Artist Kathy Ager whisks the Baroque-style still life painting called 'Pitter Patta' off its easel.
"Art always looks better in a frame, don't you agree?" Ager asks.
Ager is asking because we're setting her up for a photo shoot with the painting and a bottle of wine.
She immediately chooses 'Pitter Patta' in the gilded frame, rather than an unframed print, to show it off to its best advantage.
The Vancouver-based artist also grabs a bottle of 2021 Red Barn Lost Art Semillon ($30) that she's signed with a silver magic marker.
After all, the Pitter Patta art graces the label on the wine.
In this case, the bottle is the perfect frame for the art.
This scene is playing out at Saturday's grand opening of Red Barn Winery at 4305 Black Sage Rd. in Oliver.
The photo is captured, eponymous red barn in the background and blue sky overhead, while Ager tells her story.
"The Red Barn wanted a classical-style painting for the label of its Lost Art Semillon and they just approached me when they saw my Baroque-style still life 'Pitter Patta'," she explained.
"The painting's white Roman bust surrounded by vibrant blooms looks great on the bottles."
The Baroque style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture and poetry flourished in 17th and 18th century Europe and is now a 'lost art,' which means Ager's interpretation is perfect for the Lost Art Semillon.
The 'lost art' as it pertains to the wine is that Semillon stands alone in Red Barn's bottling.
Usually Semillon is blended with Sauvignon Blanc in a Bordeaux-style white wine blend.
As such, the Red Barn Semillon is a little different, a little rare and a little disruptive in the wine industry.
It's the vibe Red Barn is going for because the winery is also a test lab for grape varietals and wines that are lesser known and appreciated in the Okanagan.
By the way, yes, there's a striking, modern barn of that colour that contains the tasting rooms, shop and production facilities.
It's located at the Jagged Rock Vineyard owned by Mark Anthony Brands, the company of beverage king Anthony von Mandl that also has Mission Hill Family Estate in West Kelowna, CedarCreek and Martin's Lane in Kelowna, CheckMate and Road 13 in Oliver and Liquidity in Okanagan Falls.
Grapes from 400-acre Jagged Rock (yes, there's a craggy formation on property) are used in wines throughout all of Mark Anthony's brands.
But, for Red Barn the grapes will be more obscure and used differently.
"Definitely, we're a small lots winery, a bit of a test lab for Jagged Rock Vineyard," said Red Barn winemaker Kaylee Barss.
"We're fostering creativity. I'm not told what to do with the wines, which is both freeing and scary at the same time."
Barss was previously the assistant winemaker at CheckMate, which specializes in high-end Chardonnays and Merlots.
At Red Barn, her wines are all outside-the-box delicious.
The 2021 Transfiction Rose ($30) is a blend of three grapes usually not put together -- Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Sangiovese.
The 2021 Discordian ($30) is also an intentional, but atypical, blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
The winery has no oak barrels traditionally used for fermenting and aging red wines.
Only stainless steel and concrete tanks are used to impart extra texture and interest to both the white wines and the red wines.
Therefore, the Red Barn reds -- 2020 Stand Apart Syrah ($50), 2020 Silent Partner Cabernet Franc ($50) and Parts Unknown 2021 Red Blend -- are fresh and fruit-forward, but weighty.
Parts Unknown is a blend of the little-known Italian varietal Barbera with Cabernet Franc, Syrah and a bit of the white wine Viognier to lift and brighten the red even more.
At Saturday's grand opening, Parts Unknown was served on the patio slightly chilled -- another rebel move in the wine world.
Red Barn is now open for tours and tastings and wine club memberships.
Check out www.redbarn.wine.
