Mozarts Music

photo credit: emdot
In part one of our article series, ” The Finer Things In Life”, it was brought to my attention (hats off to Rick Bakas!) that the article itself didn’t contain any info on wines relationship to music - their symmetry. So for that I apologize. My motive was to write about my experiences with both subjects combined, but the video of JessJust’s very own Jessica Altieri distracted me (as I lol).

So, let me start off by first saying that I am in no way, shape, or form – a wine geek. I am just a man who knows what he likes, and doesn’t apologize for it. And I know you folks are the same way – you love classical music, and are passionate about … whatever your passionate about! Myself, I am passionate about a few things, including music and (more and more) wine. You see, for me – music can take me to a place of calmness, a place that allows my inner man to stop working, and start listening and living. Then, with a change up in the tempo, I can be elevated to a high place where all that exists is… the music. And when I play my own music on my guitar – I feel like I’m not the one playing the instrument, but that I’m being played – by the melody, the strings, the sounds…

And then…here comes a nice German Riesling. Dry and delicious. Mine was a 2006 Pfeffinger. It tasted “playful” in my mouth. Dancing with my pallet like a ballet dancer. I paired it tonight with Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - as the stringed instruments from that composition dance with my emotions like a warm, breezy Sunday. Then as the song rides up into what I like to call, the  “head-banging” part, it’s the same exhilaration of expression that the wine has in it’s finish.  And so in my reality, those two were a great pairing.

photo credit: John-Morgan

When I sit down to dinner, and have in front of me, a grilled New York steak – I want my Pinot Noir, a hardy Cabernet Souvignon, or a California Merlot (those three are red wine varietals) to complement the meal. And again to pair Mozart, I would have to use “Serenade No. 10 for 12 Winds & Contrabass in B-flat major, K. 370a/361 “Gran Partita”: III. Adagio” as my dinner “song”. Why? Because of the flowing, feather-lofting-in-the-air-like-quality of that composition. It’s subtle in it’s initial attack, but very full. Beauty! Beautiful sounds of clarinets as they loft into the air their waves of melody. I personally like a very heavy mid-pallet for these specific red wines, and Mozart did such a tremendous job at arranging the Gran Partita’s “mid-pallet”, so to speak – in that it’s very intricate/delicate, but so much is there for the listener to hear – if you are really hearing the music…

Again, I am no certified sommelier (aka: Wine Geek) like JustJess’ Jessica Altieri of WineChannelTV, but I do know what I like, and I am passionate about my likes. And in our next article, The Finer Things In Life – Part III, I’ll get the opinions of real wine peeps on their pairing of wines and music. It may not be classical music with wine, but let’s see how many peeps I admire in the wine world are really into the classics, such as Mozart. After all,that is why I run this site, to honor Mozart as I see and feel his music. So, in part III, I hope to ask Rick Bakas, Gary Vaynerchuk, and of course, Jessica Altieri – who’s video was featured in our first article…Stay Tuned!!!