Few hours are more magical in a day than wine o'clock — that glorious window when you're finally able to kick back and uncork. And if you're like me, you likely consider your wine game pretty strong. But thanks to Brazilian photographer Marcos Alberti's 3 Glasses Later series, some fellow wine aficionados now have photographic evidence a few glasses of wine do have a noticeable effect ... no matter how strong one's wine game is.
For the fun new photo project, Alberti started by inviting several of his friends to come hang out at the studio and share some vino. (Why can't I ever get lucky enough to be picked for a series like this?) He photographed each person immediately upon arrival and then again after one, two, and three glasses of wine. "I always saw bad things on the Internet — a dark side — but I believe every story has two sides," Alberti explains to Bustle via email about his inspiration. "If you drink with your friend, in a good environment, with moderation, wine can be a good thing. I wanted to show the bright side of it." As apropos as it sounds, the results prove oddly, though perhaps unsurprisingly, intoxicating.
According to Alberti, he has always gravitated to a quote that says something along the lines of, "The first glass of wine is all about the food, the second glass is about love, and the third glass is about mayhem." So in testing out the real world applications of this expression, did Alberti indeed find mayhem in that third glass? You could say that, although it was generally mild and all in good fun. "People start to speak louder and louder," he reveals. "One day we started at 8 p.m. and ended at 5 a.m. And one model wanted me to put her in my fridge and we tried to make a photo, but it didn't work."
At this point, you may be thinking your wine game is so strong no one would be able to tell a difference between your one-glass and three-glass personas — but don't bet on it. Says Alberti, "I think everyone changed. There's a guy in a leather jacket that drinks wine every day. He didn't change his face, but he changed the way he interacts with my camera. He starts to feel more comfortable and, in each pic, he comes closer to the lens."
So what exactly was Alberti filling his friends' glasses with? "I served Cabernet, because I think it's the most popular and everyone enjoys it." Which, judging by the photos, is a safe assumption.
As for how Alberti would look by glass three, well, you don't have to wonder. The photographer included a self-portrait. Check out his cheerful wine-face below, and then head over to his website to see how other vino drinkers stack up.
Images: Courtesy of Marcos Alberti Photography
