If there's one thing I've learned about music and alcohol industries, it's this: People. Love. Mash-ups. Wine + cheese, wine + chocolate, wine + coffee, Ed Sheeran + Beyonce, Iggy Azalea + whoever will give her work. The more surprising the pairing, the more people want to give it a shot. So, when I saw an article about the mash-up of wine + music...I HAD to know more.
It turns out that music can actually change your perception of food and drink, according to research by a professor at Somerville College in Oxford. I am a big fan of food and drink as an experience for all five senses and simultaneously believe that music has the unique ability to evoke certain emotions and thoughts almost involuntarily. Thus, to hear that pairing these two sensory experiences can create positive spillovers that are even more intense is (dad joke incoming) music to my ears.
In fact, vineyards have been recommending pairings of wines with various tasting notes with diverse musical genres, from classical to alt rock, for quite a while. Prosecco + Ella Fitzgerald, Cabernet Sauvignon + Bob Dylan. But for those of you top-40 connoisseurs (present company included), never fear! Here is another article that recommends 6 wines and has a Spotify playlist for each. And here is one that includes some of the wineries we've encountered and discussed in class, like Charles Krug.
I CANNOT wait to try this mashup at my next wine-and-dine event. Grab a bottle and come embark on this alcoholic, auditory journey with me!
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jan/12/wine-pairing-with-music-not-just-with-food
Thanks for sharing Ellen! I would love to host a wine and music small group dinner with you :) . On the subject of wine and music, I've been thinking about the possibility of "music" as a strong distribution channel for wine brands. Music festivals and concerts seem like the perfect channel for single-serving wine cans, a trend that is seeing massive three digit growth according to Michael. Far Niente also mentioned that one of their brand ambassadors poured Far Niente chardonnay in the "green room" of SF shows. I would love to see a modern wine brand that associates itself with supporting the arts (Soundwave winery anyone?), and gains traction/consumers via being free in green rooms at venues across the country and sponsors major festivals and events. Especially with a cool, edgy can design, I could see this brand being a big hit.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with this wine and music discussion! Per our presentation on Picnic wines, even if for the sake of the final presentation, I really do think there is a key opportunity at festivals to capture mind share in a curated, instagrammable space. I've been to many a Coachella festival and there are no brands that stand out from a wine perspective because wine is served in cups.
ReplyDeleteAside from festivals, I think that there is still a huge opportunity for a musical celebrity to enter the skyrocketing rose space to compete against the FatJewish's White Girl Rose. Along these lines I'm channeling Jay's partial ownership of Ace of Spades.
Lastly, I love the idea of a wine and music pairing and would be honored to help host at some point! My suggestions: Nirvana + Finger Lakes Riesling, Kendrick Lamar + Orange Wine, Beethoven + Bordeaux.