I have been sharing with you my ventures in combining the worlds of music and wine for some time now.  From the Homegrown concert series to the BottleRockIt music festival both held at Wente Vineyards, it’s been amazing to see a simple idea conceived five years ago as the reality it is today. I believe that both wine and music are amazing compliments to each other and really highlight those moments in life that stir up the best memories.   How many times have you remembered an amazing time with friends, family or your significant other that included a great concert, or an unforgettable bottle of wine?   A wise person once told me, “You’re not in the wine business, you’re in the memory business,” and those words ring truer every day.    

Every year I pair six emerging independent music artists’ singles with six different wines with the program we like to call Discover the Wine, Discover the Music. This is the 5^th annual release, dubbed Vintage 5. I always look forward to this time of year when harvest is in the air and I get to listen to these songs for nuances that musically remind me of different characteristics in my wines. It’s such a fun task to uncover the synergies that exist between wine and music, such as the bass, tempo, acid, mouthfeel, etc. Check out my pairings and download some cool new music for free at www.wentevineyards.com/discover

Vintage 5 was released on September 1^st and includes a retail component where users can learn about the Discover artists on wine bottle neckers.  Just a heads up too, we’re giving away a trip for two to Livermore wine country. All you have to do is sign up on the site to be entered(in states where legal). Come hang with me for a couple of days and check out a concert at Wente Vineyards in 2012. Just to give you a taste of what I’ve come up with for this year’s pairings, here are a couple:

Phantogram’s “When I’m Small” paired with the Small Lot GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre). The Syrah is like funky guitar/primal surf, Mourvedre is an exotic, untamed, old school, low-fi, earthy funk, and Grenache is the dreamy, sugary quality of the vocals.

Birds and Batteries’ “Stranger Kind of Mirror” paired with the Nth Degree Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark and rich, bittersweet with a halo of reverb.

The Head and the Heart’s “Lost in my Mind” paired with the Riva Ranch Chardonnay – unapologetically American, rich and delicate at the same time. 

What are some of your favorite wine and music pairings?