"au revoir, 1970 la Tache"
"au revoir, 1970 la Tache"
by Robert Leedy
watercolor on Fabriano Artistico 140 lb. Cold Press paper
36" x 36"
Collection of The Wine Cellar
Jacksonville, Florida
click on the image to see a larger version. Archival prints of this painting are available.
Vicki Dugan, owner of The Wine Cellar, commissioned me for several paintings to hang in the restaurant. For the first three, I borrowed bottles from her wine inventory to take back to the studio to paint in still life set ups I created. As we were looking for a specific Champagne bottle in the restaurant's temperature controlled wine cellar, she pulled an old red Burgundy off the rack:
"How about a 1970 la Tache?"
"Wow," I said, "you've actually got that on your wine list? It must be for a small fortune!"
"One hundred fifty dollars."
"Sounds like either a mistake or an incredible deal."
Vicki explained that the wine had been on the restaurant's list for years and she was willing to sell it at that price for anyone wanting to enjoy it as it was getting quite old...my interest was already piqued and I began wondering who would be willing to go in on drinking it.