PONT DES ARTS IS LEADING THE US$350BN WINE INDUSTRY INTO WEB3.0 WITH NFKINGS
Pont des Arts, a luxury French Wine and Spirits Maker is taking the lead in connecting physical wine and vineyards with NFTs and Metaverses. The company is famous for its unique wine collections that display artworks from globally renowned artists like Mondrian, Zao Wou-Ki, and Miquel Barcelo, amongst others.
"Beyond just the hype of NFTs, Web3.0 and Metaverses, we see tremendous value in redefining wine collecting as a trendy, more accessible and fun activity. The launch of the MetaVineyard Club will drive this. This is a great opportunity for people to learn, play, collect and discover the magical worlds of Art & Wine", said Thibault Pontallier, Founder of Pont des Arts, and Emanuele Ascoli, CEO of Pont des Arts.
The MetaVineyard Club connects wine and spirits producers and consumers through a variety of digital wine collecting initiatives. Among these, is the launch of a curated collection of wine NFTs, backed by wine and spirits from Pont des Arts, while simultaneously incorporating the "AgeToEarn" concept. In the same way as physical wine, each wine NFT ages with time on the blockchain, revealing artworks. Some users can redeem physical wine bottles that match their NFTs.
"Wine collecting just became more accessible. You don't need a physical space to store your collection or expensive machinery for optimal aging conditions; you simply collect, store and age your wine digitally in the Web3.0 Metaverse. NFTs also provide more liquidity to wine collecting as an investment asset class.", said Matthew, Founder, and CEO of NFKings.
The MetaVineyard Club's special 1888 Armagnac "Long Life" NFT auction starts in early September, with a limited NFT collection debuting later at US$125 each. Discover more on www.MetaVineyard.Club.
FINANCIAL TIMES: THE AESTHETE STYLE
An indulgence I would never forgo is wine. The thing I like most is the people behind the labels. When I first arrived in Hong Kong, I started a wine company called Pont des Arts with a friend of mine. Sometimes the winemakers I work with run châteaux that are worth a fortune, but they’re so down-to-earth because they’re dependent on the wine, which is dependent on nature. My current favourites are Pomerol 2016 from Château La Conseillante and Abbaye de Morgeot 2014, which was made in collaboration with Etienne de Montille in Chassagne-Montrachet. pontdesarts-wine.com
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DECANTER WOLD WINE AWARDS
Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) is the world’s largest and most influential wine competition, with unrivalled global reach. Judged by the top wine experts from around the globe, DWWA is trusted internationally for its rigorous judging process. Here is a showcase of award-winning wines from Pont des Arts this year, commented by Jane Anson from Decanter.
FINE + RARE - PONT DES ARTS: WINEMAKING AS AN ARTFORM
Full article: https://www.frw.co.uk/editorial/people/pont-des-arts-winemaking-as-an-artform
Pont des Arts is a collaboration between artists and winemakers to promote the intricacies of fine wine production through the lens of an artist. We talk to Thibault Pontallier – son of the late Paul Pontallier – about the inspiration behind the project.
The Pont des Arts project was created by Thibault Pontallier (son of Paul Pontallier, the celebrated winemaker of Château Margaux from 1983 to 2015) and Arthur de Villepin, an art curator from Paris. Both Thibault and Arthur come from high profile backgrounds, with Arthur the son of the former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin. Growing up in such a prestigious and privileged environment introduced them both to the world’s most exciting artists, as well as the world’s most successful winemakers. It was this immersion in both the world of fine art and fine wine that spawned the Pont des Arts project.
“My family has been making wine for more than 500 years, and since I was a kid I have always considered winemakers to be amazing artists who are able to transform and sublimate nature into something truly special and emotional,” says Thibault. “My father used to say, ’A good wine gives you pleasure, but a great wine can give you emotion‘, and it is exactly the same for a great music, movie or painting.” Pont des Arts is very much a project to combine these two cultural worlds, producing wines made – and inspired – by artists. “A certain painting will be able to show and express the depth, the power or the finesse of a subject,” explains Thibault, “and wines can do the same thing. It is the perfect metaphor to understand the magic behind a wine.”
The project aims to position the wine as a bespoke creation. Each winemaker involved in the project has produced a wine distinct from their “normal” range, bottled exclusively for Pont des Arts.
It is then down to Thibault and Arthur to identify how the wine resonates with an artist’s work. “Arthur and I went to the artists’ ateliers, and met with the winemakers for each collection, carefully thinking about the association between each painting and each wine, and to ensure the emotions that are evoked when drinking great wine or looking at great art are intrinsically linked.”
Arthur de Villepin & Thibault Pontallier
The first collection of wines was curated in 2010 and was in fact a collaboration with Thibault and his father Paul Pontallier. They both travelled throughout France to find inspiration from their many winemaking friends around the country. “My father, a few good winemaking friends and I looked for months for the best terroirs and the best grapes, tasting more than 700 different parcels in France to realise this unique project.” The selection process for them was clear from the outset. For each wine they were looking for three main attributes: “Each wine must have a very special perfume, epitomising each appellation, a huge power hidden by elegance, and a fresh lingering finish.”
Following the success of the initial releases, their collaborations with winemakers grew. They started to work with more vignerons who shared their philosophy and whom they wanted to work with. Etienne de Montille, Rodolphe Péters (of Pierre Péters), Château la Conseillante and Nicole Rolet (of Chêne Bleu) have all made special cuvées for them. “The most important thing is that behind each collaboration is a beautiful friendship, a shared vision, love of wine and trust. We work very closely with each winemaker for every collection. Making sure everyone is part of the process and that the art and the wine complement each other perfectly,” says Thibault. “The wines themselves are works of art, so we spend a lot of time deciding on each new creation.”
The success of the project has seen winemakers entrust Pont des Arts with some very special cuvées. Giving the team amazing access to some rare Premier and Grand Cru wines from some of France’s most celebrated terroirs. With such quality the volume unsurprisingly remains very small, each cuvée exceptionally rare and becoming harder to find, “Exactly like the great pieces of art we work with,” explains Thibault. “What I love with this project is to see the excitement of the winemakers we work with, because they can create something unique and different for Pont des Arts, something different from what they were doing in the past. Our aim is to give them freedom and allow the creativity to create something unique and special.”
Perhaps Pont des Arts’s access to some of the world’s finest winemakers and terroirs is not such a surprise given the reputation of Paul Pontallier. Securing artists for the project seems more difficult, particularly with such famous artists as Piet Mondrian. While some of the artists – such as the Spain’s Miguel Barceló and French Chinse Artist Zao Wou-Ki were long-term friends of the Villepin family, for artists like Piet Mondrian, Thibault and Arthur were in touch with the estate throughout the whole process (design, production, labels etc). “They were very happy to help us develop this collection as they liked the initiative behind Pont des Arts.” Thibault is keen to convey “a message with authenticity and passion,” he tells me. “I guess the people we are collaborating with can sense that, which makes everything much easier.”
The Pont des Arts project continues to expand with some of the world’s most exciting contemporary artists and winemakers lining up to take part in new collaborations. One of the latest releases to come from Pont des Arts is a Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from renowned winemaker Rodolphe Péters of Champagne Pierre Péters with artwork by Miquel Barceló on the label. Look out for this release early next week.
PONT DES ARTS x YELLOWKORNER x VINBUDS
On Tuesday 18th August Pont des Arts, YellowKorner and Vinbuds held a unique dinner in the attic of the newly opened gallery in Shanghai. The special room featuring some original Zao-Wou Ki lithographies was perfect to showcase the relationship between art and wine. For this occasion, Pont des Arts selected a variety of artists and wines to create a truly memorable evening.
LES ECHOS JUNE 2020: LE GÉNIE EN BOUTEILLE
"L’art et le vin sont de formidables ice breakers, assure Thibault. Pour l’un comme pour l’autre, on peut en rester à la technique... C’est dommage, on est tellement plus riches quand on laisse parler ses émotions. Moi, je viens d’une famille où l’on fait du vin depuis cinq-cents ans. J’avais envie de liberté et de nouveauté..."
FINANCIAL TIMES: HOW TO SPEND IT
The Financial times just put together 17 art-inspired buys spanning from wardrobe-essentials to wine-lovers’ favourites, and Pont des Arts is one of their top recommendations!
To know more about Pont des Arts x Chêne Bleu Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2015:
https://pontdesarts-wine.com/portfolio/chene-bleu-rouge-vieilles-vignes-2015-reserve-speciale/
Read more:
https://howtospendit.ft.com/womens-style/208005-17-art-inspired-buys
SECOND EDITION OF THE SOS VILLAGGI DEI BAMBINI IN MILAN
Pont des Arts is delighted to be supporting the second edition of the SOS Villaggi Dei Bambini charity dinner in Milan this year. The launch of the MammaBambino project aims to prevent children from facing a separation from the parents. Operating in 136 countries and territories, the charity also provides protection, family support, education and health, emergency interventions.
LAUNCH OF PONT DES ARTS BURGUNDY COLLECTION
Launch of Pont des Arts Burgundy Collection
Beijing
On the 2nd of November, Pont des Arts hosted a dinner in one of China’s most prestigious art collectors’ homes in Beijing, to commemorate the launch of our new Pont des Arts burgundy collection. The collection features a selection of 6 Burgundy appellations, including labels from Zao Wou-Ki, Yue Minjun, and Miquel Barcelo.
LAUNCH OF THE PIET MONDRIAN COLLECTION WITH CHÂTEAU LA CONSEILLANTE
Pont des Arts is very excited to announce the launch of its 6th collection of fine art and wine featuring the artist Piet Mondrian, the creator of the iconic “Neo-plasticism” movement.
This new collection contains a signature Bordeaux Pomerol 2016 produced by Château la Conseillante, along with one Corton Grand Cru 2015 from Domaine de Montille and one Champagne Blanc de Blancs ”Réserve Perpétuelle” from Domaine Pierre Peters. This is also the first time ever that Château la Conseillante is partnering with another brand and agree to change the label of their iconic bottle.
From the blend selection to the artworks, each step of the wine and artistic process has been made in collaboration with the winemakers and the artist’s foundation to create this unique piece of Wine & Art.
For the occasion, Pont des Arts hosted several dinners and masterclasses on 29th, 30th and 31st of May in China and the 3rd and 4th of June in Hong Kong and Macau; with the presence of the Pont des Arts founders Arthur de Villepin and Thibault Pontallier and as guests of honor Mr Nicolas Valmy from Château La Conseillante and Mr Dominique de Villepin, former French Prime minister.
In addition to the dinners, 1 bottle of 6L featuring the 1930 composition from Piet Mondrian red, blue and Yellow was exclusively auctioned live at Christie’s Hong Kong sales on the 25th of May at 62,500 HKD. Only 5 were produced worldwide.