In partnership with the St Andrews Wine Company, Saint Audio selects one very special album to match with a curated selection of wine, beer, and spirits. Miles Bolland has expertly paired wine, beer, or spirits for each song off ULTRAMAJIC co-founder Pilar Zeta’s Moments Of Reality. All wines and spirits are available for purchase on the St Andrews Wine Company’s website.
“Better Learning”: I was a little stumped by this one at first but having flicked through the filing cabinet in my head I’ve settled on K-Naia, from Rueda in Spain. This fresh and fruity wine has some lovely touches of apricot and tangerine and just seems to fit the slightly funky vibes of this song. It felt like something from a slightly cyberpunk world and I feel the name of this wine feels slightly cyberpunk-esque as well. I wish to point out I picked it for the taste, the cool name was just a bonus.
“Moments Of Reality”: This feels slightly more factory like to me, and if you’re confused about that statement then fear not, so am I. However, I’m using the vocabulary I have in an attempt to translate. In a way, it’s very much like tasting wine properly for the first time, for reasons I can’t quite put into words I’ve picked a Blaufrankisch by Groszer Wein, from Sudbergenland in Austria. Chocked full of red fruit in the form of cranberries, redcurrants, and a dash of roses thrown in but a tart note and some tannin as well. Drink the wine and listen to the song and hopefully my ramblings will make more sense then.
“Corporate Feng Shui”: A slightly more playful song, and I’ve attempted to do it justice with a wine. With that in mind, I’ve gone with the Sicilian Grillo, from Cantine Paolini. The nose has a hefty dose of bananas with a slight mango note behind it and some apples mixed in as well. The palate is delightfully fruity and the flavours linger just long enough to be pleasant before slipping away, inviting you to take the next sip.
“Say Hay”: I’m quite fond of the more mellow notes within this song and it feels far more relaxed than what’s come before. For this one I’m bringing out some big guns in the form of Chateau Grand-Pey-Lescours Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2012. Lots of raspberries on the nose, with cherries and plums making an appearance as well. A leafy note comes in just at the end. On the palate you’ve got all that fruit but it’s far more mellow, the tannin comes in halfway through and acts a perfect counter-balance. The finish is softer than I’d expected but just delightful.
“Mysterious World”: For me, this song was a most pleasant oddity, and as such I chose a wine that would compliment it nicely. Chateau Fourcas-Dupre produces a most delectable white from Listrac-Medoc. Slightly tart stone fruit and vanilla on the nose along with white roses as well. The palate contains soft and delicate fruit, a slight tartness and some minerality. The wine itself is an oddity much like the song, but both are very impressive in what they do.
“House of Memphis”: I thought of one wine when I heard this song, and that is the Inedito Graciano from Bodegas Lacus. The nose is full of darkness and a slight chemical manure element (stay with me) before it finishes with green leaves. The palate is a wonderful mix and much softer than the nose would suggest. Tannin grips the tongue well and the finish is superb. It just seems to fit, and once again I find myself having trouble explaining why. I suppose a part is the way the song pairs lighter notes with deeper touches all throughout and the wine does that as well.
“Mirror the Mind”: The near frenetic pace of this song is a vast change from what comes before. However there’s a calming element that kicks in towards the minute mark and makes that frenetic pace take a back seat. They then move back and forth as the song goes on, and quite frankly, I found myself steering directly towards spirits. I’ve chosen tequila. Good tequila, smooth tequila, something with a bit of age behind it. Something that can both be taken as a shot or sipped as you relax. Something that you’d be happy doing both with is hard to find, but it’s a personal choice for each individual.
“Universe WAAM”: To me at least there is an almost euphoric element to this song, the kind you can imagine colours blurring and melding together with. With that in mind I’ve picked Goldtropfchen Kabinett from Lothar Kettern. A German Riesling, this masterful wine is elegant, slightly fruity and the sweetness of the Kabinett style is so wonderfully mixed in. If you’re going to have a euphoric colour melding experience, then this wine would go well with that.
“Clouds to Remember”: I have no idea what to make of this song, and the fact I’m willing to admit that shows you just how much I was bamboozled. Oddly though I had a very narrow idea of what I wanted to pair this with—the Fleurie-Poncie from le Grappin. Crisp red fruit on the nose with a beautifully round and well crafted palate and a note that to me was something like a spiced cake. Oh so smooth and from one of my all time favourite producers, I can’t recommend this wine highly enough.
I thought long and hard about what three things I’d pair with the beginning, middle and end of this album, but I honestly can’t narrow it down that much. Each song is in itself unique, while also sticking to a central theme that I trust those far more knowledgeable than I will be only too happy to tell you about. It’s like throwing a rubber ball into a small room and watching it bounce this way and that, but it’s all still the same room and the same rubber ball. However I shan’t curse you with more bad metaphors, I’ll simply end by saying I was taken aback by this album and enjoyed revelling in its oddity.
Words: Miles Bolland
Saint Audio 