The Perfect Pairing Memory
When the Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach announced their upcoming open call for artwork submissions for their Food & Memory art exhibit, I was inspired to create! This Art Exhibit will be on display at Virginia MOCA from February 2 – June 6, 2021.
I asked myself which memory would I like to explore. I immediately thought about past Thanksgivings with turkey and our large family gatherings of over 20, and my immediate family Christmas Eve tradition of homemade soup and tons of appetizers, these two events have the most meaning for me personally. But I instead chose a more recent impacting moment of unexpected surprise that I enjoyed so much, I knew I had to share it so others could experience it too!
My memory starts with
my husband Mike and I returning from a late summer afternoon walk on the beach, then deciding to relax on our deck with some wine and cheese. Mike loves to try different varieties of both. We have several favorite "house wines" that I keep in stock that are fairly cheap but still taste good. The wine Mike picked that evening was Trader Joe's Terrain California Red Blend. It's only $4.99 and tastes similar to Apothic Red but less sweet and a tad more complex. Terrain is a lightly fruit forward red wine with minimal oak and tannins that goes with just about anything.
Mike's new favorite cheese then was Fromager d'Affinois a French double-cream soft cheese made from cow's milk the consistency of a brie with a mild, buttery flavor and very smooth. You can get it at Kroger's or Harris Teeter for under $10.
I can remember us relaxing and chatting about the day when Mike said "wow"! I was puzzled, why the wow? He told me to take a drink of wine, then take a bite of cheese, then take another sip of wine. I'm thinking "ok, but I've done a ton of pairings with wine and food and yes they taste good but nothing that really knocks my socks off". So I curiously did the pairing and was amazed! This is the best pairing I have ever tried because it transform the wine in your mouth. Your fist sip of wine taste good. When you bite into the Affinois it tastes buttery and delicious, but when you take that second sip of Terrain the flavor blooms and metamorphoses into something totally different in a fresh, unique exceptional way. To me it's like a flower blooming and coming to life and reaching it's peak.
We have tried other wines with the Affinois and sadly haven't had the same magical experience. But now we know these happy surprises exist and look forward to many more walks on the beach followed by the hope of stumbling along another noteworthy moment.
The 16" x 16" artwork that I submitted was created with wood that I scavenged from a pallet, then sculpted plaster into a relief and finally painted. My last several pieces of art have been multidimensional. Below are several photos of my process. Here is a link to my online artwork.
If you are interested in submitting art to this exhibit, attending, or for more information please visit MOCA.
Make your own #TerrainAffinois moment and let me know your thoughts.
Cheers,
Carrie Wall
