I was perusing iStockphoto.com the other day, a royalty free site for downloading stock photos, looking for images to help market my new line of wine gift items called Intertwined and to specifically feature women in the wine business. I put the words, women and wine in the search terms. Hmmm. Lots of returns, but all the women are at a party. Then I tried by searching with the terms, wine makers and women. Oh yeah. You're right. Nothing.
I was amazed! Could it be that the world of the female and the wonderful, organic journey of the vine are so mutually exclusive in our commercial culture that there are no photos of women wine makers on a huge database of photos like iStock?
The sad answer is yes. And my friend Deborah Brenner, author of "Women of the Vine" would most likely reveal a sly grin when hearing these words since she has been one of the first pioneers in the wine industry to bring this shortcoming to the forefront.
This narrow window of women in wine portrays little variety other than young women wearing halters and giddily balancing a half glass of merlot between perfectly manicured fingertips. Isn't it obvious how we compliment each other so well? Shouldn't there be a more artful way to "say it with the vine in mind?"TM
I think there is a better way. One of my missions with Networking, Women and Wine, and certainly Intertwined is to show the elegant, albeit obvious relationship between these two important topics. I want women to see how this ancient symbol of prosperity, prose, and wisdom is overflowing with gender-specific metaphors.
And so I am happy to introduce the Elevage Series of greeting cards for Intertwined. Each is a poetic journey celebrating the journey of women as seen through the exquisite lens of the wine grape. Equally exciting is the fact that the unveiling of the inaugural card line for Intertwined will occur February 22 and 23rd at the Providence Art Gallery in Charlotte at 7 p.m..
I want every women who loves wine, who appreciates the important of her own femininity, who cherishes the friendship of women, and who loves art is invited to come to our event. It's FREE, it's accessible, it's un-missable!
We will see you there!
