Karl Wente Releases 5th Vintage of Wine and Music Pairings
26 September, 2011
Fifth Generation Winemaker Karl Wente Releases Fifth Vintage of Wine and Music Pairings
LIVERMORE, CA – Karl Wente and Wente Vineyards continue to showcase their commitment to the synergies between wine and music with the release of their fifth annual emerging artist program: Discover the Wine, Discover the Music (DWDM). DWDM began five years ago when Fifth Generation Winemaker Karl Wente decided to blend his love for fine wines with independent original music. Every year Karl pairs six up-and-coming indie artists’ singles with six of his Estate grown wines to create a new “vintage.” The DWDM fifth vintage of emerging artists went live on September 1, 2011.
“Pairing wines and songs is an incredibly fun task,” says Karl Wente. “To be present with six cool songs and six wines while drawing parallels between the structures, melodies, acidity, tannins, percussion, and bass line. Is it major or minor? Light or heavy? Following the instrumentation of the song as it parallels the flavors and aromas of the wine and uncovering why these synergies exist is such a complex but rewarding process.”
Karl Wente holds a strong belief that great wine and good food should be paired with original music and shared with friends. This is evident in Wente Vineyards’ ongoing support of the independent music scene and their active participation in events like SXSW, Noise Pop, Big Noise in the Neighborhood and MUSEXPO. In addition, Karl Wente along with San Francisco’s leading alternative rock radio station LIVE 105, recently hosted Wente Vineyards’ BottleRockIt Music Festival on September 10, 2011, which brought masses of music enthusiasts to Wente Vineyards’ Estate winery in the Livermore Valley. Attendees enjoyed a day of great music, food, wine and sunshine where over 20 bands, including Givers, The Holdup, Dirty Vegas, and A B & The Sea, performed on three separate stages.
Karl’s DWDM experience has a fully integrated approach with in-market materials including bottle neckers, posters, case cards and check stuffers. All materials drive consumers to the DWDM website, where visitors are given the opportunity to download free tracks from the featured artists and learn more about each of the paired Wente Vineyards wines. Additionally, the program sponsors a sweepstakes, in states where legal, where a winner is selected to bring themselves and a guest out to Wente Vineyards to see a concert of their choice at the heralded Concerts at Wente Vineyards, which celebrated its 25th Anniversary this year. This year’s Vintage 5 pairings will be available on the DWDM website beginning September 1, 2011 and will run until Vintage 6 starts next September. The pairings are as follows:
- The Head and the Heart’s “Lost in my Mind” paired with the Riva Ranch Chardonnay. Unapologetically American - rich and delicate at the same time.
- Givers’ “Up Up Up” paired with the Small Lot Eric’s Chardonnay. Intense without being heavy.
- Phantogram’s “When I’m Small” paired with the Small Lot GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre). Karl Wente notes that Syrah is like funky guitar/primal surf, Mourvedre is an exotic, untamed, old school, low-fi, earthy funk, and Grenache is the dreamy, sugary quality of the vocals.
- The Belle Brigade’s “Losers” paired with the Sandstone Merlot. Sweet and dark with certain spiciness.
- Birds and Batteries’ “Stranger Kind of Mirror” paired with the Nth Degree Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark and rich, bittersweet with a halo of reverb.
- A B & The Sea’s “Bone Dry” paired with the equally bone dry Louis Mel Sauvignon Blanc.
For more information on the Vintage 5 artists/wine pairings and the Discover the Wine Discover the music program, visit www.wentevineyards.com/discover.
About Wente Vineyards
The country’s oldest continuously operated family-owned winery; Wente Vineyards is led today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. More than 125 years of committed stewardship to the land has led to the development of Wente Vineyards’ Farming for the Future, a system of sustainable viticulture practices designed to produce the best quality wines with the least environmental impact. This philosophy extends to all aspects of winery operations, where energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling and social responsibility are all integral to the culture.
All of the wines within the Wente Vineyards portfolio are Estate Grown, crafted by Fifth Generation Winemaker, Karl Wente from Estate vineyards in the Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco appellations. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf. For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.
###