Music and Wine-Harmony or Catastrophe?
Earlier today, someone responded to my post on Open Wine Consortium titled "Consumer Events? Waste of Time and Resources? Or a great way to reach new customers?"
Their response was more of a question, and that was (I'll take the liberty of summing it up) "Would a winery ever want to pair their wines with live music, and then give away a CD of that music when a consumer purchased the wine?" He went on to say that the music would be everlasting, whereas the wine is gone when the bottle is empty (I hate that truth don't you)? The idea then, is that when the consumer put the CD on,maybe some days or weeks later, they would recall the wine they had with it, and they would involuntarily salivate, run desperately, wild-eyed and eager, to their computer or local wine shop and purchase the exact bottle they had enjoyed when the heard the music the first time.
Ah, were it that simple...I could have brainwashed half of America by now...
It is an interesting perspective, though, and I believe it's somewhat valid. I had not really thought about music having a direct effect on whether or not I am enjoying the wine I am drinking, nor had I considered that hearing a song might allow me to recall a particular wine.
Music, like wine, is incredibly subjective, so I imagine it would be quite difficult to find something that suits all tastes (and ears). A great ambiance can help make a decent wine taste fabulous, but can a fabulous wine help to overcome bad music?
Even with music that is undoubtedly well-written, well played and widely enjoyed by you and your friends, it would be hard to know if others (your customers) will enjoy it. It seems to me that pairing wine and music is much like pairing wine with food. It should be done with much care, by those who are well versed, trained and practiced. We all know the result of a bad pairing!As a music lover though, I would never turn down a free CD, especially if I loved the pairing! It's tough to imagine what consumers will latch on to, or what will be a distraction from the real reason you're all there-the wine. Recently I went to a tasting room in Los Olivos called Coquelicot (http://www.rvtwine.com/) The wines were awesome, and there was a singer-songwriter type earnestly strumming and gently singing into a quiet mic. It made the whole experience feel dream-like and I bought wine...lots of it...
So maybe it does work to pair music and wine in a public environment. If you can find the proper styles of music to blend harmoniously with your wines, you may just strike a chord with your consumer... (sorry I had to...)
Quick suggestion? 2008 Deep Sea Red and prosciutto, garlic and mozzarella pizza from Upper Crust. I had it last night when I was in Boston. Truly, that pairing is a symphony of flavor :)
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