Kelly & Jones The Scent Sommelier

The recipe for a fab girls’ day out is never complicated: Good friends, some shopping, and maybe a drink or two. It’s an unbeatable plan, really. But when the chance comes along to combine shopping with wine – and do so in a completely inventive way – you’d be silly not to jump at the opportunity.

Go to boutique/wine bar Jill Lindsey, and you’ll wonder why you’ve never gone before. The chic little boutique has gorgeous frocks and gifts to coo over, but that’s only part of the fun. Among its regular refreshments, Jill Lindsey lets you sample the Kelly & Jones Notes of Wine fragrance collection, so you can shop, spritz, and sip to your heart’s content.

Kelly Jones, the founder and “scent sommelier” of the perfume line, incorporates the essences of certain wines into perfumes in a complementary way, allowing you to have your wine and wear it, too. It’s always available to purchase online, but if you visit Jill Lindsey, you can experience the perfumes and match them to the wine varietals you’re sipping.

Imagine yourself sitting at the bar, with Jill herself assisting you in choosing the perfect wine to pair with your perfume – say, Notes of Chardonnay. You give the wine in the glass a swirl and take a whiff. Then, smell the perfume on your skin. Notes of burnt caramel and vanilla blossom dance around your head, putting you immediately in an even better mood. Now take a sip of the wine. The nuances open up as you experience the scent of the perfume, the bouquet, and the delicious taste of the wine in the glass. Brilliant. How does someone come up with this?

Funnily enough, Kelly & Jones was born from a bit of a faux pas: “I was at a wine tasting in California when the winemaker declared, ‘WHO is wearing vanilla?’” explains Jones. “I didn’t realize that there was a ‘no perfume in the tasting room’ rule. That’s because scent can interfere with the taste of wine. I got in trouble, but it inspired me to figure out a way to pair perfume with wine.”

It’s about more than just wine and perfume, however, as the mission of Kelly & Jones is to help you experience life’s sweet little details through fragrance. You can further match these wine and perfume pairings with certain settings and events — Jones herself developed these NYC setting pairings based on what she was experiencing at the time of a particular perfume’s creation.

For example, Notes of Sauvignon Blanc, with aromas of green apple and grapefruit tickling your nose, pairs wonderfully with a day of ocean breezes on Long Island Sound. More of a red drinker? The Notes of Merlot showcases essences of red fruits and candied violet: a perfect indulgence at a Brooklyn dinner party, where delicious flavors blend with great friends in a laid-back setting — a bit like the setting you’re in right now. After you’ve treated your senses with gorgeous tastes and smells, you’ll resume your regularly scheduled girls’ shopping day with a new appreciation of the finer details in life.