. At the end of the day, it is probably best to give them both their due.   

---

LAYNE’S WINE GIGS

Individually tailored gigs for small or large groups. Pick the place and the theme, and I will help you select the wines and provide the fun. Email me at lvwitherell@gmail.com.