March 11th - This Date in Wine History

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(Portrait_of_Lawrence_Welk,_Down_Beat_office,_New_York,_N.Y.,_between_1946_and_1948)_(LOC)_(5148807828).jpg

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

  • Lawrence Welk, the creator of champagne music, was born in 1903 in North Dakota.
  • The Juliénas  AOC was named in 1938. 
  • The Texas Davis Mountains AVA was designated in 1998.
  • Spain's Mondéjar DO was created in 2007.
  • Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley AVA was designated in 2008.
  • The French have a saying, « Qui a bu à la Sainte-Rosine, boira à la Sainte-Blandine. » or “He who drank at Sainte-Rosine, will drink at Sainte-Blandine (June 2).

The Art Of Wine

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One of history's greatest pairings? Wine and art. They go together like Cabernet and steak. In fact, not just wine but drinking culture as a whole has been a prominent feature of some of the greatest artworks of our time. In the Art of Wine, we look at some of these artworks and their significance to us, the drinking class.

Freedom From Want - Norman Rockwell 

Thanksgiving is upon us and what better time to look at our first Norman Rockwell? Freedom From Want is a portrayal of good old fashioned Americana and has become the quintessential image of the Thanksgiving table. 

The Painting 

Norman Rockwell painted Freedom From Want as part of a four part series named "The Four Freedoms." The Four Freedoms works were inspired by a speech given by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1941, where he stated Americans have the right to freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Freedom From Want was painted in oil on canvas by Rockwell in November of 1942, but made it's public appearance in the March 1943 issue of the Saturday Evening Post. The painting was accompanied by a contrasting essay from journalist Carlos Boulosan, which depicted the socioeconomic hardships that Americans were facing at home inspire of President FDR's assertion to the contrary.  

The Characters 

History tells us that all of the people in the picture were friends and family of Rockwell in Arlington, Vermont, who were photographed individually and subsequently painted into the scene. The work depicts a group of people celebrating around a Thanksgiving table.  It has become an iconic representation of the Thanksgiving holiday and family holiday gatherings in general. We'll look at the characters at the table and examine our favorite members of the holiday drinking class. 

The head of the table. Reserved for the head of the family, it's the most important seat in any family gathering. Here, Rockwell gives us this depiction of both matriarch and patriarch in that role in the form of these adorable grandparents. A lot has been made over the years about the size of the turkey and how if this scene were real the weight would tip her over, but I think Rockwell did it on purpose. 

The Freedom From Want depicts the wealth of America during a time of war torn Europe. It is a statement on how great Americans have it at home when compared to their European counterparts. Personally, I can imagine that anyone who takes the requisite 18 hours to cook a turkey that large could probably use a glass of wine or two. 

One of the most interesting people in this painting is the man in the lower right hand corner who is looking at the audience. History tells us that Rockwell painted this man in the traditional style of the renaissance painters by challenging the viewer by staring back. For me though, this is the family ham. The grandparents are bringing out the turkey and he is paying no attention at all, instead choosing to ham it up for the family portrait. We all have one of these guys in the family who probably has a bit too much wine, but keeps the mood light.  

One of my favorite parts of this painting, the girls looking at one another and laughing. I have always viewed them as sisters who are incredibly close. That's what Thanksgiving is all about right? Spending time catching up with the ones we love? I love that they are not sitting right next to one another where they would be giggling and gossiping together, but instead say across the table which allows the entire group to be included. I'm guessing Pinot Noir fans. Just a hunch. 

The Venue

As big as that turkey is, I think the lack of side dishes on the table is telling. Freedom From Want is not just about material items. It challenged Americans to look inside themselves for what really mattered. Family is the most important thing. Rockwell painted an empty table to remind us all that what is really important during the Thanksgiving holiday is family and being with the ones you love. For the drinking class, what better venue is there to have a drink? The whole family is together, the best bottles of wine are opened and maybe the dinner is finished with a fine scotch or brandy? 

Wine Pairing 

Looking for the perfect wine for your Thanksgiving meal? Look no further than the Sabina Pinot Noir $55. This wine has hints of raspberry and rose petal aromas mixed with flavors of cranberry, leather and green tea in the mouth. The wine is smooth and concentrated on the palate with notes of spice and sweet oak round out the rich, velvety texture producing a spectacular pinot noir that would shine at any Thanksgiving meal. 

The Drinking Class

In my house at Thanksgiving as much care and thought goes into picking the wines as does preparing the meal. Thanksgiving is the classiest holiday for the drinking class to celebrate together and enjoy some of your finest bottles. Not that we have anything against the Christmas eggnog or the St. Patrick's Day green beer, but Thanksgiving is your time to really shine. And like Rockwell showed us in Freedom From Want, spending time with family is what the holiday is all about. So go on, show your family that you appreciate them this Thanksgiving and celebrate together as members of the drinking class. 

A View From An Art Historian

Want to know more about Freedom From Want and the rest of the Four Freedoms? WMHT and the Norman Rockwell Museum have put together this excellent presentation on the paintings.