Cracking a few bottles to launch a bridge between art and wine
Some of Hong Kong's biggest names in wine attended the local launch of the new wine brand Pont des Arts at the residence of the French consul general on The Peak. The new label of limited-edition wine blends is the brainchild of Thibault Pontallier, son of Paul Pontallier, director general of Chateau Margaux in Bordeaux, the chateau's first brand ambassador in Asia, and Arthur de Villepin, son of the former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin, with help from some of the world's most renowned artists and winemakers.
'We have an ambition that is all about bridging the gap between art and wine ... between people from the art world and people from the wine world,' Pontallier said.
To that end, the labels on the bottles of wine brought to Hong Kong feature a painting by mainland artist Zhao Wuji.
The artist's wife was at the launch and brought along a series of original prints by Zhao from her private collection.
Zhao was born in Beijing but made his home in France, and according to Pontallier he embodies Pont des Arts' vision. 'This artist has always been the bridge between European aesthetics and Asian culture,' Pontallier said.
