Labels

Behind the Label: The Tempest

August 23rd, 2023

The Name
The Tempest was the first proprietary wine Realm released, so named for the “perfect storm” of three grape varietals that became available at the same time, from the same vineyard, in 2002.

The Label
With the 2021 vintage we introduced a new label for The Tempest, created by the U.K.-based artist Richard Twose. Twose works in the tradition of non-finito, where the artwork is carried only to a point, leaving observers to fill in the rest for themselves. This technique resonates with Realm, as we feel wine is also an art form that invites participation, allowing wine lovers to attach their own memories to each bottle.

Commissioned by Realm directly from Twose, “Reach II” has layers of meaning for us. The vibrant color palette provides a visual tie to the previous label for The Tempest. The figures poised on haphazardly stacked chairs bring to mind the notions of balance and tension, ideas we constantly think about in winemaking. And the precariousness of the figures in this composition embodies one of Realm’s core values: dare greatly. As Twose says of the work: “This painting is one of a series that explores the idea of imbalance and risk, how we have to push ourselves into the unknown, even if the way there can feel frightening or unstable; otherwise, you stay where you are, safe but stuck.” We couldn’t have said it better.

Twose is an art/art history professor and former jewelry designer who has received numerous prizes, residencies and notable commissions for his portraiture. “Reach II” is a 48”x36” oil on canvas that hangs in Realm’s Camp Victor.

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