CONNECTING THROUGH
Wine
“Tarpon Cellars was founded with the focus of bringing people together through wine, music, art, and philanthropy. We feel the best way to do this is through not only crafting inspired wines that speak to a sense of place and vintage, but by being a heart-centered business that values connection, sustainability, and community over anything else. We make wines to share with our friends and our family, and the sense of gratitude we have for that is what encompasses everything that we do.”
By Stephanie Skager Can I be friends with those people or work for them, or be connected to them in any way? I honestly don’t think I have seen a more genuine and just allaround good mission statement. Until I can meet Jeremy Carter and Parish Owens, the founding partners of Tarpon Cellars, I will have to settle for a connection to them through their wines, which will not be difficult because they are delicious. Seeing as both gentlemen are Georgia natives, they understand how to make wines that you can drink when it is hot outside. This portfolio consists of three wines, all of them fresh and chillable and chuggable. The white is a blend of Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc; the “skin contact” rose is 97% tempranillo and 3% Sauvignon Blanc; and the red is a blend of Nebbiolo, Primitivo, and Tempranillo that undergo carbonic maceration, keeping it beautiful and light. The Nebbiolo brings more tannin and structure to the red than you may think. The tasting notes from the website are spot on and entertaining. I highly suggest visiting the site and checking them out. Let’s talk about the music portion of this mission. Tarpon Cellars has partnered with Spotify to create a playlist for each of their wines. So cool!
The music is good too. Playlists include artists like the Rolling Stones, Waylon Jennings, Sturgill Simpson, and Toots and The Maytals. Each playlist is meant to encompass the personality of each wine. The artist behind this stunning label is self-taught Charlie Hanavich. An Atlanta native, he says it was love at first sight when he viewed Picasso’s “Girl Before a Mirror” in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. “From there, I purchased a large canvas and started painting. I was officially hooked,” says Hanavich, whose art commands wall space internationally, from private homes to commercial buildings, and now a wine label. One last thing to cover is philanthropy. They have decided to donate $1 for every bottle sold to the Georgia Chapter of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This is a wonderful selfless commitment for them. I would like to share a viewpoint that I share with them and believe. It is one of the things that also made me fall in love with wine. “Wine is meant to connect people: to a vineyard block, to a growing season, to a winemaker, and most importantly to each other.” I love that.
Stephanie Skager is a certified Sommelier and Manager at Rollers Wine & Spirits. A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 // 137
