Good morning,
Music festivals are back, baby. Have you heard? In the last couple months, a slew of organizations released their 2021 line-ups — from Lollapalooza, to Riot Fest, to Napa Valley’s own, ‘Bottlerock.’
The other week, I sat with my friend in her car, endlessly refreshing a webpage on her phone until ticket sales went live at 10am. Initially, to our dismay, the website crashed. Panicked they would sell out, we finally got through after about 10 minutes. Tickets secured, we celebrated by blasting Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks, one of the headliners of the festival. The world felt full of possibility again.
(Hey, did you notice I finally learned how to embed Spotify songs? Now you can listen to them within the email! Just click play.)
The hype around music festivals made me think about how much music can affect our mood and general experiences navigating day-to-day life. I naturally gravitated toward my profession, and how music and wine could interact. I’ve found myself a little tired of using the same descriptors and tasting notes for wines each week. This week, I decided to use songs as descriptors — imagine that the feeling you have listening to each song is akin to the feeling of drinking each wine. I tried to capture the personality of the wine as well.
Altogether, I curated a 6-course ‘tasting menu’ complete with progressively listed wines (lighter in body to fuller in body) starting with sparkling, moving into white, and finishing with red wine. Hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think. Bon appetite.
What I thought about & what I drank this week
First Pairing: Schramsberg & Cyndi Lauper
The Wine: Schramsberg Blanc-de-Noirs, California 2017 $29 - $36
The Song: Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cindi Lauper
She’s a pop queen, an icon, and we all know her. She’s undeniably fun and makes us want to dance. Am I talking about Cyndi Lauper or Schramsberg? Honestly, both. If you want to get the party started, Schramsberg is an approachable and historic domestic producer of bubbles that’s always a crowd pleaser. (See: it’s been enjoyed at countless White House dinners and you can also find it at select Whole Foods).
So, is it a coincidence that I’m recommending popping some bubbles while listening to one of the most iconic pop songs of all time? Absolutely not, pun 100% intended.
Drinking it feels a like a synthy, bubbly, high-energy song overlaid with Cyndi’s smooth vocals. You don’t have to think too hard about it. It goes down smooth. You can drink it while wearing a mini skirt and your hair in pigtails. Girls just want to have fun, after all.
Second Pairing: Pierre Girardin & Françoise Hardy
The Wine: Pierre Girardin Chardonnay, Volnay, Burgundy, France 2018 $65
The Song: Comment te Dire Adieu by Françoise Hardy
This pairing explains itself. I dare you to listen, close your eyes, and NOT imagine you’re sitting by the river in Paris at a little cafe, eating oysters and sipping on a glass of crisp white wine.
Someone cute rides past you on a scooter, baguette in hand, hair blowing in the wind, and winks at you. You feel electric. That’s exactly how this wine feels.
It’s a little wistful though, a little romantic. There’s a line in the song,
Mon cœur de silex vite prend feu
or
My heart of flint quickly catches alight
Sure enough, the wine is exciting, flinty and flirtatious — it’s easy to fall for.
The song title, “Comment te dire adieu” roughly translates to “it’s hard to say goodbye” and it was certainly hard to say goodbye to the last glass of this. I sipped it slowly, savoring it before the moment had to end.
Third Pairing: Raen & Daft Punk
The Wine: Raen Pinot Noir, Royal St. Robert, Sonoma Coast, California 2018 $60
The Song: Instant Crush by Daft Punk
I have an instant crush on this wine. Okay, that was too easy — but I did choose these to go together because they’re both made by iconic duos. Obviously, Daft Punk is a lauded duo who’s been in the music scene for decades. The wine is made by a duo of brothers — Dante and Carlo Mondavi, the grandsons of the famed Robert Mondavi. Both are expertly crafted, balanced, and the formation of a complete thought.
For some reason, both remind me of Autumn back east. Leaves falling, brick buildings, crisp evenings when the sun sets early. It’s cool and earthy in a way that is pleasant — you want to put on a light coat and bust out a pair of timeless corduroy pants to drink this wine. There’s a bit of electronic playfulness, some high notes that express themselves as tangy cherries.
You’ll finish this pairing feeling satisfied and pleased.
Fourth Pairing: Martha Stoumen & Olivia Rodrigo
The Wine: Martha Stoumen Zinfandel, Venturi Vineyard, Mendocino, California 2018 $43
The Song: Good 4 U by Olivia Rodrigo
You could say this is a guilty pleasure pairing: two things that could be considered “cringe” or “uncool” — zinfandel and a viral teen anthem. They’re both a funky reimagining of something that came before and they’re both just… fun?
You’ll wanna sing into your hairbrush and jump around. There’s this infectious, angsty energy. You’ll feel edgy, but ultimately so good when you just lean into it.
The focus is razor sharp. The chord progression is catchy. You’ll consume this wine (and song) quickly, and be left wanting more. It’s hard to know how to feel, and you’ll start singing along: “maybe I’m too emotional.”
Fifth Pairing: Pax & The Beastie Boys
The Wine: Pax ‘Griffin’s Lair’ Syrah, Sonoma Coast California 2016 $60
The Song: Sabotage by The Beastie Boys
This wine is so punk. It’s screaming to be drunk while listening to the Beastie Boys. It’s an acquired taste; not for everyone. It’s rough, and garage-y, and maybe a bit unfinished. This wine plays the drums and wears leather pants and has tattoos and does drugs. Like, it’s bad (bad as in good). And you’ll feel bad drinking it.
In fact, drinking this wine is like being on a road trip through the desert on very little sleep. Blasting Sabotage until you blow your speakers. It’s a thrill. It’s full of extremes: it’s savory and meaty, but contrasted with violets and blueberries. The winemaker, Pax Mahle, was recently featured in a NYT article “Wines to Remember in a Year to Forget.” This is certainly one you won’t forget anytime soon.
Sixth Pairing: Ice Wine & The Weeknd
The Wine: Peller Estates ‘Vidal’ Ice Wine, Niagara Peninsula, Canada 2017 $?? (for the mini bottle)
The Song: Wicked Games by The Weeknd
It’s the end of the night. You’re winding down. You want something sultry and maybe a little sweet to finish. This pairing delivers.
Both hailing from Canada, Peller Estates is best enjoyed while listening to The Weeknd. Dim the lights, drink a tiny amount out of a tiny glass, and just feel the impeccable vibes. If you’re drinking Peller Estates, maybe you’re visiting Niagara Falls and the Niagara Peninsula where they’re located. Maybe you spent the day around tourists on a boat in plastic ponchos and now you’re trying to relax. Lucky for you, sweet wine is all about indulging; all about pleasure. And so is The Weeknd. Pair both to indulge all your senses and maybe slip into a silk robe after your long day.
What I liked this week
This article about ‘liminal spaces’ — The Pleasant Head Trip of Liminal Spaces in The New Yorker.
Liminal Spaces are defined as:
The aesthetic known as a Liminal Space is a location which is a transition between two other locations, or states of being. Typically these are abandoned, and oftentimes empty - a mall at 4am or a school hallway during summer, for example.
In anthropology, liminality is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of a rite of passage, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the rite is complete.
Re-watching The Matrix. Every shot from that movie could be a painting. Although, the feeling of watching such an iconic movie can be distracting, every time something iconic happens. You’re like “oh it’s that scene” in your head… you know? But overall, just such a well done movie that doesn’t get old. And, this time, I noticed most of the shooting locations are in liminal spaces mentioned above: subway stations, lobbies, hallways, etc. Interesting to note.
What If Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life? in The Atlantic.
Who Should John Mulaney Be Now? in Vulture.
Eating a single, perfect In-N-Out Burger. Animal style, of course. Savoring it while I’m in California.
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I start driving across the country on Monday. I’m sure I’ll tell you all about it next time. Have a good week!
Au revoir for now,
Kate
You are so very creative and talented. What jo Frank Sinatra🤣🤣excited about seeing you. Will venmode in person as I’m too old to know how. Be safe and careful. Can’t wait to see you
You're onto something awesome with the musical wine pairings. This is excellent 👌