The story behind SAVED wines
When tattoo artist Scott Campbell met winemaker Clay Brock, it was a match made in heaven.
At the time, Brock was a winemaking director at Wild Horse Winery on California’s Central Coast, which was known for its fine Pinot Noirs. He and Campbell struck up a fast friendship, based on their shared love of art, folklore and – of course – wine.
“I enjoy wine, but until I met Clay, I wasn’t really a wine person,” says Campbell. “I knew what I liked to drink, but whenever I’d read about winemaking, it all seemed so clinical. Phosphates and nitrates. Very cold. Clay made it human and romantic, talking about all these weird agricultural rituals that have no scientific grounds but have a real human component. I’m someone who loves superstitions and folklore and the juju that goes into things. That’s a lot of what tattooing is about for me, and it turned out that’s a lot of what making wine is about for Clay.”
“On the surface, we live totally opposite lifestyles,” says Brock, ”But Scott and I…are very positive people who
really believe in the energy you put into things and how it affects the outcome. He and I got to talking about wine and mysticism, and about how a lot of people, myself among them, still believe that the moon cycles can help you
know the best time to pick grapes. It turned out that a lot of Scott’s tattoos deal with old alchemy symbols.”
The two men kept in touch and eventually decided to partner together to launch their own brand of wine: SAVED, named after Campbell’s tattoo shop. Brock created two critically acclaimed wines inspired by Campbell’s drinking preferences – an ultra dry rosé called SAVED Magic Maker, and a rich, bold red called SAVED Red Wine – while
Campbell designed the bottles.
“Basically, Clay makes the wine taste good, and I make it look good,” says Campbell.
The wine’s labels feature mystical and folkloric symbols, stenciled to resemble the style of tattoos that Campbell is known for. They also contain hidden references to Brock and his winemaking craft, as well as Campbell’s wife, actor-director Lake Bell.
Look for SAVED wines in our Wines & Spirits Shops.
Source:
Food & Wine Magazine, April 2014