TITLE: Cosmogony of Wine

The history of wine and vine is so ancient that it merges with the history of humanity. For a long time the transformation of grapes into wine appeared as a supernatural manifestation, due to divine beings that violently agitated the vessels where tumultuous fermentations took place. In turn food, medicine, sacred object, precious food, source of wealth or torment, wine has emerged during these five millennia of cultures as a fundamental element in the history of societies and the link between men .
The series "Cosmogony of Wine" is born from the desire to reveal the magic of this process put in place by man for more than 5000 years to make wine. The story of this "elixir" relates our deep attachment to the earth, to nature, to the processes of transformation inherent in the universe. I wanted to make this collective memory resonate to reveal its initiation side, the quasi-sacred dimension.
My eyes, plunging into the heart of the vats of wine making, wanted to "touch the organic", to show how the man, who is at the origin of the work of the transformation of grapes into wine, reveals its cosmic dimension.
These vats of wine look like planets where fire and water clash in a tumultuous fight. Image of a living earth that creaks and "bloats" before becoming in turn an uncertain space that of the future, of the future forever transformed...
The biggest challenge for me was to show a transformation that we never see since it takes place in total darkness, inside the tanks. I went in tracking during the harvest at two winemakers and looked for a while how I could operate. One year later, I met Christine Cheylan, the owner of Château Virant, a renowned vineyard in Provence. She loved the idea.

AUTHOR: Patrick Desgraupes (France)

Patrick Desgraupes is a French photographer. He has trained on the job in different Parisian studios and in labs, in which he acquired an understanding of light, one of the strong traits of his current works. He made photographs of portrait, fashion, decoration, architecture and still life. His work has been published since 2004 at Editions de la Martinière (his book on the National Parks of France gets the second place at the National Tourism Award in 2010 in Paris), in numerous magazines and brochures. He has become a recognized landscape specialist in the 4x5 inches large format camera, and his work has been published in the USA and in seven European countries. He has made numerous exhibitions in Iceland, Belgium, France for the National Parks of France and the Ministry of Ecology, in Slovenia, on the island of Reunion and in Guadeloupe. His photographs testify to his passion for light.
He currently lives and works in France.
In 2017, he won in London the following prices:
The “Fujifilm Award for Innovation”, First Edition,
The «Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year" Award/ places category,
The "Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year" Award/ overall winners, at famous Pink Lady Awards.
His photographs has won numerous awards in 2017 and 2018: 36 Honorable mentions, Nominations and Bronze medals at International Color Awards in Los Angeles, IPA-International Photography Awards in New York, PX3-Prix de la Photographie in Paris, ND AWARDS, Monochrome Photography Awards, Monovision Photography Awards and Fine Art Photography Awards in London.