Art is relevant to wine and that wine is a work of art. Grapes and wine have long inspired artistic creation.
A number of wine makers have become involved with art featured the works of modern artists reproduced on their labels. Although many wineries commission original art for their label design, only a few have a regular program with a different artist providing a design every year.
The Taittinger Company, one of the most acclaimed producers of champagne with a history dating back centuries, had a history of commissioning artists to design bottles for it’s collection. Some of the artists chosen include: Victor Vasarely, Arman, Andre Masson, and Marie-Elena Vieira da Silva.
Lichtenstein’s bottle was the fifth design in the Taittinger Collection series. In the US, the Lichtenstein bottle was presented at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, on June 10, 1991. The image that Lichtenstein created is a wonderful (Ben-Day dot with flat color shading) abstracted head profile with flowing hair. The entire work is accomplished in a brilliant cobalt blue with white, yellow, pale blue, and silver making up the various elements. Lichtenstein’s signature is reproduced on the bottle, the top of the box, and again inside the box lid.
In 1983, Champagne Taittinger introduced the revolutionary naturally allied concept of the Taittinger Collection series, uniting art and champagne in the design of a series of special bottles. “For the Taittinger family, the collection series was a way of reminding people that making champagne is an art,” says Dominique Garréta, communications director for Taittinger. “We nurture the link with art, which we consider a component of the luxury world.” Only 7,000 bottles, fewer than previous commissions, are being released in order to increase the rarity value. As a result, bottles are becoming collectors’ items and are displayed in art galleries and design shops as well as the traditional wine retailers.
The Taittinger Collection Series bottles are released only in great vintages, from a selection of the year’s finest cuvées. The wines are made from Chardonnay mainly from the Grands Crus of the Côte des Blancs, and Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne vineyards. The fruit is pressed in the vineyards and the first pressing is transported to the winery for fermentation, followed by a second fermentation in the bottle. Aged for five or more years on the lees, the wine acquires complexity and the fine, pinpoint bubbles characteristic of its sparkle.
Discover the artistic Taittinger Collection series from The Oaks Cellars now.