Most people associate rock and rock with beer chugging or whiskey drinking, but it’s no secret that a lot of rockers are turning to wine as their tipple of choice. Inevitably, a winemaker would pick up on this relationship and start his own line of wines featuring classic rock themes. Well, winemaker Mark Beaman has done just that by partnering with Mendocino Wine Company and producing Wines That Rock. Each wine in the series is based on a classic rock theme or band, such as Woodstock Chardonnay, Rolling Stones Forty Licks Merlot, and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon. Recently, The Police’s Synchronicity was debuted in New York at the Food Network’s Wine and Food Festival. Besides winning competition awards, Wines That Rock has received Governor’s Environmental Awards from the State of California for their eco-friendly practices. Also, a portion of the proceeds from each sale goes to benefit Cancer, AIDS, and Leukemia Research.
Bottle art connoisseurs will surely want to collect Wines That Rock, for the company spares no expense with the label. Each bottle of Synchronicity is adorned with the album’s artwork, and collectors will want to get a couple of bottles, one to sample and one to save.
Synchronicity, naturally, is a blend, and the combination of Carignane, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petit Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier makes for a deep burgundy color. The nose is slightly floral, with currants and vanilla, and a whiff of strawberries. Plum hits your palate first, then berries, then some citrus notes, and the wine finally finishes with full-on raspberries. This wine would pair with all manner of light red meat dishes, some hearty pastas and salads, and (perfect for a rockin’ wine) pizza. Needless to say, listening to the album Synchronicity while quaffing is recommended, since that way you can best experience the “shimmering surfaces and glacial shadows” of the music that Beaman tried to incorporate into every bottle.
