How much faith do you have in the product you create, whether it is a book you write or a wine you produce? Roche Wines has great faith in their wines and it shows. They asked sixteen Canadian artists to taste their wines “blind”, not knowing anything about the wine, other than it is red or white. And then asking them to draw what they tasted and experienced. Roche Wines used this artwork for their new wine labels in their new “Vig Collection”. More info is below from the winery.
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British Columbia’s Roche Wines is bringing the Bordeaux tradition of showcasing artists to BC wine country.
Growing up in Bordeaux, France, Penelope Furt-Roche saw luxury estate Chateau Mouton-Rothschild feature Chagall, Picasso, and other renowned artists on their wine labels.
Penelope and her husband Dylan Roche, now Roche Wines owners on the Naramata Bench, decided to bring the artist / winery collaboration concept to Canada. The resulting Vig collection of wines, shortened from the French word for winegrowers, vignerons, features cutting edge artists on their newest bottle labels.
Penelope explained the unconventional collaboration process: “We searched Instagram for Canadian artists with bold, modern styles, then sent our sixteen favourite artists totalement nues, naked bottles of wine.” The artists painted their sensory experiences of tasting and drinking the unlabeled wines. “The art was not influenced by descriptions or price – just what was in the bottle. Their label artworks, they are pure expressions of the taste and smell of the wine.”
Naramata artist Marina Billinghurst’s watercolour was chosen to be featured on the Pinot Gris label. “The exposure is amazing. Roche wines are well respected in BC, so being a part of the new Vig collection is a welcome opportunity to create art together.”
Six works of art were chosen by Penelope and Dylan for their current wine releases, but they have kept a small library of submitted art for other labels. “It’s like producing a gallery collection each year,” Penelope commented. “With each new grape harvest, we will have the opportunity to show off more talented Canadian artists’ works.”
The Vig collection wines are now offered by pre-sale, another Bordeaux tradition of buyers banking blind on what’s in the bottle. “Expect expressively crisp, fruit-forward Canadian-style wines, with a French touch” suggested winemaker Dylan Roche.
For label art and artist bios, see: https://www.rterroir.ca/vig-wines
