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Beyond food, something that always pairs well with wine is art. If you love these two subjects, you will want to learn more about these two incredible things. Have you ever wondered what wine would pair with your favorite art movement or artist? Me neither, but I thought it could be a good topic of writing.

These days with plenty of time on hand I have taken up to study art movements and different painters. My reason for this is to get a  head start for my art bachelor program coming up in the fall.

After a supper with my glass of wine, I proceed to the pleasure study of something artsy. It could be by watching a documentary or looking at a virtual gallery in Google Arts and Culture. It is a very enriching experience to combine these two passions.

Recently I was studying Matisse with a nice glass of Bruno Duchene La Luna Rose 2018. This fauvist artist  has been described as the  master of colour and I could quickly establish a relationship between the painter style and the wine.  The work of Matisse that I studied was the portrait of his wife

La luna rose is a half half blend of Syrah and Mourvedre. Highly aromatic, it is a heady and intoxicating blend of sweet red fruit with balsamic touches and violets. On the palate, exuberant and energetic yet balanced and quite elegant.

Source: Fine Art America

At first, the portrait of Madame Matisse gives me as well an inebriating mix of colorful emotions. It is mesmerizing specially when you look at the green line that separates the face. It clearly sets the frontier between the passionate and the placid.  Much like the line, the acidity and crispness of the rose balances out the exuberant fruitiness of the wine

A similar parallel can be described by looking hand by hand at  Corino’s Barla 2011 and some of Henri Rousseau paintings. Barla is a late harvest Barbera and a masterpiece of a wine. Very emblematic, it strikes me with its deep and soulful black fruit notes complemented by tamarind and cacao notes. It is a primitive wine yet highly precise wine. It evoques the same feeling as when you look at some of Le Douanier paintings, especially the jungle ones.

Rousseau The Dream. Source: Google Art Proyects

At first I was not sure of this comparison. I thought the wine resembled more like a painting of Chagall. The Russian love painter is more esoteric and subdued. A Chagall could be nicely enjoyed lets say for instance with a Grand Cru Chambertin for instance. The Barla-Rousseau comparison was the idea of my wine peep Charles. As an art newbie enthusiast, I still lack lots of expertise in analysis. 

Do you have any thoughts on enjoying art and wine pairings. What are some of your favorite pairings?