Fire and Vine with Dr. Katherine Larson
Boy oh boy have we been looking forward to this one Wine and Dime listeners! In this episode I invite Dr. Katherine Larson onto the show. Katherine is Curator of Ancient Glass at the Corning Museum of Glass. She joins us to talk about her Special Exhibit that Explores the Ways Wine and Glass Have Been Deeply Entwined for Centuries, Around the World and in the Finger Lakes Wine Country.
You know we had to invite her on to talk about the exhibit, wine, wine glasses and the museum. You don't want to miss this one. Learn about the exhibit and make sure you go and visit the museum to see it in person!
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If you have any questions that you would like answered on the show, feel free to email us at info@rootedpg.com
Name
Katherine Larson
Title
Curator of Ancient Glass
Katherine (Kate) Larson assumed responsibility for the ancient glass collection in July 2017, after joining the Corning Museum of Glass as curatorial assistant in 2016. She is responsible for the historical glass collection from its origins until 1250 CE. Larson also serves as Assistant Editor for the Journal of Glass Studies.
Larson is interested in ancient glass technologies and how people thought about and interacted with the material we call “glass.” She is active in archaeological fieldwork and has worked on sites in Israel, Greece, and Turkey. Larson is the author of Ancient and Islamic Glass: Selections from the Corning Museum of Glass, presenting more than 50 objects from the Museum’s permanent collection.
Larson holds a Ph.D. in Classical Art and Archaeology from the University of Michigan, an M.A. in Classical and Near Eastern Studies from the University of Minnesota, and a B.A. in Classical Archaeology from Macalester College. Previously, she held positions at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology and the Science Museum of Minnesota and interned at the Archaeological Museum of Corinth in Greece.
Fire and Vine:
The Story of Glass and Wine Opens July 3 at The Corning Museum of Glass
On July 3, 2021, The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG), located within New York State’s Finger Lakes Wine Country, will open Fire and Vine: The Story of Glass and Wine, a special exhibit exploring the deeply entwined relationship between wine and glass. Presenting the art, history, and science of how glass touches wine as it travels from the grape, to the bottle, and to the cup on our table, the exhibit is largely drawn from the Museum’s own holdings, the world’s most comprehensive collection of glass. Fire and Vine will also demonstrate how the combination of wine and glass has figured into social gatherings for thousands of years from the lavish feasts of Ancient Rome, to the polite society of 1700s Britain, and to the essential experience within our food culture today. The exhibit is organized by Katherine Larson, curator of Ancient Glass at CMoG.
Katherine Larson said, “It is easy to forget that the empty glass cups, pitchers, ewers, and bottles in museum display cases once held lush and luxuriant wine. For Fire and Vine, we have brought together objects that tell the story of how, for more than 2,500 years, the strength, impermeability, and versatility of glass have played an important role in every step of a wine’s journey—factoring into the production, distribution, sale, and ultimately the enjoyment of this intoxicating beverage.”
Fire and Vine will feature a display of dozens of wine glasses from around the world, representing the many styles, tastes, and occasions where wine was part of the festivities. Highlights of the exhibit also include a rare 2,000-year-old fragment of cameo glass depicting a grape harvest, a still-sealed bottle of wine found in an 18th-century shipwreck off the coast of England, a 17th-century Italian document describing an “almost unbreakable glass jar” that could prevent wine from spoiling, and a set of antique French hydrometers for measuring the alcohol content of wine, among other fascinating objects pulled from the Museum’s permanent collection, as well as from the collection of the Museum’s Rakow Research Library, most of which have seldom been on display.
The story of glass and wine has particular relevance in the Finger Lakes of New York State. The Finger Lakes is the home of U.S. Bonded Winery No. 1, established in 1860, and where cold-climate European vinifera grape varieties—like Riesling—were first introduced in eastern North America in the mid-20th century. Concurrent with the growth of Finger Lakes wines, Corning, New York emerged as the “Crystal City,” widely recognized as a world leader for its accomplishments in glass artistry and innovation. Independent, entrepreneurial winemakers, and glass artists have found a mutual home in this region, building on historical tradition with new creative energy that makes Corning and the Finger Lakes Wine Country a hub for the entwined industries. Recognizing this important shared history, the exhibit will also include objects on loan from the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery and Pleasant Valley Wine Company, the oldest winery in the Finger Lakes Region, including sealed bottles of historic vintages from these notable wineries. The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum will also contribute to the exhibit.
“Two of the most powerful stories in Finger Lakes Wine Country’s history center around wine and glass. The story that’s not often told is how imperative glass is to wine, so the Fire & Vine exhibit is exciting in that regard,” said Laury Ward, President of Finger Lakes Wine Country. “Finger Lakes wines continue to receive global recognition for our high quality, cool climate varietals. There is no denying our winemaking legacy would be incomplete without our history in glassmaking to complement it.”
