The Perfect Wine Pairing...Music!

“Tarpon Cellars was founded with the focus of bringing people together through wine, music, art, and philanthropy. We feel the best way to do this is through not only crafting inspired wines that speak to a sense of place and vintage, but by being a heart-centered business that values connection, sustainability, and community over anything else. We make wines to share with our friends and our family, and the sense of gratitude we have for that is what encompasses everything that we do.”

Ummm can I be friends with those people, or work for them, or be connected to them in any way? I honestly don’t think I have seen a more genuine and just all around good mission statement. Until I am able to meet Jeremy Carter and Parish Owens, the founding partners of Tarpon Cellars, I will have to settle for a connection to them through their wines…which will not be difficult because they are super delicious! Seeing as both gentlemen are Georgia natives, they understand how to make wines that you can drink when it is hot outside.

This portfolio consists of 3 wines, all of them fresh, chillable, and chuggable. The white is a blend of Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc, the “skin contact” rose is 97% Tempranillo and 3% Sauvignon Blanc, and the red is a blend of Nebbiolo, Primitivo, and Tempranillo that undergoes carbonic maceration, keeping it beautiful and light. The Nebbiolo does bring more tannin and structure to the red than you may think at first glance. I would love to include the tasting notes from the website because they are so spot on, and entertaining, but I only have 1 page for this article and we have other things to talk about. That being said, I highly suggest visiting the site and checking them out.

Let’s talk about the music portion of this mission. Tarpon Cellars has partnered with Spotify to create a playlist for each one of their wines to set the perfect groove and ambiance. So cool! The music is really good too – might just become my boating playlist this season! Their playlists include artists like the Rolling Stones, Waylon Jennings, Sturgill Simpson, and Toots and The Maytals. Each playlist is meant to encompass the personality of each wine.

The Artist behind this stunning label is self-taught Charlie Hanavich. Also an Atlanta native, who says it was love at first sight when we viewed Picasso’s “Girl Before a Mirror” in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. “ From there, I purchased a large canvas and started painting. I was officially hooked,” says Hanavich, whose art commands wall space internationally, from private homes to commercial buildings, and now a wine label.

One last thing to cover here and that is philanthropy. They have decided to donate $1 for every bottle sold to the Georgia Chapter of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This is a wonderful selfless commitment for them.

In closing I would like to share a viewpoint that I share with them and believe it is one of the things that also made me fall in love with wine. “Wine is meant to connect people: to a vineyard block, to a growing season, to a winemaker, and most importantly to each other.” I love that.