25 of February of 2021

The halo surrounding wine is not something new. It is true, however, that everything wine-related is increasingly linked to our lives, and to the most diverse of spaces, such as culture, gastronomy and unforgettable moments spent together. A bottle of wine can be the perfect gift upon returning from a trip or serve to help evoke memories of past landscapes, celebrate reunions or mark some of the most memorable moments of your life.

Maybe that is why, in the world of culture, wine has become indicative of sophistication. Today, we are paying homage to the wine bottle and to its presence in the works and lives of renowned painters and writers, as well as commemorating a few cinematic moments in which the wine bottle has changed the lives of protagonists.

 

 

Changing the fate of characters

Rarely has a bottle of wine changed a character's fate as much as in the case of Vizzini in “The Princess Bride”. The clever Sicilian leader of the gang that kidnaps the princess in this film engages in a duel of wits with the feared Pirate Roberts, in a Russian roulette of poisoned drinks. So as to not spoil anything, we recommend you watch this film if you have not done so already or rewatch it whenever you can. It is one of those movies that is worth seeing time and time again, as it always leaves a good taste in your mouth.

On a completely different note, the Oscar-winning Danish film “Babette’s Feast” shows how sharing the pleasure of a great banquet can become an act of love and generosity. The sensuality and enjoyment of the characters, who get to partake in the lavish feast with a bottle of wine for each course, is extraordinary. The apparent simplicity of this film is precisely that – apparent – as it leaves us with insightful, intelligent and inspiring messages. Babette’s Feast transforms the way many of the film’s characters envision and live their lives, offering them the means to see a new fate beyond puritanism and restraint.

 

 

The wine bottles of Edward Hopper and Giorgio Morandi

In other fields of art, Edward Hopper, who is not well known for his still lifes at the beginning of his career, dared to depict still lifes in which wine bottles were the central element. The painter who perhaps best captured the isolation of 20th century America in his numerous and revered works, depicts the solitary form of a simple wine bottle in Still Life with Wine Bottle and Glass, an early painting from 1899. We do not know whether this personal way of showing the bareness and solitude of the elements of this still life served as a reference for his later works.

One man we can imagine in his studio surrounded by wine bottles, glasses and jugs in order to recreate them on his canvases is Giorgio Morandi. This Italian painter, born in Bologna, was renowned for his ability to bring objects to life in his highly personal compositions, which depict objects in total isolation and seemingly detached from any human intervention. If wine bottles have ever been able to shape the career of an artist, Giorgio Morandi must surely be a strong contender for this prize. His work is best remembered among painting enthusiasts for combining the forms of bottles with everyday objects.

 

 

Wine as a source of inspiration and happiness

To conclude this overview of the influence of wine bottles in the world of art and how they have determined the fate of some of its protagonists, let us recall Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to Wine”, in which he praises its virtues and states:

‘Wine
stirs the spring, happiness
bursts through the earth like a plant…’

Or the words of Ernest Hemingway: “In Europe we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also as a great giver of happiness and well-being and delight." Because in terms of literature, wine has played and continues to play an exceptionally important role, both within and outside the works of the most renowned authors.

 

At ESTAL we love the world of wine and for more than 25 years we have been creating bottles that enhance the brand image of some of the best wineries. We would be delighted for you to check out our Sommelier collection, which possesses a unique elegance and simplicity, and to contact us if you have an idea in mind that you want us to support you with, from start to finish.