Wine Wednesday: Blends in Bloom
On Wednesdays, we explore the art of flora and wine blends (at Perquín).
Adam and I co-hosted another Wine Wednesday night at Perquín, featuring different wine blends to pair specifically with various works of art prominently incorporating flowers in bloom through distinctive styles of six different artists, including Georgia O’Keeffe, Vincent Van Gogh, Takashi Murakami, Frida Kahlo, Rachel Ruysch, and Joseph Stella.
Spring has finally (!) sprung here in Jersey City, so as the month of May winds down into the upcoming long weekend and pivot to summer vibes, I wanted to celebrate the beautiful blooms we have patiently waited for all winter. A dozen of long-stemmed roses or a bundle of tulips is always classic, but I’m most captivated by the creativity in bringing together unexpected elements together to create something striking.
Whether in a bouquet, a vessel, or a garden, the most beautiful arrangements can happen in all sorts of ways. I feel the same way when it comes to wine blends. Anyone can pull a bunch of varietal wines or flowers together, but the result will likely not be cohesive without the real magic of clear vision, earned expertise, and learned intuition. So, my uncovering this intersection through works of physical art made for an engaging pairing exercise — the art of winemaking, flowers, and also… art!
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THE CONCEPT
Perquín is an intimate Honduran restaurant where vibrant flavors meet smooth rhythms, making it the perfect locale to pour curated tasting flights with wines paired to echo the spirit of the canvas and the warmth of the food. A lovely evening for sipping, savoring, and studying, indeed!
To showcase a wide range of styles, I opted for wines from six different countries with different varietal compositions in an array of colors (white, rosé, red) — thanks again for helping me navigate ZRS’s portfolio, Adam!
We kicked off with a sparkling pétillant naturel (i.e., sparkling wine made in the ancestral method) from Hungary made from two local varieties then headed west to Alsace, France for a second sparkler (only this time via traditional method) of Auxerrois, Riesling, and Muscat Blanc. We continued toward the Atlantic by passing through Spain for a non-fizzy, weightier Txakolina from País Vasco then finally across the pond to Mexico for an aromatic rosé blend of Zinfandel and Grenache from the Guadalupe Valley and to California for an atypical, whole-cluster red blend of Pinot Noir, Pinotage, and Abouriou. Finally, we returned to Europe for an unusual blend of Sangiovese and Grenache from Umbria in Italy.
Featured Artists
GEORGIA O’KEEFFE
American painter Georgia O’Keeffe began painting flowers in the 1920s and returned to them throughout her career, creating some of her most iconic and controversial works. Her relationship with flowers is one of deep intimacy, symbolism, and transformation — very evident in her large-scale floral paintings. Regularly close-up, cropped, and vibrantly colored, they invite viewers to experience flowers in a new, almost abstract way. By doing so, she challenged traditional still life norms and brought the private, overlooked details of nature into bold public view.
Trees in Autumn is a striking early example of O’Keeffe’s evolving modernist style. While not as famous as her floral or desert works, it offers a rich glimpse into how she abstracted the natural world to evoke mood and sensation rather than strict representation. The composition has a molten, almost surreal quality, where the trees seem to melt, swirl, or dissolve into each other and the landscape. Their trunks elongated and warped, and the foliage appears to be in motion, evoking flames or liquid.
Comprised of two local grape varieties from Hungary and made in the ancestral method as a pét nat, Foam Vulkán is a sparkling wine from Meinklang, with its name loosely translating to “foam volcano” in Hungarian. Incidentally, this O’Keeffe painting is sometimes informally referred to as Melting Volcano due to its resemblance to a volcanic eruption or lava flow.
VINCENT VAN GOGH
Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh often used flowers to express emotional states and symbolic ideas of hope, renewal, fragility, and the passage of time. He studied flowers carefully and was inspired by the natural beauty of rural life in the Netherlands, Paris, and southern France. Van Gogh also admired Japanese art, particularly ukiyo-e prints, which depicted flowers with flat, decorative sophistication. This influence is visible in his floral compositions: simple backgrounds, bold outlines, and vivid color blocks.
One of the most iconic and beloved paintings in Western art by Van Gogh, Sunflowers belongs to a series of sunflower still lifes that he painted in Arles in the south of France. Praised for its radiant color, emotional intensity, and boldly expressive (impasto) brushwork, the painting shows a bouquet of sunflowers in various stages of life — some fully blooming, other beginning to drop or wither — arranged in a simple earthenware vase against a flat yellow background. Each element here shares a predominantly yellow palette, creating a sense of unity and warmth, while also pushing the limits of tonal variation within a single color.
With May 4 being widely recognized as Star Wars Day, I thought it would be fun to pour this equally “punny” pét nat from Domaine Geschickt called Obi Wine Keno Bulle (after Obi-Wan Kenobi) during Wine Wednesday in May. Given Van Gogh frequently captured the various stages of life in his Sunflowers series, it was fitting against the progression of Jedi training in Star Wars, only with the various stages of becoming a Jedi. The sunflower motif was also a way for Van Gogh to connect to life, express feeling, and find beauty even in the darkest of times, a sentiment very much aligned with the Rebel Alliance’s mission. The grapes (Auxerrois, Riesling, and Muscat Blanc) in this wine are also pretty aromatic, making for another great tie-in to the pairing.
It felt apropos to finally break out my prized Vans sneakers in Van Gogh’s iconic Sunflowers for last night’s service.
TAKASHI MURAKAMI
Takashi Murakami is a Japanese contemporary artist known for blending traditional Japanese art with pop culture, anime, and commercial aesthetics. He coined the term Superflat to describe both a visual style (i.e., characterized by flat planes of color and bold outlines) and a critique of consumer culture and postwar Japanese identity. Murakami’s work frequently features smiling flowers, anime-inspired characters, and fantastical creatures, bridging high and low art through gallery exhibitions and brand collaborations.
Flowers, especially cherry blossoms, hold deep cultural significance in Japan, symbolizing impermanence, beauty and renewal. While Murakami’s flowers are not traditional blossoms, he draws on this symbolic heritage and reinterprets it through a contemporary, often commercial lens. Introduced in the 1990s, his signature flower (with its large round face and wide smile) became a central motif in his body of work. The flowers are playful on the surface, but can carry deeper themes of trauma, impermanence, and cultural saturation.
Txakoli from the Basque Country of Spain is typically light with low ABV and a slight effervescence. While many of these end up barely an afterthought, this one from Ulibarri Artzaia is bright and non-spritzy with much more salinity, texture, and length, offering much more beneath the surface of its appellation, not unlike the works of Murakami’s multifaceted Superflat imagery.
FRIDA KAHLO
Frida Kahlo is a Mexican painter known for her deeply personal, symbolic, and surreal self-portraits that explore themes of identity, pain, and resilience. Much of her art was shaped by her experience with chronic illness, a traumatic bus accident, and tumultuous relationships. She regularly incorporated Mexican folk art, indigenous symbolism, and vivid color into her work, making her a central figure in Mexican modernism and feminist art. Though she rejected the surrealist label, her paintings frequently blend dreamlike imagery with raw physical and emotional reality.
Kahlo painted Congreso de Los Pueblos por la Paz in the fall of 1952 when her health was in a delicate state, with painting as a particular challenge. Even in the most difficult moments of her time on earth, she made painting a reason to continue living. Professor Luis-Martín Lozano best describes1 this painting:
As in a Dante-esque vision, Kahlo imagines... two explosions at the horizon of the landscape, rising in a fiery cloud… Kahlo plants as defense a tree of truth and life, with its fruits of knowledge as a message of hope for humanity.
As an homage to her Mexican heritage, I wanted to include a Mexican wine by a woman winemaker, so Silvana Pijoan of Vinos Pijoan fit the bill to a T. What’s especially appealing is her Árbol de Fuego cuvée dons a fiery tree on its label, evoking a similar sensation and intensity as Kahlo does in the tree in her painting.
RACHEL RUYSCH
Major kudos to my dear friend Hayley for introducing me to this stunning artist! One of the most successful women artists of her time, Rachel Ruysch was a Dutch painter renowned for her exquisite floral still lifes during the Dutch Golden Age. Her paintings are lauded for their extraordinary detail, vivid color, and scientific accuracy, typically including flowers, insects, and small creatures in dynamic, naturalistic compositions. Influenced by her father, a botanist and anatomist, Ruysch combined artistic elegance with scientific observation, creating lush, almost theatrical scenes of nature that were both decorative and intellectually sophisticated.
While Ruysch’s works are botanically accurate, they’re also artfully composed to create a sense of movement, drama and emotional resonance, which was unusual for still life pieces at the time. Her floral arrangements commonly feature a mix of blooms that wouldn’t naturally be in season together, allowing her to showcase a rich diversity of textures and colors. This approach is analogous to Old World Winery’s Bloom cuvée, which has a peculiar yet balanced makeup: Pinot Noir (ubiquitous in California); Pinotage (a crossing of Cinsault and Pinot Noir developed in South Africa); and Abouriou (a black-skinned grape grown mainly in the South West region of France). Plus, the neon pink flower on its bottle label resembles a Pop Art version of Ruysch’s precisely painted blossoms.
JOSEPH STELLA
Italian American artist Joseph Stella was known for his lively, eclectic style that merged Futurism, symbolism, and American industrial imagery. He is best known for his dynamic paintings of New York City, where he turned modern architecture into cathedral-like visions of light and motion. Stella’s work oscillated between urban dynamism and mystical, nature-inspired subjects, including lush floral and botanical compositions. His art reflects a celebration of modernity and a search for spiritual meaning, blending influences from Italian Renaissance art to Cubism and Futurism.
Stella looked to nature for respite, escaping his Manhattan studio to visit the New York Botanical Garden and to paint southern Italy, where he grew up — in fact, he once said2 he began painting flowers to learn then secret of the vibration of their colors. As with Flowers, Italy, he didn’t paint flowers simply as still lifes; instead, he infused them with symbolic and visionary qualities, layering them in radiant, Edenic settings that feel otherworldly. The flowers here echo stained glass windows or altar pieces, evoking a sense of sacred geometry and cosmic harmony.
Although Stella himself did not spend time in Umbria during his visits to Italy, his affinity for Italian Renaissance art frequently brought him to Tuscany (which is not far from there). From the landlocked region of Umbria, this Grappolo red blend by Montemelino is comprised of Sangiovese and Grenache, the former being the most prominent Tuscan variety and the latter mostly found in southern Italy (incidentally from where Stella’s family originated). Italian for “bunch”, Grappolo also makes for a fun double-meaning among grapes and flowers.
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THEMED FLIGHTS
OPTION No. 1: The Express
Great choice for getting the “highlights” from the full wine offerings. Plus, some agency in your choices of white/rosé and of red.
1 × sparkling white from Hungary
1 × choice of still white from Spain or still rosé from Mexico
1 × choice of still red from California or Italy
OPTION No. 2: The Wildflowers
This flight showcases the multifaceted bouquet of pastels captured by these talented winemakers.
1 × sparkling white from Hungary
1 × still white from Spain
1 × still rosé from Mexico
OPTION No. 3: The Rosy Dozen
For those wanting to discover the breadth of red grape varieties in the form of some powerful, robust blends.
1 × sparkling white from Hungary
1 × still red from California
1 × still red from Italy
OPTION No. 4: The Full Monty
Completionists will appreciate this option to try ’em all!
1 × sparkling white from Hungary
1 × still white from Spain
1 × still rosé from Mexico
1 × still red from California
1 × still red from Italy
BONUS: Flight Upgrade
Since this option has been popular during the last two Wine Wednesday evenings, we wanted to offer another interesting wine as either a flight upgrade or by-the-glass. May the Fourth be with you! ✨
1 × sparkling white from France
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THE MENU
PSA: Perquín just expanded their hours of operation include Tuesday. yay Taco Tuesday! As a result, we were fortunate to get an extra day with their taco special featuring pork ribs al pastor and lamb barbacoa. Run, don’t walk — absolutely incredible!
THE WINEUP
/ May 21, 2025 @ Perquín, Jersey City /
Meinklang 2022 ‘Foam Vulkán’ Somló Pét Nat
Zev Rovine Selections (New York) | 🇦🇹 sparkling white
Hárslevelű / Juhfark
Georgia O’Keeffe ・ elderflower essence ・ crisp cider
Domaine Geschickt NV Vin de France ‘Obi Wine Keno Bulle’
Zev Rovine Selections (New York) | 🇫🇷 sparkling white
Auxerrois / Riesling / Muscat Blanc
Vincent Van Gogh ・ aromatic ale ・may the cork be with you
Ulibarri Artzaia 2022 Bizkaiko Txakolina ‘Ulibarri’
Zev Rovine Selections + Selections de la Viña (New York) | 🇪🇸 still white
Hondarrabi Zuri / Petit Courbu (Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratie)
Takashi Murakami ・ weight sans effervescence ・punchy acidity & salty minerality
Vinos Pijoan 2023 Valle de Guadalupe ‘Árbol de Fuego’
Zev Rovine Selections (New York) | 🇲🇽 still rosé
Zinfandel / Grenache
Frida Kahlo ・ herbal melon rind ・ cinnamon pastry
Old World Winery 2022 ‘Bloom’ Red Blend
Zev Rovine Selections (New York) | 🇺🇸 still red
Pinot Noir / Pinotage / Abouriou
Rachel Ruysch ・ gentle rusticity ・ Californian chill
Montemelino 2021 Trasimeno Rosso ‘Grappolo’ Umbria
Zev Rovine Selections + SelectioNaturel (New York) | 🇮🇹 still red
Sangiovese / Grenache (Gamay del Trasimeno)
Joseph Stella ・ fruity velvet ・ barbacoa buddy
THE CODA
Another fantastic evening collaborating with Adam and Bryan — this lively albeit rainy Wednesday only made possible by Perquín’s badass team (shoutout to JP and Walter), familiar faces (always pumped to pour for my Jersey City wine crew 🫶), as well as new folks — all being open to trying new wines. I remain impressed with how much guests enjoy an abstract theme, for which there was enthusiastic feedback over our selections, flight format, and pairing inspirations, especially ones with as many layers as Blends in Bloom had entailed last night. These distinct wine selections (alongside renowned artists of wide-ranging styles, no less) paired amazingly with Bryan’s awesome menu.
As I mentioned earlier, the most beautiful arrangements can happen in all sorts of ways — whether for flowers in a bouquet, a vessel, or a garden… or for wine in combining varietals together in a finely tuned blend for eventual consumption. As paradigms for conjuring an impression greater than the sum of its parts, winemaking and floral arranging are arts in their own right.
My hope is for these Wine Wednesday curations to come together like the stunning blooms captured by these exceptional artists: each stem and flower with its own charm, but even more remarkable when brought together — inspiring new thoughts, refreshing interpretations, and unexpected (but welcomed) delight.
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Cheers,
Stefie aka ‘Two Bottle Stef’ 💁🏻♀️✌️🍾
“Auction Catalog Note” by Luis-Martín Lozano from Sotheby’s
“Artist Joseph Stella Painted Nature in Vibrant Color” by Amy Crawford from Smithsonian Magazine