Welcome back to Emma Eats Appalachia: the summer edition. Chefs and bartenders are artists in their own right, but EAT/ART space in Johnson City, TN, bridges the gap between what’s beautiful to look at and what’s delicious to eat. The gallery began as a way to help community members struggling during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants couldn’t serve, and artists couldn’t show. So, contemporary mixed-media artist Jocelyn Mathewes turned her dining room into a virtual gallery space, allowing everyone to feel the communal joy of eating together and admiring art at the same time.
Since then, she’s partnered with local restaurants and artists to physically host shows in her home. It can be hard to think back to the chaos and confusion of the 2020-2021 spike of COVID-19. There was so much that people didn’t know, and even going to the grocery store was panic-inducing, let alone sitting down to eat at a restaurant. The lack of gathering places wore people down and laid bare how much we depend on those around us. EAT/ART space is a celebration of our interdependence that breaks down the barriers of private property and the difference between the commercial and the residential that our society holds so dear.
Even though there are now ways for us to safely gather, Jocelyn is keeping the EAT/ART space going. In July, she’s hosting Yard pARTy, a pop-up where painters, photographers and graphic designers within a 250-mile radius of Johnson City can display their work both in the gallery and on the lawn.
There are other notable examples of the creative and culinary worlds merging. Many restaurants offer their walls for local artists or have curated private spaces that can function as galleries (Union Hall in Pittsburgh is the first that comes to mind). Alternatively, a gallery show with a good snack spread wins a lot of points for me.
If you’re looking for some summer bottles to sip on while you’re appreciating artwork, I recently got curious about West Virginia wine. Kirkwood Winery in Summersville, WV, sets the standard for wine in the state. You can get ordinary varietals like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, but the challenge for growing European grapes (Vitis vinifera) like that is finding the right altitude and helping them survive the harsh winters. For that reason, many winemakers in Appalachia use American grapes (Vitis labrusca) like Concord, Catawba, Elvira, Niagara and Muscadine, which present their own set of challenges, namely being very sensitive to phylloxera and pests. I tried Kirkwood Winery’s Merlot just out of curiosity, since it is less common to find in this region. It was unoaked, so it had a clear, glassy color I don’t usually see in red wine. It’s fairly low in alcohol and easy to drink with food and not regret it the next day. There was an earthiness to it and a definite smoothness on the palate. It’s a solid, classic table wine.
However, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t try the funkier wine offerings Kirkwood Winery has that represent the uniqueness of what West Virginia soil has to offer. Where else are you going to get strawberry rhubarb, moonglow pear, Appalachian ramp or dandelion wine? I was moved to try the dandelion wine — at the risk of sounding like a cookbook author throwing in personal anecdotes along with the recipe, my recently deceased grandfather made dandelion wine, inspired by Ray Bradbury’s titular short story. Kirkwood’s has a delicate, pale yellow color that makes a really nice pre-summer picnic aperitivo, as it’s also fairly low in alcohol. There’s a zesty, grassy aroma that alerted me, “You’re about to drink something that comes straight from the earth.” Once it hit my palate, I got notes of honey, cantaloupe or other fresh fruit and a little bit of acid on the finish. Because dandelions don’t have much sugar on their own, in order to make wine out of them, you have to add a sweetener for the yeast to eat during the winemaking process. In many cases, winemakers use honey to sweeten. I hope you sweeten your summer by trying new things, seeing new art and supporting your community through food and drink!
