Di von Essen
- Mar 14, 2021

Travel the Art in the Vines Trail in Wine Country

There’s something romantic about browsing works of art, glass of wine in hand. Maybe it’s that the wine loosens our minds a little to enable us to see the meaning behind the art – or perhaps it’s the beauty of the vines that forges the visual connection of a shared environment.

Whatever it is, there are plenty of places around Wine Country that let you appreciate and experience all things art and wine together.

The latest offering is the addition of a gallery to the sculpture gardens at Winmark Wines. The Winmark Art Gallery is placed alongside the new Cellar Door, connecting art, nature and wine when visiting the vineyard (pictured above).

Over 250 guests braved the weather last month to attend the official opening by Danish Ambassador Pernille Dahler Kardel.

With some of the artists and sculptors being present at various times throughout the day, guests had the unique opportunity to speak to them about their pieces and meet distinguished guests Ambassador Pernille and her husband Peter while enjoying canapes and, of course, Winmark Wines speciality Chardonnays.

Owner and vigneron Karin Adcock has always been a passionate art collector and has now been able to realise a long-held dream of curating a gallery introducing some of the renowned artists and sculptors that she has discovered through her travels.

The Gallery proudly represents Rebecca Pierce, Felicia Aroney, James Ainslie, Erik Flygenring and Sculptors David Ball, Michael Purdy, Ulan & Rachel and Katarina Wells, to name but a few. Karin said that the sales of pieces on the opening day were outstanding.

“We were so happy with how guests embraced the opening of the gallery,” she said.

“The sales on the day allow us to now add new pieces to the gallery from our existing artists and others that I hope to discover on my journeys and share with visitors.”

Emma's Cottage Vineyard - Tall Timbers by Annie Palmer. Mixed media on canvas

Over in Lovedale, the Gallery at Emmas Cottage Vineyard has been delighting guests for some years. Owner, Therese Kramer, says that it’s difficult for most people to know why art and wine fit together so beautifully.

“We know the what, but for many, the why is a little more difficult to discern, and the knowledge of this takes time to develop. Art and wine, to most people, are abstract concepts. When you think about it, the making of wine or a work of art is an art in itself. Knowing how to manipulate the components into a final form that tells a story is masterful,” said Therese.

“Why do we love something or not? What is it that evokes the OMG moment with either wine or artwork? What is it that causes us, at times, to have a visceral response to a taste, an observation or a feeling?”

Therese says that choosing artists to invite to hang work in the Emmas Cottage Gallery is complex.

“There is no real process for choosing. We tend towards the same group of artists as they are familiar with the space, the distance constraints of some display walls and the level of light,” she said.

“What I have to avoid is choosing work which reflects my own personal style. I can’t move in any one direction as much as I would sometimes like to, and it often surprises me which art piece from a new exhibition sells first.”

Taking the art into the vines is something that wineries like Winmark, Mistletoe Wines (Pokolbin Fine Art Gallery) and Constable Estate have invested in – adding Sculpture Gardens to their properties. The beauty of art in the vines has long been recognised and was the impetus behind the annual Sculpture in the Vineyards event held throughout Wollombi each year.

The magnificent sculpture created by David Bell for Winmark has become somewhat of a landmark in the area, welcoming visitors to the iconic location.

“There is just something special about placing pieces into the natural environment, making the vineyard vistas just that little bit more spectacular. Tasting wine and appreciating art is a sensory experience that resonates with so many people,” said Karin.