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Theres a new edition of Dali’s ‘The Wines of Gala’: The modern wine bible you never knew you needed
11.06.2017
12:32 pm
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This month, publisher Taschen is following up on its successful re-publication of Salvador Dalí‘s Les Dîners de Gala with his long out-of-print companion volume The Wines of Gala.

The Wines of Gala may be the lesser known of Dalí‘s two epicurean books, but it is still a sumptuously illustrated and highly collectible Surrealist treatise on the pleasures of viticulture. Originally published in French under the title Les Vins de Gala et du Divin (The Wines of Gala and the Divine) in 1977, this Dalínian introduction to wine was (surprisingly) not a success on its first release. As Dalí contributed no text, it was seen by many as a money-grabbing exercise by the aging Surrealist. The original text was written by Max Gérard (“Ten Divine Dalí Wines”) and Louis Orizet (“Ten Gala Wines”) with an introductory poem by Baron Philippe de Rothschild (“La Cave”).

However, Dalí was involved in the direction of content, the selection of wines and their organization “according to the sensations they create in our very depths.” These are grouped together under chapter headings like “Wines of Frivolity,” “Wines of Sensuality,” “Wines of Light,” and “Wines of the Impossible.” The idea was based on Dalí‘s belief that “A real connoisseur does not drink wine but tastes of its secrets.”

The Wines of Gala contains over 140 of Dalí‘s illustrations—including “appropriated artworks,” collages, and paintings like “The Sacrament of the Last Supper” (1955). The book was dedicated to Dalí‘s longtime wife and muse, Gala, and the volume applies “Dalí’s famously intense obsession with sexuality and desire to food and wine, two sensual topics he’d rarely addressed in his work.”

Though intended as an introduction to viticulture, the section on “Ten Gala Wines” was considered somewhat revolutionary upon its publication and in many ways it still is today. This section ordered wines by “sensation” or “emotional resonance” rather than by the “prescriptive limits of traditional viticulture.” This opened a whole new way to appreciate wine rather than the way used by most traditional wine critics.

It’s a beautiful book, and who knew Art could be a reason to get merry? Click on the pictures below for a larger image.
 
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More pages from Dalí ‘s ‘The Wines of Gala,’ after the jump…
 

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Posted by Paul Gallagher
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11.06.2017
12:32 pm
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Red Red Wine: Beautiful carafes inspired by the bloodstream
10.10.2016
09:50 am
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A diagram of our veins and arteries may look like a congested roadmap, but to Etienne Meneau the circulatory system has inspired him to design Strange Carafes—beautiful handblown decanters or vessels for pouring wine.

Each decanter is produced in a limited signed edition of eight and cost 2,500 euros—around $2,800. The carafes are made from borosilicate glass—which Meneau describes as a “chemically and thermically” robust kind of glass highly suitable for use in creating his large and intricate decanters.

The finished product may look more like a sculpture or artwork than something to pour the plonk—but after a few practice lessons training with water “you will can perfectly pour wine in a glass without any drop anywhere. The main rule of this new game is : where is the wine?.” Meneau’s most recent designs can be seen and bought here.
 
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More wine tasting, after the jump…

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Posted by Paul Gallagher
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10.10.2016
09:50 am
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De Stijl-styled wine bottles inspired by ‘The Simpsons’
07.24.2014
10:44 am
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Russian designers Constantin Bolimond and Dmitry Patsukevich have created these awesome wine bottles depicting Marge and Homer Simpson in the style of Piet Mondrian—arguably the most recognizable artist of the De Stijl movement. However, the kitschy appeal of the bottles is part and parcel to the suspicious beverage inside, which is described as “wine, or maybe not?”

The drink was brought to life together with the cartoon characters in 1987. Maybe it is wine, maybe not. We are inviting you to find out yourselves. The contents have been kept secret for already 26 years now. While the ingredients remain the same, their proportions differ from time to time. That is why you will never get bored from this drink! We can assure you that you will not be left disappointed.

No information is given beyond that, but there’s a website given that both leads to nowhere and misspells Marge’s name (www.homer&mardge.com)—mysterious, huh?. Twenty bucks says this is just 26-year-old malt liquor in a cleverly wrapped bottle, but the appeal of the project is the novelty, not the “wine” within.

I’m not above a little gross booze, but I definitely drawn the line at “mystery booze,” Simpsons-themed or otherwise. Besides, wouldn’t beer be the proper beverage for a project like this? Then again, the secret-Simpsons booze is 13% alcohol, and you can’t argue with… efficiency.
 

 

 
Via Juxtapoz

Posted by Amber Frost
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07.24.2014
10:44 am
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