Friday, February 6, 2009

The Roman Connection That Became the French Connection.....That Became the Wine Connection

So, why Madonna for our name...............that is something we hear a 1000 times over....or the question is, "Is this Madonna's Winery?" When Madonna married Sean Penn in 1985, her attorney contacted us to see if we were trying to trademark on her name. We politely informed him that there was another Madonna that had been around for many more years prior to his Madonna...and that we have been using the name since 1922. Madonna does, however, own U.S. trademark registrations for the name Madonna for entertainment services and related goods and has been using the name “Madonna” since 1979.

Grandpa Bartolucci was an Italian and a religious man. That is what inspired him to name his new winery in America...... Madonna Estate. This name would seem to be the perfect connection between the higher power and the grape. He might even have been hoping for an added blessing for the grapes, and wine he would craft in the years to come.

The image of Madonna and Child appeared early in paintings in the Roman catacombs.

The theme is among the most ancient and widespread in Christian iconography, and has the greatest number of variations because--beyond its symbolic religious meanings--it allows one to analyze the relationship between mother and child in its many aspects.........and in our case the relationship between the Madonna, grapes and wine.



This painting above, hanging in the Louvre, is The Virgin of the Grapes, painted in the 1640's by French painter, Pierre Mignard. He reproduced the features of his wife in the painting. So besides Grandpa Bartolucci it seems others made some sort of the same connection between Madonna, grapes and wine. What works of art inspire you?