What better gift to give the music lover or oenophile this holiday than a bottle of wine from their favorite musician.
With more and more artists entering the complex world of wine making, a variety of choice now exists. Among the list of vintners are Primus vocalist Les Claypool, Dave Matthews, Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan, Madonna and Carlos Santana while those who have chosen to leverage their name recognition as a selling tool in the wine industry include The Grateful Dead, AC/DC, Motorhead, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, and The Police.
Not everyone who owns a vineyard takes the extra steps necessary and decides to go from personal consumption to mass production.
To hear Les Claypool, owner of Claypool Cellars describe it, “What started as an attempt to fill our own personal wine cache has turned into a “boutique” wine venture which I’m sure will eventually cause friction between me and my two good friends/partners, as all businesses tend to do.”
Madonna keeps the business all in the family. The pop star’s father Tony Ciccone and his wife Joan co-own Ciccone Vineyard and Winery with brother Mario Ciccone cellar master and manager of operations and eldest brother Silvio, Jr. helping from time to time. Established in 1996, the 14 acre Michigan vineyard produces five varieties — Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay.
Grateful Dead Productions partnered with Wines That Rock, innovators of rock inspired wines, to join the brand's four established rock 'n' roll varietals; Rolling Stones Forty Licks Merlot, Woodstock Chardonnay,The Police Synchronicity Red Blend and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon.
According to Mark Beaman, winemaker at Mendocino Wine Co. where Wines That Rock are crafted, the Grateful Dead Steal Your Face Red Blend honors the band’s famous improvisational concerts by “melding several varietals into one. "Just as the band members would segue through various musical styles, this wine's far reaching flavors melt seamlessly from one to the next... This wine celebrates diversity and freedom of experimentation."
Wines That Rock began releasing the labels in 2009 donating a portion of the proceeds from every bottle sold to the T.J. Martell Foundation - the music industry's largest foundation that funds innovative medical research focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS.
No one knows more about giving back than Dave Matthews who creates a cabernet and chardonnay with a conscience.
His family-owned and operated winery, Blenheim Vineyards, located 20 minutes near Charlottesville, VA, is not far away from the 1,260 acres of farmland he owns and is restoring to meet organic growing standards.
With Dreaming Tree Wines, named after the Dave Matthews Band song, The Dreaming Tree, from the 1998 album, Before These Crowded Streets, Matthews and Sonoma County winemaker Steve Reeder in partnership with Constellation Wines released their collection of affordable wines: a 2010 Central Coast Chardonnay, 2009 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon and 2009 North Coast Crush red blend for the retail price of $14.99.
The commitment to providing a high-value, environmentally conscious product is an important aspect of The Dreaming Tree brand. Bottles used for The Dreaming Tree wines are 50 percent lighter than the average wine bottle, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint as the wines are transported. The natural cork closure is sustainably grown, and the bottle's label is made with 100% recycled kraft brown paper and sealed with an eco-friendly sealant.
Winemaking is in Maynard James Keenan’s blood. Philosophically, it’s getting into his music. When Puscifer released its second studio album, Conditions of My Parole, Keenan and collaborators recorded in his wine cellar at Merkin Vineyards.
“[Recording music] is very much like winemaking. Pieces are developing individually, then you bring them together and they either fit together or they don’t,” he told Spin Magazine. “Eventually when you bring it all together, it integrates, then you spend a little bit of time working on it, and then you release it.” The film Blood into Wine: The Arizona Stronghold documents Keenan and his Stronghold Vineyards partner Eric Glomski’s journey into winemaking in the desert conditions of Arizona's Verde Valley.
Check out the lists of artists below whose wines come highly recommended.
Geoff Tate Insania Wines (Queensryche)
Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars
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