Wine tasting at the Milkmaid

Where it's normally teeming with people, I'm now standing alone in the Rijksmuseum's vast reception hall. It's Wednesday evening, and I've been invited by KLM and Activin Wine Group to sample some wines.

In August and September, KLM is serving five special wines in World Business Class, each with a different look. The labels on the bottles feature paintings from the Rijksmuseum. I'm invited to sample them in front of the respective painting after the Rijksmuseum closes. I'm walking through the Hall of Fame with a group of 30 aviation and wine writers and bloggers.

Before you panic, we're not supposed to be walking around with a glass in our hands. A picture appears in my head mental picture Of myself, stumbling over The Milkmaid with a glass of red wine – flat – #nightmare. That's not happening. We're sitting neatly on a bench in front of work, tasting the wine and accompanying snacks, and listening attentively to the lady from the Rijksmuseum telling us more about the showpiece right in front of us.

Wishing you a frivolous summer

We'll all start with the painting "Mill on a Polder Canal" by Paul Joseph Constantin Gabriël. Good title, because that's exactly what I see. If you were to continue walking, you might find the painting a bit dull. Wait a minute for that.

Find a moment of nostalgia in your collection of memories and look at this painting again with that feeling. Feels like home, right? It's a typical Dutch summer day. And that always calls for a light Pinot Grigio.

Masi Pinot Grigio 2016 – Mill on a polder canal

Cupid on a tile

I knew The Milkmaid was a special painting. But that was more because it's so, rather than because I understood what Vermeer meant. I'm still not sure, but the lady from the Rijksmuseum did give me some interesting food for thought.

Vermeer didn't skimp on the details; he used the most expensive pigments. He painted almost all of his blue with precious ultramarine, derived from the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli from Afghanistan—which was more expensive than gold at the time! Impressive, but did Vermeer really want to impress? A maid wasn't exactly a show-stopper on the wall, so who would buy one? Vermeer likely only wanted to impress one person: the Milkmaid herself. Romance.

We even have another clue that this is about true love. If you look closely Look , you'll see three tiles in the lower right corner – one of them depicts Cupid. We'll drink an aromatic Sauvignon Blanc from the Languedoc with it.

Abbots & Delaunay Sauvignon Blanc 2016 – Vermeer's The Milkmaid

Hello, here I am

Rembrandt must have said when he entered the room where the syndics were sitting (falling). It certainly does seem that way, if you look at the men's expressions. It's wonderful of Rembrandt to include a portrait in action among all those stately, stiff, but above all, neat portraits.

This painting appears on the label of a Chardonnay from the Boschendal winery in South Africa. A full-bodied Chardonnay that pairs well with anything equally rich and creamy. Think fish with cream sauce or a delicious brie.

Boschendal Chardonnay 2016 – Rembrandt's Staalmeesters

Where elegance meets

We follow our way to Berckheyde's Golden Bend, a stately version of the Herengracht canal in the 17th century. It's under construction, with scaffolding at the last building and lots still undeveloped. There aren't even any trees yet. Amsterdam was booming , but you had to be incredibly well-off to snag a house here. This stretch of the canal was (and still is) the domain of the very wealthy. So, house hunting in Amsterdam actually began at the end of the 17th century...

In my opinion, this wine/painting combination is a bull's-eye. What wine is known for its elegance? Exactly, Pinot Noir. From the renowned Norton winery in Mendoza. You don't see Argentinian Pinot Noir very often, but because the vineyards are at high altitude, it's still possible to plant Pinot Noir here. Unlike, say, Burgundy, this Pinot is firmer and bursting with fruit. It's important for KLM that the wines have sufficient power and body. On average, the air travels a fifth lost of taste.

Finca Perdiel Pinot Noir 2015 – The Golden Bend of Berckheyde

The silent life

This is one of my favorite paintings. Just for the title, "Still Life with Flowers and a Watch." As explosive as the painting is, the title at least keeps it simple. What's the watch doing there? Just to let you know that the flowers eventually decay? Not in the title, but on The painting : a snail (under the rose), a ladybug (in the white flower), and a drop of water (on the red flower at bottom left). Beautiful, isn't it?

Lapostolle Merlot 2015 – with a still life with flowers and a watch by Mignon

An evening for the books

It was amazing to be walking around the Rijksmuseum almost alone. Being able to see the works up close, learning about their history, and enjoying a glass of wine all while I did it. I can taste them again at home, because we each got a box to take home! Yes!

What I also find so enjoyable are the stories that arise on board. These bottles are the ultimate conversation starters.

Finally, a free tip: check out the website from the Rijksmuseum. That's really cool. You can zoom in on paintings so closely, so you can clearly see the ladybug in the Still Life with Flowers and a Clock or the cupid tile on the wall in the Milkmaid.