THE ART OF WINE

As far back as you can go, artists of all kinds have been drawn to Cornwall. The dangerously beautiful coastlines, the desolate tin mines, the clarity of light and the rugged, hardworking life - all serve to pull the artistically minded in this direction. Artists forge relationships with land, life and sea, to create pieces that people can relate to. Art can be made useful by every day life, as expressed in the handmade pottery of Bernard Leach. It can adorn walls and address environmental issues, like the work of Kurt Jackson. Or it can intertwine with nature symbiotically - as much of Barbara Hepworth’s work does - a sculptural exploration of man’s relationship to the world that surrounds them. The need to create is stronger than any constraints upon creating.

Creatives will always find a way to express what moves them, and beauty can be found in the most innocuous and humdrum of places. Though always a part of life, alcohol has been moving in ever more creative circles over the last few years. What was once secret moonshine and home-brew beer - concocted by the hearth fire from whatever ingredients were available - has since become something approaching legitimate art. Where perhaps a vase was set upon a shelf, now a limited edition gin bottle has pride of place. Garden sculpture is accentuated by re-purposed wine bottle lanterns. Foraging for local ingredients, tending local vineyards and traditional distilling processes have all become art forms in their own right. Just like the pirates and smugglers of old, inspired producers (and artists) try to peek at what secrets the world around them may hold, hoping to transpose it into their next piece of work. The genre of spirits, wine and beer is now a realm where the producer can have total creativity. The affinity between the idea, ingredients and packaging make for a completely unique product - a little piece of modern art that speaks to people.