A unique experience this Valentine’s Day with wine and calligraphy
“Love”, to most people makes you immediately think of two people ‘in love’. But what about love for your friends, family, colleagues…or yourself?!
It’s easy to get swept up in the romance and sensual meaning of love - especially around Valentine’s Day - which is a great anchor in our year to celebrate and show the one(s) we care for just how much we appreciate them in our lives.
But how do you do that? Just a card? Flowers, chocolate, a meal out?
And what about after Valentine’s Day?
What about self-love? Would you send yourself a card? Stop and share all the things you appreciate about you?
Connecting the hearts…
We don’t often consider what love really is. How do you see love, really?
An intense feeling of deep affection?
A feeling of liking and caring for someone or something?
Tender attachment?
Fondness?
However you define love, beneath the surface, there’s a practical level of love: connection.
So how do YOU connect?
Perhaps its through cooking, or music, or films. Walking, exercise, creativity. All can be shared experiences with a loved one, or enjoyed with one’s self.
A heightened sensorial experience can have an even stronger connection - both with yourself and with others.
Recently collaborating with wine expert, Victoria Daskal, on our upcoming Sparkle & Script event, I chatted to her about just this.
How can the love of wine be shared between friends/family/lovers/parents & children?
It's always more fun to share wine someone. Learning and exploring new wines together, traveling and visiting wine regions, cooking and pairing wines, buying wine young that will age over many years to enjoy with you children when they are older - birth year and anniversary year vintages to spark conversations and memories are just a few of the ways wine can add sparkle to relationships.
This fascinated me, because my own passion for sharing calligraphy does something similar. Learning a creative skill like calligraphy not only deepens our own connection, but offers opportunities to share our creations with others.
Victoria’s connection to wine runs deep: “When I attended my first wine course, in 2004, the teacher presented wine in a way I never expected. I realised wine was not just an alcoholic beverage, but rather a cultural product that is closely linked to our history, politics, environment, agriculture, cuisine and national identities. I was blown away with the way wine is interwoven with humanity. Since then I completed the OIV MSc in International Wine Management and WSET Diploma but I never stop learning. The more you learn about wine the more you realise how much else there is to discover.”
This one answer sparkles with connection and a deeper love for learning, exploring and sharing this with others.
But what is is about these experiences that bring such a unique connection?
“When everything comes together and the experience pleases all five of our senses:
the sound of a cork popping and the wine being poured
seeing the different hues of the wine as it's poured and swirled
the first smell of what's in the glass
then further swirls to open up the aromas while witnessing a wine come to life and fully express itself
tasting the wine and appreciating all of the textures and flavours as they linger on the palate.
Then savouring that experience for a moment and letting it transport you to places visited (or even imagined!), people you've enjoyed similar wines with, and memories of other multisensory experiences.
When I see guests relax and enjoy this process I feel very happy for them!”
This was the key! The dots connecting an inner experience with an outer shared experience bringing people together, relating, discussing and discovering together.
In our session we wanted to take these two activities bringing them together for a totally unique experience.
Victoria puts it perfectly:
“I love to think about how both wine and calligraphy have a long history for humankind! Calligraphy is an artform, but it is accessible to anyone who wants to learn and practice it. Wine might seem intimidating to some, but anyone can enjoy it and the more they learn the more enjoyable wine tasting becomes. Savouring a special glass of sparkling wine is exhilarating, pair that with practicing calligraphy and the whole experience becomes very relaxing, grounding and creative.”
For me, my first dalliance into the art of wine tasting has shown me it’s hugely sensory and mindful in its nature which compliments the art of calligraphy. Calligraphy, in the same space, offers a single-focused activity to tune in, calm, create and connect. Any words can be created in calligraphy so the opportunity to explore wines and write the beautiful words and phrases, reinforce the experience and help deepen the mindful benefits, and so too the shared experience.
Grab your ticket to this unique event on 24 February at Linden House in Hammersmith. Bring a loved one, or join just for you, and get ready to Sparkle & Script.
