Perfect Pair: Unico Zelo’s Pollen Gewürztraminer X Silk Sonic’s ‘Smokin Out The Window’

We pair a new drink with its perfect musical accompaniment. Tumblers and turntables at the ready…

TASTING NOTES

Unico Zelo’s Pollen Gewürztraminer: Not to be confused with UNIQLO clothes in Rundle Mall, Unico Zelo is the brainchild of winemaking gurus Brendan and Laura Carter. The pair honed their craft in Italy, learning the core principles of winemaking to enable them to make modern expressions of classic styles. Nothing exemplifies this better than their new release, Pollen, a Gewürztraminer out of the Clare Valley. Traditionally ‘Gewürz’ has been a sweet style of white wine whose glory days seem long gone, but Unico’s new release has brought the old grape bang up to date. Think the textural mouth feel of Chardonnay combined with the aromatics of a crisp Riesling, creating a wine that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

SLEEVE NOTES

‘Smokin Out The Window’ by Silk Sonic: Both band and track debuted to much acclaim in 2021 but the origins can be traced back to 2017 when Anderson .Paak opened for Bruno Mars at his 24K Magic tour. A joke emerged in a recording studio when they started riffing on a guy smoking out the window to relieve his anxiety; three years later, the friends got together in a different studio after Mars rang his friend to say, “Yo, I want to finish that song…” Released on November 5 2021, it reached the top five of the US Billboard Hot 100. On first listen, it’s clear that ‘Smokin Out The Window’ is inspired by the disco and R&B scene of the ‘60s/’70s, however it isn’t relying on nostalgia to gain popularity. Instead, Silk Sonic borrow from soul, funk, pop, hip-hop and more to create a song that would be a classic no matter the decade it was released.

THEY’RE PERFECTLY PAIRED BECAUSE...

Both Pollen and ‘Smokin Out The Window’ cherry pick the best bits (of grapes and genres) to engineer something brand new, something unique and yet familiar. The makers have clearly spent time studying what has come before to enable them to do so – and when you’ve got a mouthful of Pollen and an earful of Smokin’, you can’t help but feel the love and fun that went into making both. Neither the wine nor the song take themselves too seriously; they’re made to be enjoyed with a smile on your face, not critiqued and analysed in the dark corners of the internet populated by wine wankers and music snobs. Both are great examples of what can be achieved when passionate craftspeople put their own spin on a somewhat forgotten classic.

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