Building an (imaginary) Art Gallery (Parts 5&6)

What more sensible place for art couldthere be than a wine's label? The most famous example is Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. For each vintage since 1945, an artist has been commissioned create a new artwork to grace the wine's label.Over those years, participating artists have included: Salvador Dali (58), Miro (69), Chagall (70), Picasso (73), Motherwell (78), Warhol (75)... and so on.Just above are two examples that I would choose to exhibit.First, the Keith Haring label (88). Typical Haring: playful and bold lines, bold colour.Second, the 1993 label as it appeared in the US market. The actual label featured a sketch by Balthus... but its subject (a nude, apparently pre-pubesent girl) offended American censors.Yes, a wine label can sport a fine painting (or the lack thereof)... but the entire label-design can be a work of art. On the right is the label for Boony Doon Vineyards' Old Vines Zinfandel - "Cardinal Zin". The label is pure Ralph Steadman: frantic, guestural and amusing.So are art-displaying wine labels a attention getting gimmick? (Would that be so wrong?)Is Mouton-Rothschild taking an opportunity to pay tribute to visual artists by granting them prestigious commissions?Does Ralph Steadman's painting contribute something to, or help us to appreciate BonnyDoon's (irreverently zany) style?Can labels be a wordless dialogue between artists (winemaker and painter)?

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And what about winery architecture?... Great efforts are put to make many winery buildings (and not just the grand "Chateaux" of Bordeaux) into stunning works of art in and of themselves.Some some perch over a dramatic view of the vineyards (FlatRock Cellars, Niagara)... some echo local tradition (Bodegas Catena Zapata's temple-like buildings in Mendoza, Argentina)... some turn the functionality of gravity-flow design (reducing or eliminating the need to pump the grape must and/or wine) into extravegantly beautiful ultra-modern complexes (Stratus, Niagara)... or this one (pictured- above right), looking like a drunken Mondrian, which catches and amuses the eye.In part, these architectural efforts are often intended to atract tourists. They can also enrich a tourist's visit by making them feel welcomed and surrounding them with beauty.Of course, they are also intended to get the winery as much exposure in the glossy wine magazines as possible.What is the happiest balance between beauty and attention-seeking?Take a careful look through your local wine-retailer's shelves. How many wines are in non-standard bottles? Can an unusual (and possibly beautiful) bottle add something to the experience of wine, or to its impact as when given as a gift? Do you feel annoyed that the price of wines is inflated by using unusual bottles?Take a look at your favourite stemware. How does a wine glass' form add to your enjoyment of a wine? Does the light pour through it in a pleasing way? Do its fine, thin lines feel pleasant against your lips and tongue? (No, I'm not suggesting that you kiss your favourite building... but rather that pouring wine into a fine glass is like welcoming visitors into a beautiful winery).