This intimate ticketed event will comprise of a glass of Chateau Civrac Wild White on entry, talks on butterflies, conservation efforts and the effects of climate change by an eclectic range of speakers from writers - including Philip Marsden - to filmmakers and academics, canapés by The Old Coastguard, live music by very special guest Martha Tilston and the exciting opportunity to win a work by Kurt Jackson; with all proceeds going to support the invaluable work of conservation charity Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
On October 14th 2017, The Jackson Foundation, an environmentally focussed art-space in the far west of Cornwall will host an eclectic mix of talks, readings and music in aid of conservation charity Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
Not only is there a unique opportunity to win an original Kurt Jackson work; this fundraising evening also serves as official launch of the first collaboration between leading contemporary artist Kurt Jackson and winemaker Mark Hellyar’s Chateau Civrac.
A beautiful Kurt Jackson drawing of the Scarce Swallowtail butterfly graces the label of Chateau Civrac’s 2015 Wild White Sauvignon Blanc. Grown in the Bordeaux region of Cote de Duras, this wine is soft and fruity, with aromas of grapefruit and peach and a subtle vanilla finish.
Chateau Civrac is a natural wine producer, and as such their wines are organic as a minimum, with little in the way of chemical or technological intervention in growing grapes and making them into wine.
"We attempt to minimise mechanical intervention by hand pruning and minimal tractor work. This does mean that our vineyard does not look intensely manicured, in fact it looks a bit messy with grass growing between the vines and lots of native plants and wild flowers within that grass. However, this is supposed to be a natural place that supports a good wildlife system.
"I’m hoping that the more people understand about wine, the more that they will ask for wine that is made naturally.”
– Mark Hellyar
With these principals of low impact organic production with respect for nature foremost in his mind it is little surprise that this “Agent Provocateur” craftsman and Kurt Jackson - an internationally acclaimed artist and ecologist whose passion for natural world and commitment to championing the environment are channelled through his own artistic practice - were drawn together.
“It was over a glass of wine a number of years ago that Kurt and I discussed the possibility of working on a project together. Kurt had always been a supporter of my Wild White and together we share a passion for the environment and its conservation - me as a rude mechanical working amongst the vines and Kurt with an artistic eye of how to present it. So a project began....Our Scarce Swallowtail Wild White is due for launch at The Jackson Foundation in St Just, Cornwall on the 14th October.” – Mark Hellyar