Grover pushes art with wine

Art and wine make a heady combination, they say. More so, when wine bottles carry labels are crafted by the country's leading contemporary artists such as Jatin Das, Paresh Maity, Sanjay Maity, Rini Dhumal and Rekha Rodwittiya.

Aimed at emulating the Greek tradition of showcasing art with liquor, Bangalore based Grover Vineyards, launched their Art Collection series recently, where bottles of wines would sport art creations. "Wine-making is also an art and we think this art collection is a great way to showcase wine," Kapil Grover, who owns Grover Vineyards, told PTI.

The launch marked the twentieth anniversary of the winery, which is one of the largest in the country. The company hopes the marketing strategy of roping in noted painters would have a positive effect on the sale of wines in the period of economic slowdown.

"It is true, earlier the wine industry was growing at 25-30 per cent now it's growing at 10 per cent which is not bad at all," says Aman Dhall, one of the company's directors. "People seem to drink more during recession," he adds. The new collection has Maity's faces with their myriad expressions on the body of a bottle of Viognier, Rodwittiya's representation of the female figure on the label of Shiraz Rose, and Dhumal's contemporary Indian art scene on a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

The project was mooted by Karan Grover, "I had gone to Christie's auction in London, where I saw wine bottles with art on them by famous artistes. The idea struck me that we should also do something of the sort," he says. "There is nothing more complimentary to wine than art, but the bottom line is good wine," says Grover, clarifying their aim behind unveiling the collection. "Wine is not a product, it's a lifestyle, and we are trying to bring these two together."

Tracing the art of painting wine containers back in history to the painted wine-pots in ancient Greece, Grover says, "Art heightens the sense of imagination, both art and wine share this common feature." About the Art collection labels Grover says, "The label is an iconic representation of identity, and this venture has been made to embellish the palate of senses, stimulated by wine, with the palette of the artistes."

Grover vineyards is the only family owned winery in India, placed on the foothills of Nandi Hills in Bangalore. Being the largest exporter of wine in the country, they have acclaimed French winemaker Michel Roland as their consultant.