Press Releases
Mommessin Presents Pop Art 2004
(SAN FRANCISCO) - July 21, 2004 - Mommessin, the French winemaker founded in 1865 and located at the southern tip of Burgundy (near Lyon), presents Pop Art 2004, an event heralding the arrival of the 2004 Beaujolais Nouveau. Exclusive to Mommessin, Pop Art 2004 will feature CART-1, a popular French street artist who will create his vision of Mommessin's Beaujolais Nouveau Pop Art label on a temporary mural in Lyon, France.
Every year Beaujolais Nouveau is celebrated on the third Thursday of November. This "new" wine is the first taste of the harvest. Made from the Gamay grape, which has made the Beaujolais region famous for its wines, it is a clean, lively wine filled with fresh fruit flavors. The wine making technique of the Beaujolais region is unique: a combination of semi carbonic maceration and traditional fermentation. To achieve this, the whole grapes are poured into the fermentation vat. The bottom layers of grapes in the vat are split by the weight of the upper layers, releasing the juice. These juices, in contact with the yeasts on the grape skins, proceed to ferment. The grapes in the upper layers remain intact and undergo carbonic maceration, occurring inside the grapes, without contact with yeast. Traditional Beaujolais Nouveau fermentation lasts approximately four to six days. It is the combination of both types of fermentation that produces the unique, fruity and delicate character of the Beaujolais wines. The Nouveau wines may well be the recognized symbol of joyous celebration- the last glimmer of sunshine before the gloom of winter, a harvest celebration.
Pop Art 2004 is an exclusive campaign that clothes Mommessin's Beaujolais Nouveau in "pop." Beaujolais Nouveau's success grew so much on an international scale in the 1970s that it became symbolic of the decade. The artistic movements of the time used the street as an open air venue for expression where themes met and merged. Through Pop Art 2004, Mommessin is paying cheerful homage to the popular artists and expression that helped make Beaujolais Nouveau a worldwide phenomenon.
Beaujolais Nouveau embodies approachable, festive wine in the same way that popular expression exists for everyone to enjoy. This year, Mommessin has created an event in Lyon where CART-1 will give his vision of Pop Art 2004 on a temporary mural, exemplifying the celebration that arrives fleetingly each year as Beaujolais Nouveau.
Famous for his street art exhibitions throughout France and Europe, CART-1 has created art at events including Glastonbury (a UK music festival), the Dour Festival (Belgium), Biennale d'Art (France), and as part of Nuits Sonores, an international electronic music festival in Lyon, France. Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau is the fruit of cooperation between the company and its winemakers. Mommessin has been fostering these partnerships for generations, allowing them to guarantee consistent quality combined with the unique character of a terroir wine.
Mommessin is part of the Burgundy-based Boisset family of wines, whose diverse US portfolio includes Bouchard Aîné & Fils and Domaine de la Vougeraie (Burgundy), Louis Bernard (Rhône Valley), DeLoach Vineyards (Russian River Valley, CA), Seven Peaks (Central Coast, CA) and Joliesse (California). Among the most well established and fastest growing wine and spirits companies in the world, Boisset America imports a full line of liqueurs, wines and spirits. For more information about "Beaujolais Nouveau", or any Boisset America products, contact Lisa Heisinger, Marketing Director, at 800-878-1123.
