Before ever getting the nickname Mr. Cartoon, a young Mark Machado recognized that collectors of art tended to be fans of wine. He saw the two worlds intersect while attending events across Los Angeles with his print shop-owning parents, who regularly took their kids to arthouse films and galleries.
Even as his own career blossomed, the renowned tattoo and graffiti artist — whose images now adorn classic cars, hip-hop album covers, and the bodies of stars like Snoop Dogg, Christina Aguilera, and Eminem — never expected that his Chicano-inspired styles would be embraced by the white-leaning wine industry. But that’s exactly what lovers of both can now purchase, thanks to Mr. Cartoon’s collaboration with the inaugural release of Title X Wines, the Paso Robles-based brand owned by brothers Matt and Mark Suroff.
“Lady Impala” is the name of Mr. Cartoon’s vibrantly red, meticulously sculptured glass, magnum-sized bottle, of which only 385 exist. Filled with a Bordelaise blend of grapes grown in Santa Barbara’s Happy Canyon appellation and crafted by winemaker Tyler Russell, the limited release bottles are now on sale for $1,250 apiece.