Matthiasson Grape+Peach and Jessie Ware's What's Your Pleasure?
One magical trait that wine and music both have, amplified when combined, is transportive power. I can’t think of a stronger teleportation device right now than Jessie Ware’s brilliant “What’s Your Pleasure?” When paired with Matthiasson’s Grape+Peach wine, it sends you to a glittery 70s disco dance party—a place that I want to dive into like a crystal blue swimming pool on a sunny summer day.
Matthiasson Grape+Peach isn’t your typical Deana-Carter style fruit wine. This is a peach wine for real, grown-ass wine lovers. As with everything Matthiasson produces, they grow their own certified organic Fay Elberta heirloom peaches and chardonnay grapes from their Linda Vista Vineyard in Napa for this unique blend.
Their Grape+Peach wine looks like lemon soda in the glass. Citrus, white flower, peach and pear aromas dance off the surface. It’s light, gently fizzy, tart and dry with a greeting of grapefruit on the taste buds. It’s the wine equivalent of the cool girl at the party you want to talk to.
Speaking of, English songwriter (and podcaster!) Jessie Ware is about as cool as they come. With “What’s Your Pleasure” she’s created an entrancing, multidimensional dance record full of temptation, desire, release and introspection. It’s a disco record with a decades-old feel, but with a modern sophistication and production befitting of its time.
The opening track is a tease that sets the tone for this vixen of an album. “Spotlight” starts out moody, elegant and soulful. Then it hits you with a sexy disco groove and a beat that beckons you to the dance floor. The transition from drama to full-on dance party has pick-up like a Ferrari.
The rest of the album is a total ride. The title track, “What’s Your Pleasure?” is appropriately hedonistic with pulsating synths and flirtatious lyrics that radiate a potent vibe. “Ooh La La” takes a super fun detour to the late 80s/early 90s, reminiscent of Paula Abdul. The bass is wildly funky and the outro is exhilarating.
“Soul Control” is yet another banger that carries on the bass funk and cheerful synths, with truly irresistible vocals. While the record never ventures into somber territory, it has its softer, reflective moments. On “Adore You,” Jessie’s voice is beautiful and the lyrics are sweet, confessional and vulnerable.
“In Your Eyes” is slower, down tempo, and as she’s singing about dancing with a lover, the music itself sways. This song, and the album as a whole, have a floating effect. It’s easy to get lost in the escapist lyrics: “It feels like we've been dancing to this song all of our lives/ And when you're here, I leave the world behind/ But I'm not tryna fight it, I'll just keep on dancing in your eyes.”
“Step Into My Life” takes us right back to 70s disco, “Read My Lips” goes full-on pop, “Mirage” is dreamy and melodic, then “The Kill” dips down once more, reaching inward. While “What’s Your Pleasure” is overall a joyful dance record, matching the exuberance of Matthiasson’s Grape+Peach, it also plays with some more serious themes and is intentionally crafted, like the way Matthiasson thoughtfully and meticulously approaches this wine, and all their wines.
The album ends with “Remember Where You Are,” a very timely, important song. It’s grounding and uplifting in impossible times. It’s about being grateful for yourself and your loved ones, even when the world is burning around you: “The heart of the city is on fire/ Sun on the rise, the highs are gonna fall/ But nothing is different in my arms/ So darling, remember, remember/ Where you are.”
No matter what’s going on in your life or in the world, “What’s Your Pleasure” and Matthiasson Grape+Peach will take you out of it. Throw on your hot pants and halter top, and put that bottle on ice, because for the next hour at least, it’s disco and it’s summer.
