Monday, February 2, 2009

Music and Wine

It comes as no surprise to me that more and more people in wine blogging circles are drawing parallels between music and wine or peppering their normally vino-centric sites with occasional (or regular) musical interludes. Both media offer, when at their best, a certain visceral sensation that can cut to the quick of personal expression and experience. Energy, soul, flavor… they’re all there, or at least should be, both in the glass and on the turntable or stage.

Sites like Rockss and Fruit and Old World Old School come immediately to mind, with Jim Eastman’s Music and Wine (whose unabashedly straightforward blog name I’ve borrowed for this post) following hard on their heels. I’ve been known to throw my hat into the ring from time to time. The guys at Wine & Spirits, Wolfgang Weber and Peter Liem, have both gotten into the act. And more recently, I’ve seen some pretty cool cross-referencing happening at Saignée. There's little doubt that I’ve missed a few others….

I also have little doubt that there are plenty of wine (and food) bloggers out there that dabble with a musical instrument or two.

But how many wine bloggers can you think of that also happen to be in damn good rock and roll bands? Please correct me if you know of others but I can only think of one: Dr. Jeremy Parzen. The fact that he’s freakishly talented in both arenas (and a scholar and gentleman to boot) only makes it all the more fun to follow his wine, music and food related musings at Do Bianchi and to check out the new video from his band, Nous Non Plus.



NN+'s new album, Ménagerie, is scheduled for release tomorrow, February 3. Advance copies are available for purchase through Aeronaut Records and CC Now or via Amazon. They'll also be playing next Monday, February 9, 2009 – fresh back from a quick European tour – at New York’s Mercury Lounge. Advance tickets are a must.

So what are you waiting for? Get on out there and do your part to support independent music. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to keep that dial tuned in to the work of your favorite independent bloggers.
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7 comments:

  1. Jim EastmanFebruary 2, 2009 at 11:48 AM

    Thanks for dropping the link for me!

    Admittedly, I don't talk about music as much as I'd like, and I haven't been up to as much musically as I'd like either. Maybe this'll be a needed kick in the rear to get moving on some of that. ;-)

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2009 at 1:06 PM

    Hey McDuff-

    What wine would choose to describe your aural experience at the Mats Gustafsson-Thurston Moore show at Penn's IHouse last Saturday night?

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  3. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2009 at 2:14 PM

    Thanks for the shout. I'm adding a contributor who is an electronic music affionado so hopefully we can expect more of this crossover to happen.

    i will say that Joe Manekin's blog has the best music and wine. Mobb Deep + Brunello? Who would have thought.

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  4. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2009 at 7:38 PM

    Hi David,

    Thanks for the shout out and the birthday wishes on fancy Facebook thing.

    I can't claim to play any instruments at all but I did get a snazzy turntable for christmas. Things might get a little vinyly here on out.

    Cheers,
    wolfgang

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  5. David McDuffFebruary 2, 2009 at 11:23 PM

    Jim,
    Glad to drop the link and kick your ass... I mean kick some ass... I mean provide some well meaning motivation. Rock it.

    Hey Anon,
    It's funny, I was pondering the same question in the aftermath of the show. Part raw power, part introspective angst and a very naked expression of the musical art form.... Nothing I've drunk super recently comes to mind but a couple from the not so distant past queue up for me: 2007 Clos Roche Blanche "L'Arpent Rouge" and Reinhard & Beate Knebel's 2005 Winninger Hamm Riesling Kabinett feinherb.

    Cory,
    No problem for the shout-out. Glad to have found your site and I'll definitely look forward to a little electronica in the mix. Another "it's funny...". No sooner did I post this piece focusing on Dr. J's new disc than I remembered that Joe Manekin's in a recording band as well. Oops. But then, they do reggae rather than rock'n'roll.

    And Wolfgang,
    Happy birthday again, right here at the not so fancy MFWT. Vinyl rules.

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  6. Shaun RichardsonFebruary 3, 2009 at 12:50 AM

    Music and wine makes me think of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and Oasis. A complete lack of dynamic range, and plenty of power.

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  7. David McDuffFebruary 3, 2009 at 3:14 PM

    An astute observation, Shaun, even if a bit surprising coming from a guy who's involved in making Napa Cabernet.

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