A Lady in London

I have a fear of fragrance. While my friends agonize over finding the perfect summer scent, I wear whatever came in the tiny sample vial the last time I bought something at Sephora. It’s not that I don’t care. I’m just a bit intimidated. But add wine to the mix, and my timidity drops exponentially in terms of the number of red fruits and tannins. When I got invited to a wine and perfume pairing in London this week, I was excited.

The event took place at the Bistro du Vin in Clerkenwell. I arrived at 6:30pm on Tuesday and was greeted with a glass of Champagne. As I sipped the bubbly and sampled some canapes, I met the team from Miller Harris, the company that provided the fragrances for the evening.

When I asked about the concept, I learned that part of the reason the company does events like this is to appeal to a broader audience than just women. I think that made me a man. I didn’t care too much, though. I was as intrigued by the concept as any of the girls in the room (and they were all girls).

As with a wine tasting, the wine and perfume pairing went from light to heavy, white to red. We began the evening with a fragrance called Noix de Tubereuse and a Verdejo wine from Rueda, Spain. The fragrance had hints of green clover, violet, jasmine, vanilla, musk, and amber. It was rounded out with a white flowery, buttery scent.

Perfect for summer, the perfume was paired with a wine that was equally appropriate for the season. It had hints of gooseberries and nettles, and was light and refreshing in the warm July evening. Alternately breathing in the scent and the wine, we generally agreed that the two paired well.

The next pairing was a fragrance called Figue Amere and a Pinot Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. Inspired by perfumer Lyn Harris’ holidays in Ibiza, the perfume had notes of bitter green figs, bergamot, and mandarin followed by rose and narcissus, sea moss and amber. It was a fruity scent, and slightly masculine.

The wine had a grainy texture and a fat, sappy consistency. It had hints of tropical fruits like bananas, guava, and pineapple. I liked both the wine and the fragrance on their own, but I didn’t get the same feeling of harmony that I got with the first set.

The third pairing was Encens de Bois and a Fiano di Avellino wine from Campania, Italy. The perfume was redolent of pimento, sage, pine, tobacco leaf, vanilla, patchouli, and spices. Originally for men, it soon became a popular women’s winter scent. I absolutely loved the fragrance, but wasn’t sure I was bold enough to pull off such a powerful perfume.

The wine that went with it was made from grapes grown on volcanic soil, which meant that it was very minerally. Smoky on the back of the palette, it also had hints of citrus and orange. I liked the wine a lot, and it did a decent job standing up to the strength of the perfume. I might have chosen a red wine for that particular pairing, but I thought they went pretty well together.

The next wine and perfume pairing was Feuille de Tabac and a special Chateau Musar “Hochar & Fils” wine from the Bekkaa Valley in Lebanon. The scent was inspired by the brasseries of Saint Germain in Paris, and smelled of rich wood, tobacco leaf, and spices. Also present were hints of pimento berries, sandalwood, cedar, patchouli, and carrot seed.

The wine was a woody, oaky red full of North African spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. It was smooth, and its bouquet and flavor went well with the fragrance.

The penultimate pairing consisted of Vetiver Bourbon perfume and a unique blend of Corvina and Syrah wines from Italian producer Allegrini. The fragrance was raw, earthy, and daring. Slightly medicinal, it had notes of vetiver, fresh citrus, oak moss, patchouli, amber, and cedar. While it was a bit too herbal for my nose, I could see it being a powerful scent on the right woman.

The wine had lots of cherry on the nose, as well as black fruits. It was large, plummy, and acidic with powdery tannins on the finish. As a lover of big, bold reds, I loved it. It went very well with the fragrance, which was equally bold in a complimentary way.

The final pairing featured the famous L’Air de Rien, a bespoke fragrance made for actress Jane Birkin of Birkin bag fame. It went with a special reserve La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza from Spain. The perfume was inspired by Birkin’s daily life, with an emphasis on libraries and old books. Earthy and sweet, it was a very light scent with hints of oak moss, orange, amber, vanilla, oak, musk, patchouli. L’Air de Rien was a unique, timeless fragrance.

The wine was a spicy, jammy wine. Aged in American oak, it had a rustic coconut smell that went well with the perfume. I liked the pairing a lot, and thought that the tasting ended on a high note.

Afterwards there was a chance to purchase Miller Harris fragrances at a discount. I remained firmly on the margins, not trusting myself to know what would smell good or bad on me, and being afraid to douse myself in something that wasn’t suited to my skin.

After the others finished their shopping, we sat down for a quick main course in the Bistro du Vin’s dining room before heading home.

I thoroughly enjoyed my evening of wine and perfume pairing in London, and thought it was a very unique experience. As I left, I got a goody bag with a bottle of Miller Harris Fleur du Matin in it. Maybe I will get over my fear of fragrance by finding a wine to pair with it.