The Pont des Arts collection case featuring the company's 2012 Yue Minjun bottles. (Pont des Arts)
From fashion to jewelry to hospitality, a wide spectrum of luxury brands have enlisted Chinese contemporary artists to help boost their prestige in China. At the head of this trend in the wine industry is Hong Kong-based company Pont des Arts, which recently unveiled a collection of bottles featuring works by mainland contemporary artist Yue Minjun.
The company’s 2012 "Wine & Art" collection launched on June 13 includes two separate sets of bottles with six works showcasing the leading Chinese painter’s signature smiling faces. A set of Bordeaux will feature a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, Rive Droite, and Lalande-de-Pomerol, while a Burgundy set will hold a Côte de Nuits-Villages, Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Meursault. In addition, the company released “Infinity” a 40-year-old Cognac XO Fine Champagne with Yue’s 2009 Snake.
The new Pont des Arts Infinity Cognac XO Fine Champagne. (Pont des Arts)
The partnership kicked off when Pont des Arts co-founders Arthur de Villepin and Thibault Pontallier saw Yue’s exhibition at Fondation Cartier in Paris in the first part of 2013. The brand previously collaborated with Chinese-French painter Zao Wou-Ki for a similar collection when the company was created in 2010.