Detroit is surrounded by art, in more ways than you can imagine.  My Bride and I needed a date day, and the cinema didn’t do it.  We both enjoy museums and we have one of the leading art museums in the country, the Detroit Institute of Art; and they were having a special exhibit “Detroit Style: Car Design in the Motor City, 195-2020.”  How could we resist, plus all the classic art and sculpture, it was an easy decision.  I am glad that I went online to check the hours, as a leftover precaution from the state, we had to book a time slot to visit the museum on line, you can no longer just go there on a whim.  Even me, who is not that adept on the computer book our tickets, and then I called a restaurant across the street from the museum and got a reservation, so we had a big date all lined up. 

Oh, and if you go, the main entrance behind Rodin’s “Thinker” is only an exit now, and we had to walk around the block to a side entrance. We went to see, several of the galleries first, in fact, all of the galleries were open that day, except for the famed puppet gallery, which I always have found fascinating from my days of youth.  I noticed that a few choice pieces were out on loan to other museums around the world for special exhibits that they were hosting; some of the pieces are that amazing.

We finally got to the “Detroit Style” and they not only had some classic cars, there were also so very exotic prototype cars, that still look awesome.  The Fifties and the Sixties were spectacular times for Detroit cars, as the cars were sensational in appearance, and every brand was distinctive.  Another great aspect was the artwork on the walls, done by the artists and design people at the “Big Three.”  I am not a car geek, but I sure enjoy looking at a car that has style and pizzazz, even if my Bride complains that the car I had when we met was more like a yacht, but it was sure comfortable and classy; she complained that she couldn’t see what was in front of the car, or behind it, because the two deck lids were so long.  I was a clothier in Dearborn, and we had plenty of auto execs coming in to dress for business.  There on the walls were customers of mine, with their artwork in all of its glory.  So, maybe I was a bit geeked up.

After that exhibit, we decided to have a glass of wine, and to let my Bride relax a bit, as she is still using her “Moon Boot” until she gets the all clear from her physician.  We went to the Kresge Court for some refreshments, named after Sebastian Spering Kresge of S.S. Kresge’s 5 & 10¢ Stores, which later became Kmart’s.  When I was a kid and played hooky at times, the Kresge Court was actually open in the middle of the museum, but since those days it has been enclosed from the elements and for years, my Bride used to go to the Brunch with Bach sessions.  I do digress and get carried away.  While my Bride found us a table, I went to order the wine.  I was surprised as I was behind a very nice professional looking couple and when they got to the cashier, they each paid for their own orders (I guess dates have changed since my day).  I selected two different white wines for us, and when the lady saw what I was doing, she allowed me, after the first photo to get a photo without the plexiglass partition.  The first wine I had poured was Babich Wines White Label Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2020 and the winery is an historic wine estate based in Auckland, New Zealand.  It was established in 1916 by Josip Babich who arrived from Dalmatia (Croatia).  Babich owns properties in many of New Zealand’s major wine districts.  In 1987 they built a winery in Marlborough, where most of their present-day operations are done.  The fruit for this wine is harvested from various vineyards.  The juice was fermented in Stainless Steel tanks, and they use a mix of wild and inoculated yeast, and then the wine is blended together.  The wine offered the notes of grapefruit, mandarin and tropical floral.  The wine was fresh and bouncy with grapefruit, passion fruit and a touch of bell pepper with a soft finish.  My Bride chose this wine.  The other wine that we had was Storypoint Vineyards Chardonnay California 2018.  The fruit is harvested from Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties.   Each lot was fermented separately in a mix of Stainless Steel and French Oak.  A nice gold color with notes of apple and white fruit, and just a classic California Chardonnay with butter, vanilla and caramel with a soft finish.  The perfect way to divide our museum visit.