Longtime Wine Spectator subscribers will no doubt recall a time, not so long ago, when the Napa reds were dark as ink, and tattoos were the privilege of sailors, bikers, convicts and few others. Tastes change, of course, and today you’re quite likely to see more tattoos in a wine bar than in a biker bar.
Lots of our heroes wear ink now, from Olympians to sommeliers. In fact, acclaimed New York sommelier–turned–Sonoma winemaker Patrick Cappiello has a tattoo of Wine Spectator’s Grand Award logo.
In the early 2000s, Big Tattoo Red raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for breast cancer research. Orin Swift’s Papillon red blend from Napa, featuring a pair of tattooed hands on the label, debuted not long after, in 2005. More recently, Washington state’s William Weaver introduced the Tattoo Girl lineup of wines.
The latest trend in tattooed wine? Partnering with a celebrity tattoo artist, naturally!
L.A. Artist Mister Cartoon Creates Lady Impala Cabernet with Title X Wines
Even if you’re not a dedicated ink aficionado, you’ve probably seen the work of Los Angeles–based tattoo artist, muralist and logo designer Mark Machado, aka Mister Cartoon, who starred in Modelo’s national “Fighting Spirit” ad campaign that ran during Super Bowl LV.
Machado, who is also featured in the Netflix documentary L.A. Originals, was tapped by the owners of Title X Wines in California to create a sculptural glass vessel for winemaker Tyler Russell’s Bordeaux-style red blend from Santa Barbara County.
“Mister Cartoon drew inspiration for his wine bottle from his iconic pinup tattoos and his passion for designing lowriders with candy-red paint jobs,” read a statement from Title X. Bringing Cartoon’s three-dimensional design to life proved difficult for traditional bottle makers, but a third-generation glass producer in Mexico City answered the call, creating 385 magnums.
“We don't merely see the bottles as vessels, but as unique pieces of art that shatter the paradigm of conventionality in the world of wine,” says Title X co-founder Matt Suroff. The 2019 Title X Paso Robles Lady Impala is 80 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with equal parts Petit Verdot and Merlot, and aged in 80 percent new oak. Cost to shatter the paradigm of conventionality for yourself? $575 per magnum.
Chile’s Ö-61 Wine Gets Inkspired with Tattoo Artist Ami James
The Viña San Pedro Tarapacá (VSPT) wine group launched its tattoo-inspired wine brand Ö-61 in 2023, paying tribute to Ötzi, a 5,000-year-old mummy with the world’s oldest known tattoos. Ötzi‘s body was preserved naturally beneath a glacier in the Ötztal Alps along the Austria-Italy border and was discovered in 1991. The remarkably well-preserved Ötzi had 61 markings on his skin, in the form of lines and crosses which were determined to be tattoos.
Made by rubbing pulverized charcoal into incisions on his skin, the tattoos were not made for adornment. More likely, charcoal, which possesses anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, was being used therapeutically. Ö-61 is inspired by Ötzi’s story, and its labels depict various tattoos, albeit of the ink-based variety.
This year, Ö-61 is teaming with tattoo artist Ami James, who has been tattooing for more than 25 years and founded the Love Hate Tattoo Studio in Miami and Five Points NYC. He’s also appeared on Miami Ink, Worldwide Tribe and First We Take Brooklyn.
James is now the face of Ö-61’s Get Inkspired sweepstakes campaign, the winner of which will receive a $1,000 tattoo session at James’ studio.
“The collaboration aims to highlight the connection between winemaking and tattoos, celebrating both as ancient forms of art,” said VSPT U.S. VP of marketing Roberto Catalani in a statement.
“Just as every tattoo unveils a unique tale, so does each bottle crafted by Ö-61,” said James. “This association reflects how these two worlds converge.”
VSPT owns nine wine brands, including Viña San Pedro’s Leyda, Gato Negro, Cabo Del Hornos, Altair and 1865, and makes 17 million cases of wine per year, putting them among the world’s top producers by volume.
Ö-61 makes two wines from Chile’s Central Valley: a Cabernet Sauvignon and a red blend of Cabernet, Carménère and Syrah.
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