A Perfect Pairing: Art & Wine
Art and wine are linked throughout the world, each enhanced by the other. The secret to making great wine is as much art as science and here at Nutbourne, Bridget Gladwin is our artist and creative. She paints in oils or acrylics on canvas and usually focuses on a particular subject matter for up to 18 months, creating a major body of work around a single theme. This can vary from the landscape of the South Downs, still life, or transpositions of old masters to paintings of the vines themselves. Every label on a Nutbourne wine features a painting or a section of a canvas to complement the wine we have created. Within our winery we exhibits full-scale originals of Bridget’s work, and in Summertime, you’ll see it on display outside too.
Sussex Reserve
This painting depicts the striking double-curtain trellising system in Winter. The individual vine stands as a sculpture, a thing of beauty and nobility in its own right.
Pinot Gris
This painting of the Seven Sisters cliffs was created high on the Sussex Downs on a bright, blustery day. it captures a kaleidoscope of colours, freshness and light from the sea, landscape and sky..
Blush
This painting of our Southdown vineyard features the windbreak line of poplar trees in Midsummer. You can feel the heat haze, ripening and developing the flavours in the grapes.
Ten.Five
This painting was done at the top of the South Downs, and captures the natural curves of the landscape, picked out in vibrant colours before dusk, as the fading light transforms into deeper hues.
Bacchus
Bacchus is the signature varietal for English still white wine. This artwork captures the atmosphere of Albert Bridge in London lit up at night – a quintessentially English delight, just like our Bacchus.
Barrel Reserve
This piece is from a series of vineyard paintings worked on over a year, watching it change with the seasons. Bright green Spring growth and blue Summer skies contrast with the rich hues of Autumn and bare white of Winter.
Hedgerow
Our vineyards are protected by the South Downs and from the ridge of the hills there are wonderful views like the patchwork of colours, angles and textures in this painting.
Chardonnay
Mark making whilst working on a series on geological mapping, this painting came about by accident – the artist insists “a lobster simply appeared on the canvas.”
Pinot Noir
This triptych depicts a series of autobiographical still lives, featuring objects of personal history – be they sentimental, meaningful or frivolous. The bright colours match the leaves of Pinot Noir vines in the Autumn, after Harvest.
